As part of efforts to train professionals in the communications space on disability reporting, YALI TV has organised a two-day workshop for 26 journalists and communications professionals.

The seminar which started last Thursday and ended on Friday took the participants through workshops and plenary sessions with seasoned journalists, lecturers and other industry professionals.

They equipped the beneficiaries with how to report and promote fact-based, objective and impactful media content on persons with disabilities through the media.

Dubbed 'Media Capacity Building Initiative for Reporting on Disability (MCBIRD)', the second day of the training coincided with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) which was on the theme ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disability towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid World.’

The beneficiaries were further tasked to explore impactful areas to make the stories of PWDs get the headlines of the media.

At the awards night, the United States of America (USA) Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, congratulated YALI TV for embarking on the initiative and reiterated the influence of the media highlighting the stories of marginalised communities.

“I hope with this program, we have started a conversation to improve understanding of the challenges faced by PWDs,” the US Ambassador to Ghana noted.

As a partner to the MCBIRD programme, Mrs Sullivan expressed the US’s commitment to helping develop Ghana’s journalistic core to the highest professional standards.

The Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar who was at the awards ceremony also tasked the media to throw more light on PWDs adding that government is committed to improving social protection programs such as the National Health insurance programs to benefit all the citizenry, including vulnerable persons.

The winner for ‘Best Disability Reporter’ was won by TV’3 Portia Sonia Gabor, with the first runner-up going to Prosper Kuorsoh of Ghana News Agency, the second runner up was Daniel Abugre Anyoriga of Citi News and the ‘Best Journalist Living with Disability award going to Paul Anomah Kordeih of Global Media Alliance.

Professor Audrey Gadzekpo of the University of Ghana, Esther Cobbah of Stratcom, Philip Osei Bonsu, host of ‘Ekosiisen,’ Professor Kristin Gilger of Arizona State University in the USA, Philip Acquaye of BlueCrest University and Dr Felix Dela Klutse of Business Day Newspaper led the training.

YALI TV is an online television platform operated by beneficiaries of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a programme by the US State Department that started under US President, Barrack Obama to train the next generation of African leaders