CITIZENS COMPASS— In a landmark move to reshape how disability is portrayed across media landscapes, the Centre for Disability and Inclusion Africa (CDIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment (GADIM). This strategic collaboration aims to drive a bold shift in storytelling, amplify authentic voices, and promote inclusive media representation of persons with disabilities across Africa and beyond.
The partnership signals a decisive step away from outdated narratives that frame disability through pity, charity, or stereotypes, toward a more accurate, empowering, and human-centered portrayal rooted in dignity, rights, and lived experiences.
Under the agreement, both organizations will co-create and distribute compelling multimedia content, that spotlight the diverse realities, achievements, and perspectives of persons with disabilities. The collaboration will also facilitate knowledge exchange for media professionals, and the development of inclusive storytelling guidelines.
Speaking at the signing, Yinka Olaito, Executive Director of the Centre for Disability and Inclusion Africa, emphasized the urgency of reframing disability narratives:
“For too long, disability has been misrepresented in media spaces. This partnership is about reclaiming the narrative—ensuring that stories about persons with disabilities are not told for them, but with them, and most importantly, by them. Storytelling is power, and we are harnessing it to drive inclusion, equity, and social change.”
The Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment echoed this commitment, noting that media remains a powerful driver of public perception and policy influence:
“The partnership, will challenge bias, and inspire systemic change across the media and entertainment industries globally.”
Key focus area of the collaboration is:
Co-production and syndication of inclusive media content
This partnership comes at a critical time when conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion are gaining momentum globally, yet disability representation remains significantly underreported and often misrepresented.
By leveraging storytelling as a transformative tool, CDIA and GADIM aim to strengthen media ecosystemone that recognizes disability as an integral part of human diversity and reflects it with accuracy, respect, and depth.
Beyond the partnership, the Centre for Disability and inclusion Africa is reaffirming its passion to strengthen its goal of continuous training and mentorship of journalists, film makers and other content creators, engage in strategic research and advocacy on disability representation in the media; amplify voices of persons with disabilities across platforms as well as continue our strong campaign to influence public discourse and policy.
