Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Africa
This webinar on Media and Disability: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Africa aims to provide a much-needed focus on disability studies and media in Africa and to share critical insights from the works of various scholars and practitioners who focus on disability and media in Africa while introducing and centering important voices from African scholarship on disability and media. Speakers will focus on topics such as “Between Tragedy and Miracles: Personal reflections on encountering blindness narratives in media and the development of authentic identity”, “Community Media as a Tool for Disability Empowerment in Rural Africa”, “The role of the media in shaping attitudes about albinism in Sierra Leone” as well as “Disability, Normalcy, Difference, and Eugenic Thinking”. Participants will include both IAMCR and non IAMCR members, with a particular welcome to participants from sub-Saharan Africa with an interest and/or work around the broader theme of the webinar. Sponsored by the Inclusive Communication and People with Disabilities (ICO) Working Group, this webinar creates a space to share work, identify gaps and spotlight important contributions in African disability studies and media scholarship.
When: Wednesday, 13 May 2026 @ 11:00 UTC / 12h00 London / 13h00 Paris / 14h00 Nairobi / 16h30 Kolkata / 19h00 Beijing / 21h00 Brisbane. The event will last 2 hours.
Pre-registration is required by 11 May. Register here.
Sponsored by: IAMCR's Inclusive Communication and People with Disabilities (ICO) Working Group
Organisers
- Ngozi Marion Emmanuel
Research Assistant, Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, Birmingham City University, UK - Lorenzo Dalvit
Professor of Digital Media and Cultural Studies, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa - Bimbo Fafowora
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa
Moderator
Ngozi Marion Emmanuel
Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, Birmingham City University, UK
Opening remarks
Karen Arriaza Ibarra
IAMCR's Vice President
Professor in Audiovisual Communication at the Faculty of Communication of Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain.
Speakers
Edwin Etieyibo
Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand. He has published widely on disability and several areas of philosophy, one of which is a coauthored monograph, Disabilities in Nigeria: Attitudes, Reactions, and Remediation (2017).
Charlotte Baker
Professor of French and Critical Disability Studies in the School of Global Affairs at Lancaster University, UK
Michelle Botha
Senior Lecturer at the Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies at Stellenbosch University where she convenes the Postgraduate Diploma programme
Tafadzwa Rugoho
Zimbabwean disability advocate, researcher, and development specialist focusing on disability inclusion, media representation, livelihoods, resilience, and safeguarding, informed by lived experience
Registration
Pre-registration is required by 11 May. Register here.
Location: The meeting will take place on Zoom. Pre-registered participants will receive personal invitations 24 hours before the webinar begins.
Who can participate: The webinar is open to all IAMCR members but space is restricted. Members must register directly through the IAMCR website at https://iamcr.org/webinars/register-media-and-disability to secure a guaranteed spot. A limited number of guest invitations for non-members may be available. Non-members can fill out this form to request being added to the guest list, but this does not guarantee a spot as space is limited.
Not sure if you're a member? Check the membership directory.
If you are not a member of IAMCR, you can join here.
About the series
The IAMCR Webinar Series aims to open-up channels for engagement and participation in addition to the annual conference, while echoing the great work that is done by Sections, Working Groups and IAMCR members. The series includes presentations, debates, book and project launches. The format is flexible, the connection is what matters. Join us!