Spreading Awareness by Mass Media on Concept of Disability Paramount

Damascus, (ST) “The role of mass media in spreading awareness on disability and means to deal with children with disabilities” was the main topic discussed during  the 1st National Workshop on Handicapped Children on its second and last day.

“media could play a vital role in changing the stereotypes of handicapped children especially that mass outlets have now  great capabilities in making and promoting conceptions”. emphasized  Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Information at Damascus University Nahleh Issa.

She  talked about the stereotypes that have been previously dealt with by the mass media regarding the handicapped people especially in drama.

During their discussion, representative of AAMAL Organization for the disabled, Qutaiba Mohammad, reviewed the psychological and social traits of people with visual, behavioral and mental disabilities, mainly in terms of showing fear, worry and depression.

Mohammad al-Rousan, education expert of AAMAL, briefed the attendees on  services offered by the organization, citing particularly a wide-range survey of dyslexic children with audio, verbal, behavioral, neurological and autistic aspects.

The workshop, which was organized by Al-Baath Vanguards Organization in cooperation with the Ministries of Education and Social Affairs, the General Corporation of Radio and TV and the Syrian Commission of Family Affairs, dealt with identifying the rights of handicapped children enshrined by the international and Syrian laws. 

N.H.Khidr