A seminar titled “Promoting the Use of Inclusive Language in the Media” was held, jointly organised by the UN Office in Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, with the participation of media representatives, NGOs working with persons with disabilities, representatives of the UN Communications Group and Inclusion Working Group, and experts.
At the opening of the seminar, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Rashad Mustafayev spoke about the work carried out in Azerbaijan on social protection, rehabilitation and social integration of persons with disabilities. It was noted that within the framework of recent social reforms implemented on the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, significant increases have been made in pensions, allowances and benefits for persons with disabilities. The important role of the DOST Inclusive Development and Creativity Centre, established on the initiative of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, in developing the creative potential of persons with disabilities was highlighted. Inclusive projects implemented by the Ministry in recent years were also discussed.
It was noted that, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, outdated, vulgar or stereotypical terms related to disability have been replaced in legislation with modern and ethical expressions (for example, “mute” replaced with “person with complete speech impairment”, “blind” with “person with complete visual impairment”, “deaf” with “person with complete hearing impairment”, etc.).
It was stressed that when covering issues related to persons with disabilities, the media should avoid outdated and inappropriate terminology and instead use correct, inclusive language that reflects respect for individuals’ characteristics.
UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva referred to the UN Disability Inclusive Communication Guidelines, highlighting the importance of inclusive language in the media and stating that the seminar aims to promote dialogue, share good practices and build capacity in inclusive communication.
The seminar featured an interactive performance titled “The Words We Choose”, as well as a presentation on “Understanding Disability and Inclusion – Key Concepts and Terminology”. An interactive training on the use of inclusive language was conducted, along with group work involving writing short news pieces or stories using inclusive language, followed by evaluation of the results.
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