Freedom of expression for all

Background

The report “The freedom of expression of disabled people" (Norwegian Human Rights Institution) concludes that there are challenges and barriers that prevent people with disability from having full freedom of expression in Norway. It describes eight societal challenges that undermine their human rights:

1. Lack of information
2. Poor physical access to public arenas
3. Verbal abuse, harassment and hate speech
4. Self-censure and fear of reprisals
5. Barriers against participation in political and public life
6. Inadequate personal assistance
7. Stigmatising and marginalising media representation
8. Negative attitudes to people with disability

Are these challenges relevant in your communities/countries as well?

Instructions

Clarification of concepts (15 minutes):

• The facilitator starts by asking: “What does freedom of expression involve?”
• After the participants have offered input the following definition is presented: Freedom of expression includes the freedom to impart ideas in speech or through actions and to choose to express oneself or not to express oneself. This also applies to the freedom to receive the opinions of others. (Source: The Great Norwegian Encyclopedia)
• The facilitator continues:
  • The state authorities have the responsibility to ensure that everyone in society has the same right to express themselves and to receive information. Even if everyone pursuant to the law has freedom of expression and freedom of information, some groups are still excluded in practice.
  • Do you know about people today who, unlike the general public, do not have equal access to expressing themselves and receiving information?
• The participants may discuss in pairs for a few minutes before sharing their thoughts in the plenary session.
• The facilitator follows up by saying:
  • People with disability constitute 16 per cent of the population, which makes them the largest global minority. Many of the people in this group experience challenges in relation to freedom of expression and information. People with vision impairment, hearing impairment and/or dyslexia particularly experience that there is much information they do not have access to. (Source: Norwegian Human Rights Institution).
  • In 2008 the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Articles 9, 21 and 29 deal with accessibility, freedom of expression, freedom of opinion, access to information and participation in political and public life. These are considered to be fundamental rights for participation in a democracy. In the group work you will work more on this topic.

Group work (45 minutes)

• The facilitator divides the participants into groups of three to five. The groups sit at five tables. On each table there is a sheet of paper with one task. The groups write their answers on a large flip-over sheet. (NOTE: they must leave room on the sheet for the other groups).
• The groups elect one “reporter” who is responsible for collecting the answers and presenting the group’s reflections in the following plenary session. The participants switch tables after five minutes. (25 minutes in total. 5 minutes for each task).

Alternative implementation: The sheets are switched from one table to the next, not the participants.

Tasks:

Sheet 1: What are the consequences when some groups in society are prevented from expressing themselves along the same lines as others? For the individuals? For society as a whole?

Sheet 2: “Universal design” means that our surroundings must be designed so they are suitable for everyone. For example, a house may be built with a ramp at the entrance instead of stairs so that people in wheelchairs can enter. An underground train may have a PA system stating which station the train has arrived at so people with visual impairment know when to get off.

What is the connection between universal design and freedom of expression and information?

Sheet 3: How can prejudices and negative attitudes about people with disability become a barrier against the freedom of expression for people with disability?

Sheet 4: “In the shop everybody addresses my assistant. […] People don’t dare to say hello, they don’t know how to deal with my not seeing. […]”. (Quoted from the report on the freedom of expression of disabled people, Norwegian Human Rights Institution)

How can this quotation be related to participation in society and freedom of expression?

Sheet 5: How can the media, such as newspapers, television and radio, strengthen the freedom of expression of people with disability?

• The sheets from each table, now full of answers, are collected and posted on the wall. Start by presenting the answers from Sheet 1 and then all the reporters present the findings from their groups. Then comes Sheet 2 with presentations until everyone has been heard.

Reflection

• What is the connection between freedom of expression and democracy?
• How can we include everybody in society to a greater degree?
• Do you agree with the following statement: When we remove barriers in society so that people with disability can participate it will be a better society for everyone.

Debriefing

Because freedom of expression is a human right, the authorities are responsible for removing barriers which may prevent this right from being realised. For example, the state must initiate measures against hate speech and hate crimes targeting people with disability.

Media, organisations and individuals can also contribute. The media can develop websites that practise the principles of universal design so that everyone (including persons with visual or hearing impairment) can obtain information. People with disability can be recruited to editorial offices.

Organisations can ensure that their arrangements and events are planned with universal design in mind. They can choose venues with lifts, and make sure that the partially sighted have access to audio input. Then the partially sighted can obtain information even if they cannot see the presentations.

“When people with disabilities are prevented from expressing themselves along equal lines with the rest of society, important voices and experiences are lacking from the public discourse.”

(Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs).

Tips to the facilitator:

• Eight challenges to the freedom of expression for people with disability
• Disability and the media (United Nations)

Follow-up activity: What can be done to improve the freedom of expression for people with disability?

Choose one challenge that limits the rights of people with disability and plan a campaign aiming to remove this barrier from society. Find relevant statistics. Choose how to design the campaign. Techniques may be slogans on posters, posters in social media, articles and letters to the editor, Podcasts, meetings with politicians or other approaches.