Disability Justice Project

WATCH OUR TRAILER: The DJP trains human rights defenders with disabilities in Asia, Africa and the Pacific in documentary storytelling. Sending camera kits to activists across the globe, we are taking back the narrative on disability. Donate: https://lnkd.in/edFDXTKP Descriptive transcript for trailer: bit.ly/DJPTrailerDT #Filmmaking #DisabilityRights #Journalism #VideoJournalism #News #GlobalJournalism #Grassroots #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #LeaveNoOneBehind.

As #COP29 nears, we're giving an introduction to what the Conference of the Parties is and how it relates to disability justice. Hosted annually by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP allows countries to share their progress on and build goals for climate policy. This year's convention will be held Nov. 11-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The DJP is using this opportunity to emphasize the connection between climate change and disability rights. Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we share footage from our filmmakers across the world, shining light on extreme weather exacerbated by climate change and its disproportionate impact on persons with disabilities. [Video description: Video clips of past COP conventions and country representatives speaking and video clips/images of extreme flooding in Nepal, Rwanda, and the United States. On-screen text reads, "Every year, the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) coordinates the global Conference of the Parties, or COP, where representatives from member countries gather to report on progress and set goals for climate action. This year's COP29, which will take place Nov. 11-22 at Baku Stadium in Azerbaijan, is quickly approaching. Climate policy and disability rights are inextricable. Worldwide, when extreme weather strikes, persons with disabilities are disproportionately impacted due to factors like health conditions, limited mobility, and inaccessible infrastructure. In the weeks leading up to COP29, the DJP will be releasing videos with footage captured by our filmmakers of extreme weather occurring across the world, calling attention to the impacts of climate change on persons with disabilities."]

During International Week of the Deaf (Sept. 23-29), DJP Fellow Bishwamitra Bhitrakoti shares why it’s critical to have Deaf filmmakers in the industry - to challenge stereotypes about disabled people and to promote inclusivity and accessibility in storytelling. His latest film, “Redefining Justice,” spotlights Nepal’s first blind female lawyer and her mission to make her country’s legal system more accessible. As Sept. 23 is International Day of Sign Language, Bhitrakoti signs about the unique capabilities of Deaf filmmakers and his work at the DJP. This International Week of the Deaf, support Bhitrakoti by watching “Redefining Justice” here: https://lnkd.in/dST9b_AZ #InternationalWeekOfTheDeaf #InternationalSignLanguageDay [Video description: Bhitrakoti, a light-brown skinned, 5 feet 8 inches tall Nepali man with black curly hair and a goatee, signs to camera: “Namaste. I’m Bishwamitra Bhitrakoti, a Deaf filmmaker and a fellow with the Disability Justice Project. As we celebrate International Week of the Deaf (Sept. 23-29), it’s important to talk about why Deaf filmmakers matter. Deaf filmmakers bring a powerful visual perspective to storytelling. Without relying on sound, we focus on details that others might miss — expressions, body language, the way people interact with their surroundings. This allows us to tell stories in a way that feels deeper and more connected to human experience. Recently, I worked on a story about Nepal’s first blind female lawyer, showing how disability isn’t just one experience. Through the Disability Justice Project, I’m using my perspective as a Deaf filmmaker to amplify the voices of people with disabilities and change how the world sees us. Happy International Day of Sign Languages 2024.”]

Join Disability Justice Project Media Network (DJMN) member Chowoo Willy on Tuesday, September 24, at 7 a.m. EST (2 p.m. Uganda) as he discusses his work on a pilot for combatting mis- and disinformation among the rural d/Deaf population in Gulu, Uganda. As part of a project supported by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Chowoo and a team of reporters, sign language interpreters, and other community members have been building grassroots distribution networks to fight misinformation on the ground. Chowoo will discuss how he’s securing funding for disability rights projects in Uganda and beyond, and the powerful connections he’s formed with the community, even when communication was a challenge. Please reach out to DJP Community Engagement Director Priti Salian for a Zoom link at psalian@disabilityjusticerproject.org. [ID: A photo of Chowoo is on the left. He is a Ugandan man with closely cropped hair and a goatee, wearing a purple shirt and suspenders. In the top right is the date of his talk – September 24, 2024. Below is the headline, “Fighting the spread of mis- and disinformation in the Deaf community.” Below is the subhead, “With Ugandan Journalist and Fact-checker Willy Chowoo of the Ugandan Sign Language Project.” The DJP logo is in the bottom left.]

For his final project with the Disability Justice Project, DJP Fellow Chhitup Lama, alongside his videographer and editor, Pema Sangmo, ventured to one of the most remote regions in Nepal to document an extraordinary grassroots movement that is changing the lives of people with disabilities in the Himalayas. As a blind filmmaker, Lama says, “I want to prove [to] the world that persons with disabilities … can also do all these things when things are accessible for them.” Hear directly from Lama and Sangmo about what motivated their filmmaking and how it was made possible. Then watch their film, “Together, We Can Make a Better World” here: https://lnkd.in/gPmStp3H [Video description: Images of people with disabilities in Nepal marching for their rights and navigating the rugged terrain of the Himalayas along with photos of Lama and Sangmo filming in the field. Lama, who directed the film, speaks to camera: “Hello, everyone. I’m Chhitup Lama. I’m the founding executive director of Himalayan Education and Development (HEAD) Nepal. Now, why I’m here is I’m gonna share something about our film. We made this short film in order to promote the disability rights in the Himalayas. We want to tell the world how we can all come together and make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities." Sangmo speaks to camera: “From since– from my school time, I just heard a proverb called “a little drops of water make a mighty ocean,” which mean to say that every individual’s contribution matters. So, we, HEAD Nepal, as an organization, with support from DRF and DJP, we created this film to give a message to [the] world that every contributions of individuals matters.” Lama speaks to camera: "As I’m also a person with disability from this region. I want to prove [to] the world that persons with disabilities, especially visual impairment, can also do all these things when things are accessible for them.” Sangmo narrates: “Humla is the remotest area of the world, and as well, people with a disability are the most marginalized here.” Lama narrates: “In this region, there are so many people with disabilities and their rights are not ensured. Their voices are not heard.” Sangmo speaks to camera: “Through the DJP fellowship, I’ve learned video editing, filming, and handling cameras, and all those technical tools. On behalf of HEAD Nepal, I would like to thank each and every DJP team for this wonderful workshop. Thank you very much for supporting us, thank you.”]

Thanks to the Disability & Philanthropy Forum for reposting our report on elections accessibility in the US during National Disability Voting Rights Week. With the upcoming presidential elections, it's crucial that voting is accessible to ensure disabled people can fully participate in shaping their future. #DisabilityVote #NDVRW2024

We're proud of Bhawana Majhi and all our Nepali fellows for completing the program and producing remarkable final projects. Check out Bhawana's documentary, "Cultural Survival," which explores how state policies restricting access to community forests and criminalizing Indigenous practices are driving disabled Indigenous women in Nepal into greater economic hardship. https://lnkd.in/equUXmVb

World Institute on Disability is so excited by our wonderful #Partnership with the amazing folks leading the Disability Justice Project! They are a wonderful fit for developing the stories of our #GlobalHeumannFellows, MUNIR SEWANI, Robbie Francis Watene, PhD and Kasim Sajjabi! Their leaders, Jody Santos and Upakar Pandey are so much fun to work with and we can't say enough about their #DocumentaryStorytelling for #InclusiveFilmMaking! Thanks again to Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Ford Foundation and MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AMERICA FOUNDATION for their support which has made it possible for #WID and #DJP to support the work of our #Fellows!

The DJP is excited to share our new partnership with World Institute on Disability. DJP Founding Executive Director Jody Santos has been virtually training WID's inaugural cohort of Global Heumann Fellows — Munir Sewani from Pakistan, Kasim Sajjabi from Uganda, and Robbie Francis Watene, PhD from New Zealand — in documentary storytelling. Their videos will accompany the white papers the fellows are writing on projects promoting disability rights and disability justice in their communities. The fellows are learning how to use iPhone kits, whose accessibility features make for more inclusive filmmaking. We look forward to the powerful stories to come from this talented group! [ID: The background of the first slide is light gray. At the top are the World Institute on Disability logo, the Disability Justice Project logo, and a black "x" in between them. Below it, black text reads, "Virtual Fellow Training." At the bottom is a screenshot from a Zoom meeting. The four participants displayed are DJP staff Jody Santos and Upakar Pandey and WID Fellows Munir Sewani and Kasim Sajjabi. The background of the second slide is light gray. Three photos are layered, overlapping each other. At the top is a screenshot from the Zoom meeting training, where a document with instructions on how to use the DJP's iPhone kit is being screen-shared. In the middle is a photo of WID Fellow Robbie Francis Watene holding up her iPhone kit. At the bottom is another screenshot from the Zoom meeting training, where the fellows are showing their kits.]

TalkBack, Android's screen reader, is now enhanced with Gemini for improved image descriptions! This update is rolling out — discover more about the latest features in the Android update. https://lnkd.in/g3xxbY5p #android #a11y #accessibility #gemini #talkback