The mass media are the most powerful force that can change the society’s perception of the persons with disabilities, considers project coordinator at Keystone Moldova Association Natalia Cojocaru. She said that in most of their materials, the journalists use devalorizing and discriminatory terms when they refer to persons with disabilities. This causes discomfort to these people and creates a negative image for them in society. In a news conference at IPN, Natalia Cojocaru called on the journalists not to use negative labels and not to resort to stereotypes or euphemisms.

Such expressions as “those who are sadder than we”, “the sick ones”, “the miserable” and “the wretched” must disappear from the media because they make the persons with disabilities look like helpless people who deserve pity. Keystone Moldova recommends the journalists to lay emphasis on these peoples’ abilities, to relate success stories involving them. These persons should be shown in the act of doing something or speaking, even if they cannot utter well the words. The activities of the persons with disabilities must be presented as common activities, while these people must be treated as a component part of the general public.

Such words as “handicap” and “invalidity” should be replaced by “disability”, while “invalidity pension” – by ‘disability pension”. The words “infirm”, “deaf”, “blind”, “confined to bed” should be avoided, while the expression “special educational needs” should be substituted with “special educational requirements”. The “defect since birth” can be replaced by “congenital disability”. Also, the journalists should not use stereotypes about persons with disabilities.

Natalia Cojocaru reminded that in 2010 Moldova ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. Moldova pledged to adjust the national legislation to this document. In 2012, Parliament passed a law on the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, which contains the correct terminology in relation to the disabled people.

In Moldova there are over 183,000 persons with disability, which is 5% of the population. The children represent 1% of this figure.

Keystone Moldova supports the children and young people with disabilities and their families. The NGOs develops community social assistance services for persons with intellectual disabilities, promoting their deinstitutionalization and reintegration into the families and the community.