Disability in government-controlled media and legislation in Malawi 2012–2019

In recent years, Malawi, a country with a population of 18 million people, has seen crucial changes in disability legislation and policy. Following the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006), Malawi replaced its 1971 Handicapped Persons Act with updated legislation acknowledging the role of the environment in disabling citizens. Despite new legal and policy contexts, research by the Malawian Congress of Trade Unions and affiliated researchers suggests there is a distinct gap between policy and practice in Malawi. Exploring representations of persons with disabilities over time in relation to relevant disability-based policies and laws, including UN directives and Malawi-specific legislation, this chapter examines the potential gap specifically as represented in the Malawi News Agency (MANA) to map how new disability legislation is communicated in Malawi government-controlled media. The chapter finds that while media articles often reflect the rhetoric of government representatives, MANA reporters are also willing to publish material critical of policy implementation and highlighting the limitations of government. The news agency at times resorts to presenting personal stories, with a shift from tragic to ‘uplifting’ depictions of disability as over time. In more recent years, MANA has focused on the implementation of programming and policy on disability, gradually coming into line with the political models drawn upon by government officials during interviews. The chapter provides insight into changing Malawian attitudes towards disability and into the work done to promote the rights of persons with disabilities by the government, civil society and the media and what if any impact that work has on the lives of Malawians with disabilities. It presents a specific case study on disability in the media from an African perspective while also highlighting specific problems and possibilities in the implementation and communication of disability legislation and policy.