Recommendations for Those with a Limited Budget
Though there are hundreds of entries in this catalogue, and many more videos that have not been included, it is often difficult to sift through such a list and identify a few selections, particularly if one is on a limited budget. Videos are, however, a highly effective tool when it comes to advocacy, training, education and exposure. They can and have been used successfully to brief media producers in countries that are trying to branch out and become more innovative or sensitive in their productions. They are worth the investment. The following list is by no means a comprehensive one. It is based on years of experience by the editors and those working with them in numerous countries.
The selections are slanted towards those working in developing countries as their budgets are quite limited. The following videos can provide an organisation with a small but fairly well-rounded library of videos that cover key topics such as children, women, CBR and employment. They also represent various media formats ranging from public service announcements, dramas and documentaries. They have been used by the editors and others in the training of grassroots workers and programme staff as well as briefing of producers in several countries.
The editors would also welcome your recommendations with regard to what you purchased and used and its effectiveness. We anticipate that sometime in the future there will be a second edition to this catalogue, one that not only provides an up-dated list but also includes comments from around the world judging usefulness, practicality, creativity and sensitivity.
- Polio Prevention Public Service Announcements (PSA) Most of us concerned with rehabilitation are also concerning with prevention. However, the majority of media on prevention of disability is dehumanising as well as fear eliciting. These PSAs, however, are exactly the opposite. They have also been part of one of the few research studies which indicated that simple, straightforward messages that utilised people with disabilities themselves were as, if not more effective. The spots also used local Nepalese people and were not expensive production. - Contact UNICEF-Nepal, c/o 3 U.N. Plaza, N.Y., N.Y. 10017 USA. Fax: 1 212 326 7731.
- The Silent Shout is a new animation that is part of an educational campaign against landmines. This simple, practical video explains to children what landmines are, how to identify and prevent accident and injury. It also shares the story of four children who became disabled due to accidents with landmines. It is not only the content of this video which is recommended, it is the educational style and appropriateness for children that can be adapted by others who are trying to get across different messages about disability. - Contact, UNICEF, Division of Communications, 3 U.N. Plaza, N.Y. N.Y. 10017 USA. Fax: 1 212 326 7731.
- Look At Me is a landmark video that teaches about disability through a highly entertaining drama about two boys. One of the boys is deaf. He elicits the help of another boy after his dog is hit by a car. The story is about difference, asking questions and people needing each other. It is also a great story. And although our PSAs and documentaries about specific topics are important, this video shows that we can educate the public in a much more subtle and entertaining way - and possibly be as if not more effective.. - Contact: Central Television, Carlton Studio, Lenton Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2NA, U.K.
- Issues and Insights: A World Forum on Women with Disabilities provides an excellent overview of the key issues facing women who are disabled from all over the world but more importantly, several of the solutions which these women and their advocates have use to reduce the individual and collective barriers they have and still face. This 15 minute video includes poignant personal messages and challenges from women from many of the 80 countries who were represented at the 1997 International Leadership Forum for Women with Disabilities. Based on the same event, also a 20 minute video was produced: As We Are: From a Woman's Perspective. This is a very good training resource on women with disabilities issues, available in English, French and Spanish. - Contact: Third Millennium Events, Inc., 711 Brent Road, Rockville, MD 20850 USA, Fax: 1 301 838 3029, email: RBbieler@aol.com.
- Less Barriers, More Opportunities is a video about the lives of five very different disabled women in Malawi. It documents various obstacles and opportunities in a developing country for a person, especially a woman, to success. Each woman has a high self-esteem and family support as well as unique talents and energy that was identified and harnessed. This video can be used, particularly in developing countries to portray the similar struggles of women who are and are not disabled. It more importantly shows several of the key elements required to empower all women and change one's status from a recipient of care to a successful person who respects herself and is respected by others. - Contact: The ILO, Vocational Rehabilitation Branch, CH-1211, Geneva 22, Switzerland. Fax: 4122 799 6310.
- Employability is an award-winning film that captures the essence of why it makes "good business sense" to hire qualified people with disabilities. It depicts small and large businesses who have hired people with a range of intellectual capability and who are totally convinced that it was the smart thing to do. The practical steps taken by many of the individuals as part of their school to work transition are discusses, along with programmes to support the employer. The interviews with both employers and employees are convincing to even the most ardent non-believers. - Contact: Down Syndrome Society, 666 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. 10012 USA, Fax: 1 212 979 2873.
- Children, Disability and Development: Achievement and Challenge is one of the few videotaped personal evaluations of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR). This video is a production of Save the Children, U.K. and documents the successes as well as obstacles in its numerous CBR projects around the world. It also covers topics like Integrated Education and Empowerment of Disabled People, thus portraying the vital "life-cycle" approach to meeting the needs of persons with disability through all stages of life and in a variety of settings. - Contact: Save the Children Fund, 17 Grove Lane, London SE58RD, U.K., Fax: 44 171 703 2278.
- Integration: Let's Make It Happen is a training series produced by the ILO. It is designed to promote the role of non-Rehabilitation personnel in the integration as well as rehabilitation of persons with disability. It provides ethical arguments for such work, as well as numerous practical suggestions on how non-rehabilitation personnel can identify people in need of assistance, specific training needs of persons with particular disabilities and examples from numerous ILO projects around the world where integration has taken place, particularly in employment. It is a good model for others considering the production of training materials in developing countries. - Contact: ILO Publications, International Labour Organisation, CH1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. Fax: 41 22 798 6358.
- It's So Easy is an award winning video designed for people working in the airline industry who are required to better serve people with disabilities. In a very interesting presentation, this video can be used to train other non-disabled persons to work with and serve people who are disabled. Practical suggestions on how to both accommodate as well as personally interact with various disabilities are included. This video could be adapted for children as well as adults as well as for specific needs in either industrialised or developing countries. - Contact: ACROD, P.O. Box 60, Curtin ACT 2605 Australia.
- Sister and Her Brother is included in this list because it uses humour to entertain and educate about disability. This is something that producers and people working in various fields of rehabilitation are still reluctant to do. But it has been proven to be an effective means of educating people while entertaining them. The video portrays many of the stereotypes believed by non-disabled people and how the best way to change these stereotypes is to personally get to know another. - Contact: Insurance Rehabilitation Agency, Hopeatie 2, Helsinki 00440, Finland.