Introduction

Over one billion people the world over are estimated to have some sort of disability. In both the Global South and Western countries people with disabilities endure widespread violation of their rights. They constitute one of the poorest groups, and they endure economic and social exclusion on a daily basis. While the United Nations has committed itself to upholding the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all persons, evidence suggests that people with disabilities continue to suffer exclusion and are not able to exercise their rights. Most countries in the Global South still lack the political will to promote the rights of people with disabilities. To combat the exclusion and isolation of people with disabilities, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urges the media to be accessible to people with disabilities so that they can express their opinions and freedoms.