Case study: Research for a radio drama, Nigeria

BBC Media Action conducted qualitative research into barriers affecting access to family planning services for people with disabilities in Nigeria.

This included a stigma research objective: to explore perceptions, among both people with disabilities and non-disabled people, about the discrimination and stigma faced by people with disabilities in relation to access to, and use of, family planning services – particularly to understand who and where the stigma is from.

In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. Findings showed:

• Regional variations in stigma and discrimination that people experienced
• Differences in stigma across disability type
• Low visibility of people with disabilities within Nigerian media

Building on this, the project developed a social behaviour change strategy. One element was a popular radio drama called Madubi, which was adapted to include plotlines and characters that portrayed information about the lives of people in Nigeria with disabilities.

The scripts highlighted the stigma and discrimination they faced, across different types of disability and disability rights. The aim was to reduce social stigma by normalising disability and positively framing the capabilities of people with disabilities.

Alongside the radio drama, public service announcements and posts on social media were included. The project also identified the need to strengthen the capacity of local radio stations to talk about disability inclusion.