News
Capturing Vision Through Sound and Touch
Disability Justice Project Fellows Harness iPhone Technology to Spotlight Climate Crisis in the Pacific
January 11, 2024
In June 2023, the Disability Justice Project (DJP) trained Indigenous activists with disabilities from the Pacific on the iPhone camera to create a documentary series on disability and climate change. With VoiceOver, the iPhone provides image descriptions for blind and low-vision filmmakers and feedback on whether a subject is in focus. “If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense for a blind person to use a camera,” says DJP filmmaker Ari Hazelman. “The iPhone gives you more avenues to tell your story in a more profound way as a blind person.”
The Pacific region is among the most impacted in the world by climate change. Among its low-lying islands, there is no escape from the rising sea and no refuge from extreme weather events. Pacific activists are pushing for more inclusive warning systems for weather emergencies and more accessible evacuation centers. They want to be considered and involved in the creation of disaster mitigation and response plans. Indigenous Pacific Islanders with disabilities are also leading the way in sustainable land management and climate adaptation, offering valuable insights that can benefit us all.
Choose the viewing experience most accessible for you:
Closed Captions
American Sign Language/Closed Captions
Fijian Sign Language/Closed Captions
Audio Descriptions/Closed Captions
Open Captions
Descriptive Transcript
Closed Captions
American Sign Language/Closed Captions
Fijian Sign Language/Closed Captions
Audio Descriptions
Open Captions
Descriptive Transcript
Click here for a link to a descriptive transcript.
Credits:
Director & Producer
Jody Santos
Producers: Ari Hazelman | Sa Utailesolo | Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo
Videographers: Ari Hazelman | Des LaFave | Isoa Nabainivalu | Ruby Nabetari |
Sophia Paffenroth | Sa Utailesolo | Melvina Voua
Editor
Des LaFave
Sound Mixing
Billy Wirasnik
Colorist
Justin Poirier
News From the Global Frontlines of Disability Justice
‘Our Vote Matters’
As Rwanda prepares for its presidential elections, voices like Daniel Mushimiyimana’s have a powerful message: every vote counts, including those of citizens with disabilities. Despite legal frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, challenges persist in translating these into practical, accessible voting experiences for over 446,453 Rwandans with disabilities. To cast a vote, blind people need to take a sighted relative to read the ballot. An electoral committee member must be present, violating the blind person’s voting privacy. “We want that to change in these coming elections,” says Mushimiyimana.
Voices Unsilenced
Often dismissed as a personal concern, mental health is a societal issue, according to Srijana KC, who works as a psychosocial counselor for the Nepali organization KOSHISH. KC’s own history includes a seizure disorder, which resulted in mental health challenges. She faced prejudice in both educational settings and the workplace, which pushed her towards becoming a street vendor to afford her medications. Now with KOSHISH, she coordinates peer support gatherings in different parts of Nepal. “It is crucial to instill hope in society, recognizing that individuals with psychosocial disabilities can significantly contribute,” she says.
Capturing Vision Through Sound and Touch
Last summer, the DJP trained Indigenous activists with disabilities from the Pacific on the iPhone camera to create a documentary series on disability and climate change. With VoiceOver, the iPhone provides image descriptions for blind and low-vision filmmakers and offers other accessible features. “If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense for a blind person to use a camera,” says DJP filmmaker Ari Hazelman. “The iPhone gives you more avenues to tell your story in a more profound way as a blind person.”
Beyond the Frame
DJP mentor Kishor Sharma is known for his long-term photography and film projects exploring community and change. Over the last 12 years, he has been documenting the nomadic Raute people in mountainous Nepal. With any project, Sharma aims to actively engage participants, sharing photography and videography techniques. In September, Sharma became a mentor to DJP Fellow Chhitup Lama. He was eager to connect “this idea of sharing the visual technique with the storytelling idea and the issue of disability inclusion.”
‘I Am Left With Nothing’
Recent flooding in Rwanda has left many persons with disabilities without homes and jobs. “Sincerely speaking, I [am] left with nothing,” says Theophile Nzigiyimana, who considers himself lucky to have escaped the flooding. The flooding demonstrates the disproportionate impacts that disasters have on persons with disabilities, which will only intensify as climate change continues.
‘Leadership Training is a Key Focus’
DJP Fellow Sita Sah interviews Neera Adhikari about starting the Blind Women Association Nepal (BWAN) and the steps BWAN has taken to advance the rights of Nepali women who are blind and low-vision. Women with disabilities, particularly those living in rural areas, “face discrimination from family and society which prevents them from venturing outside their homes,” says Adhikari. “In a household where there are two children, one disabled son and one daughter, societal beliefs often favor sending the son to school while neglecting the daughter’s education.”