Communication with journalists – changing the narrative, away from clichés and towards stories of empowerment and participation – a free empowerment training course for cultural workers, artists and counsellors with disabilities
Content /// Costs and Registration /// Expert /// Accessibility /// Travel /// Contact
What do I do when journalists make their own prejudices the main story and forget my story?
Date: Saturday, 08 November 2025
Time: 11:00 – 17:00
Location: Un-Label Studio, Hosterstraße 1-5, 50825 Cologne
Language: German spoken language
Number of participants: max. 15
Speaker: Cultural journalist Amy Zayed
Further registration options if Eventbrite is not barrier-free for you:
By phone: +49 221 550 15 44
By e-mail: beratung@un-label.eu
Content
When journalists ask for an interview or an article, artists and cultural workers with disabilities often find themselves in a dilemma: on the one hand, they are happy because PR about their own work is very important and welcome, on the other hand, they are very sceptical because journalistic articles about artists and cultural workers with disabilities often contain many ableist assumptions and narratives. They are almost always written by journalists without disabilities who, despite good intentions … are stuck in their ways of thinking and prejudices.
So what options do I have to ensure that articles about me are written in my best interests?
In this training course, Amy Zayed offers a wealth of background information on journalistic work and the conception of journalistic contributions as well as many concrete tips for preparing for contributions and interviews and developing a clear line of one’s own. The question: How far am I prepared to go in adhering to my ideals of objective reporting on my art, and: What if the feature doesn’t happen? There will be plenty of room for practical experimentation, dealing with ableist questions and approaches.
And of course plenty of room for your questions of ‘what do I do if…’
Objectives:
- Strengthen self-confidence
- More confident appearance in interviews
- Ultimately, more successful journalistic contributions about cultural workers with disabilities
- Understanding of storytelling, narratives and how an article actually works
Expert
Amy Zayed
Amy Zayed has known both perspectives for decades: As a professional radio journalist for all ARD Kulturwellen and the BBC, she knows the media business inside out, both in front of and behind the scenes. As a BiPoc woman who has been blind since birth, she encounters ableism and racism both in her work as a radio journalist and when colleagues want to write articles about her as a cultural worker or as a person.
Costs and Registration
The event is free of charge and exclusively for interested persons with disabilities.
Registration is necessary. Please let us know the precise details of access requirements.
Further registration options if Eventbrite is not barrier-free for you:
By phone: +49 221 550 15 44
By e-mail: beratung@un-label.eu
Prerequisites
A general understanding of journalism is necessary to prevent bad contributions: How do editorial offices work? What pressures are journalists under? And: How does the structure of such an article actually work? Because only then can you ask journalists the questions that make them think for themselves and get the conversation rolling with them.
Accessibility
Relaxed atmosphere
The training takes place in a relaxed atmosphere. That means:
- All forms of attention in the room are welcome
- Moving, lying down, leaving and returning to the room is possible at any time
- Various seating options (beanbags, chairs, mats)
- Various materials for relaxation (stimtoys, Pilates rollers, hedgehog balls…)
- Drinks and snacks
- There is no relaxation room. It is possible to retreat to the garden.
- Assistance dogs are welcome
Spatial accessibility
- The room is at ground level and accessible with an automatic door opener
- Barrier-free bathroom with shower and toilet incl. a hoist
- Barrier-free access to the garden possible thanks to a lift
- Work assistance or mobility assistance on site (registration by 27.06.25)
Linguistic accessibility
- Interpreting German spoken language – German sign language (DGS) (registration by 27.06.25)
- Interpreting difficult language – easy language (registration until 27.06.25)
Visual accessibility
- High-contrast design of rooms and equipment, room signage also as relief and in Braille
- Peer-to-peer audio description (registration by 04.07.25)
Travel
-
The barrier-free stop Lenauplatz of the KVB line 5 (Dom / Hbf – Ossendorf) is located in the immediate vicinity (100 m distance) of the building Hosterstraße1-5. If necessary, we will be happy to pick you up there (registration until 30.05.25)
Departure times (KVB) -
3 in-house disabled parking spaces in front of the door
-
1 additional disabled parking space of the city of Cologne around the corner
Note: We will be happy to provide tips and addresses for finding accessible accommodation.
Contact
Adress: Un-Label Studio | Hosterstr. 1-5 | 50825 Cologne
If you have any questions or require further access, please contact
Nora Wiedenhöft
beratung@un-label.eu
Phone +49 221 550 15 44
The training and further education programme is made possible by the Access Maker – Innovation Hub project
