The Nigeria Association of The Blind (NAB) on Wednesday urged the National Assembly (NASS) to enact a law that will protect the right of people living with disability, especially the visually-impaired.
The Chairman, NAB, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Babatunde Muhammed, gave the advice at this year’s International White Cane and Safety Day, organised by the association in Badagry.
The theme of the event is: “The White Cane, My Symbol of Independent”.
Muhammed said: “When enacted, the law will make people to respect us, our wives and children.
“This law will give us opportunity with our counterpart in labour field.
“It is sad that a lot of us, after completing our education, find it difficult to get a job.
“When you apply for a job and your employer discovers that you are blind, they will tell you ‘no vacancy’.
“They don’t want to care if you are a lawyer, a PhD holder, a good teacher or whatever you are.
“But the Federal Government has the last saying. If there is a law and they allow the law to strive, then people will know that they cannot treat people with blindness with levity
“In developed countries, they are successful because there are laws, rules and regulations which they follow.”
He urged Nigerians to respect people living with disability, especially the blind, adding that they needed every assistance to survive to live a meaningful live.
The NAB chairman appealed to the Federal Government and private companies to employ and empower people with blindness.
“There should be employment for the blind that went to school and empowerment for the blind that did not go to school but are trainable.
“They have skill maybe soap-making, shoemaking and others,” he said.
He urged the government to provide good housing scheme for people with blindness, saying developed countries provided these for their people with disability
Over 500 members of the association marched, danced round the ancient city of Badagry and paid a courtesy visit to Akran’s palace and Zenith Bank.
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