The Nation Newspaper

Tag: disabled

  • A case for the disabled

    A case for the disabled

    Recently, the world celebrated the 2016 International Day of Persons Living with Disability (IDPwD). It is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN), to promote an understanding of persons with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights, wellbeing and integration in every aspect such as political, social, economic and cultural life.

    The theme of the year’s celebration was, “achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the future we want”.

    Nigeria is one of the member nations of the SDGs, having participated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in which 175 countries of the world signed up to. The MDGs ended last year.

    The 17  new agenda,  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are meant to fashion out ways of ensuring that the achievements of the earlier agenda (MDGs), were sustained.

    Stakeholders, including PwDs,  groups, individuals, organisations who are passionate about the well-being of disable persons across the world have been speaking on this crucial matter.

    One of such groups in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, “Lifeline Organisation for Children Empowerment” (LOCE), founded by Ngozichukwuka Obiyo  is advocating for the need for the authorities concerned in implementing the inclusion, integration programs for PwDs to adopt the “Catch them young” approach for good results.

    Obiyo said: “The wrong perception and stigma they were having about themselves and suffer from normal children with this, would soon fade away and every one of them will now relax and being to see themselves as human being and God’s creation after all despite their challenges, and normal children will also begin to accept them as friends, then the gift of God in them that will bring about the future we want will begin to manifest naturally, then will the saying that there is ability in disability will be glaring to the society.

    “The physical, social and mental development is important for all children. It is their legitimate right. Adults see recreation as a way of relieving stress, especially after long hours of work, to them, play is a form of leisure or sport but for children, play is life; it is natural and almost all that matters. Play helps them learn and make connection with the world. Evidence suggests that play can contribute to a child’s resilience – his or her ability to rise to challenges, withstand stress, and overcome adversity.

    “LOCE is breaking the norm by encouraging parents to bring their children for outdoor interaction for a holistic development of the child. Lifeline Children Funfair (LCF) is an inclusive program that is targeted to help children with disabilities socialize with their peers to promote acceptance and inclusion by their counterparts.

    “While the world celebrates the achievements and contributions of adults PwDs on the United Nation’s on  IDPWD,  LOCE through her “Lifeline Children Funfair” (LCF) celebrates children and showcase their skills and abilities.” Obiyo explained.

    According to her, the theme of this year’s celebration, was meant to build a more inclusive and equitable world.

    She said:  “To every awesome child present today; I want you to know that there is no difference between you and that girl/boy that talks a little differently or walk a little differently.”

  • We’ve been left behind, the disabled cry

    We’ve been left behind, the disabled cry

    For persons living with disability, life, they say, has not been easy, especially when they feel the government is not doing enough to tackle their plight.

    This was why a disability group, under the auspices of Cedar Seed Foundation, took to the street of Abuja to mark the International Day of Persons with Disability and also ask leaders of the eighth National Assembly to hasten the passage of the Disability Bill.

    This year’s celebration is themed Achieving 17 SDGs Goals for the future we want according to the founder of Cedar Seed Foundation, the disabled have been treated as second-class citizens for too long, left behind from development agenda for too long, and denied their rights.

    Her words: “Enough is enough of all these discrimination, exclusion, marginalisation, stigmatisation, gender-based violence, unemployment, inaccessibility, illiteracy, etc. “We are tired of the charity model and we implore everyone to support disabled persons or partner with disabled organisations, to join the cause of advocating the rights of disabled persons using the right channels and make things happen for these great people on earth.

    “The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is being marked and this represents an avenue to celebrate the achievements of persons with disabilities, while asking everyone to get involved in the development agenda for persons with disabilities.

    “We have the potentials and abilities; all we are asking for is opportunities and support, and we will deliver our jobs exceedingly well. If given the opportunity, we will be the best presidents, governors, ministers, ambassadors, engineers, pilots, doctors, journalists, administrators, architects, clergy, innovators, artists, musicians, politicians, economists, developers, etc. All we are asking for is empowerment.

    “The United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities is calling on everyone to help realise the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the lives of the disabled people, by making every agenda inclusive and enable them have their full participation and enjoy equal opportunities.

    “We urge leaders of the eighth session of the National Assembly to ensure that the Disability Bill is attended to as fast as possible so that the President can assent to it.

    “The organisations of and for Persons with Disabilities should increase their advocacy and engagement with critical and relevant stakeholders. The media should continue to support us with reports on disability issues. State and none-state parties should support quick passage of the disability bill campaign to help Nigeria achieve the SDGs on or before 2030.”

  • We have been left behind, the disabled cry

    We have been left behind, the disabled cry

    For persons living with disability, life, they say, has not been easy, especially when they feel the government is not doing enough to tackle their plight.

    This was why a disability group, under the auspices of Cedar Seed Foundation, took to the street of Abuja to mark the International Day of Persons with Disability and also ask leaders of the eighth National Assembly to hasten the passage of the Disability Bill.

    This year’s celebration is themed Achieving 17 SDGs Goals for the future we want according to the founder of Cedar Seed Foundation, the disabled have been treated as second-class citizens for too long, left behind from development agenda for too long, and denied their rights.

    Her words: “Enough is enough of all these discrimination, exclusion, marginalisation, stigmatisation, gender-based violence, unemployment, inaccessibility, illiteracy, etc. “We are tired of the charity model and we implore everyone to support disabled persons or partner with disabled organisations, to join the cause of advocating the rights of disabled persons using the right channels and make things happen for these great people on earth.

    “The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is being marked and this represents an avenue to celebrate the achievements of persons with disabilities, while asking everyone to get involved in the development agenda for persons with disabilities.

    “We have the potentials and abilities; all we are asking for is opportunities and support, and we will deliver our jobs exceedingly well. If given the opportunity, we will be the best presidents, governors, ministers, ambassadors, engineers, pilots, doctors, journalists, administrators, architects, clergy, innovators, artists, musicians, politicians, economists, developers, etc. All we are asking for is empowerment.

    “The United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities is calling on everyone to help realise the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the lives of the disabled people, by making every agenda inclusive and enable them have their full participation and enjoy equal opportunities.

    “We urge leaders of the eighth session of the National Assembly to ensure that the Disability Bill is attended to as fast as possible so that the President can assent to it.

    “The organisations of and for Persons with Disabilities should increase their advocacy and engagement with critical and relevant stakeholders. The media should continue to support us with reports on disability issues. State and none-state parties should support quick passage of the disability bill campaign to help Nigeria achieve the SDGs on or before 2030.”

  • ‘7m disabled children out of school’

    The Royal School of Educational Therapy Foundation (RSETF), Abuja yesterday said over seven million disabled children in the country are out of school.

    Chair, RSET-F Board of Trustees, Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, spoke at a news conference in Abuja on the plans of the foundation to establish Schools for Inclusive Education across the six geo- political zones.

    Dr. Adejugbe-Williams said: “We  observed with great concern the fact that even if all primary and secondary schools were adequate for all school age children in Nigeria , children with disabilities would still remain out of school because virtually all primary and secondary schools in Nigeria are designed, built and managed in ways that are totally not inclusive of and not accessible to children with disabilities.”

    She added that research has shown that the problem of children with disabilities, who are out of school, could be solved by educational therapists in Schools for Inclusive Education as against the conventional schools.

    She explained that since it has been discovered that learning disabilities forcing many children to be out of schools vary from intellectual or mental retardation to visual processing disorder, such problems could best be tackled in Schools for Inclusive Education across the three domains, Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor domains.

  • Pass our bill, disabled persons beg Ogun Assembly

    Physically-challenged persons in Ogun State have appealed to the House of Assembly to quickly pass the People Living With Disability Bill.

    They said this will enhance their chances of survival without resorting to begging.

    They said the bill if passed into law, among other things, would empower the Executive to create a special ministry with a special budget to cater for their needs through payment of monthly stipends.

    The group, which spoke under the aegis of Joint National Association of Persons Living With Disability (JNAPLWD), said its members “don’t want to beg anymore or be seen as beggars again”.

    It urged the lawmakers to expedite action on the bill.

    According to them, the bill was first presented to the House 16 years ago.

    The President of the Ijebu – Ode Local Government chapter, Keshinro Olaitan, spoke at an empowerment programme organised by an All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives member, Kehinde Odeneye.

    Odeneye donated a tricycle  to Keshinro, which was presented by Deputy Governor Yetunde Onanuga at the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu -Ode.

    Twenty others got tricycles, 40 got motorcycles. Hundreds of sewing machines, domestic gas cylinders, hair dryers, barbers’ tools, power generators and grinding machines were also given out.

    Odeneye, representing Odogbolu, Ijebu – Ode and Ijebu – North East, said the budget was well scrutinised and “controversial” portions expunged, adding that what was left when effectively implemented, would “earn Nigerians the benefits of change”.

    He pledged to do more to empower his people not only those from his constituencies but also for Ogun East Senatorial district – comprising six local governments.

  • Enabling the disabled

    Enabling the disabled

    • Nigeria must do more to integrate Persons With Disabilities into society

    The recent appointment of a visually-challenged citizen, Dr. Samuel Inalegwu Ode-Ankeli, as President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Persons Living With Disabilities is both a testimony to the social inclusiveness of the present administration and a challenge to fully integrate Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) into national life.

    By his appointment, Dr. Ode-Ankeli becomes one of the very few PWDs occupying a high-profile position in Nigeria. As SSA, he is expected to work in coordination with the relevant ministries, parastatals and agencies to develop and implement policies aimed at improving the lot of the estimated 24 million Nigerians who suffer under the burden of physical or other forms of disability.

    Given the generally compassionate disposition of the average Nigerian, it is strange that society is virtually indifferent when it comes to the needs and requirements of PWDs. As children, they are often abandoned or hidden away from public view. There are not enough institutions capable of providing for their special needs and helping them to become productive members of society.

    At the federal, state and local government levels, little provision is made to take PWDs into consideration. Schools and other public buildings with disability access are a rarity, not to talk of social infrastructure purpose-built for them.

    Even the most enlightened employers balk at giving jobs to PWDs because they choose to regard them as an unnecessary cost rather than as an untapped opportunity. The consequence is that many PWDs are often compelled to become beggars dependent on the sympathy of their able-bodied fellow-citizens.

    The appointment of Dr. Ode-Ankeli is an opportunity to change this deplorable situation for the better. Perhaps the most urgent task in this regard is the signing of the long-delayed Disabilities Bill into law. Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan declined to sign the bill when it was sent to them in 2006 and 2011, respectively. When it was again sent to Jonathan in January 2015, he did not sign it before he left office in May 2015.

    The Disabilities Bill is a crucial plank in the integration of PWDs into Nigerian society. It prohibits discrimination and ill-treatment, and enshrines the provision of disability access in public buildings. Just as important, the bill provides for the establishment of a National Commission for People With Disabilities. The commission is to be the main instrument through which PWD advocacy, enlightenment, policy implementation and monitoring would be conducted.

    Another strategy for fast-tracking the integration of PWDs into society would be their inclusion in the country’s quota-system process. Currently, the main criteria are ethnicity, state of origin and religion. There is no reason why disability cannot be added to the list; it is certainly more inclusive than the more conventional measures, since it is not restricted to a particular region or religion.

    In the immediate short-term, government should begin to retrofit all public buildings with disability-access facilities, and press for similar measures in schools, banks, hospitals and similar institutions. Private business concerns should also look at how they can integrate disability issues more comprehensively into their corporate social responsibility agenda, especially in the provision of equipment, training and employment opportunities.

    As increased attention turns towards meeting the needs of Nigerian PWDs, the country would do well not to forget its senior citizens. Like their disabled compatriots, this is a group that has been adversely affected by the combination of unhelpful attitudes and lack of legal protection that has come to characterise the provision of social welfare in Nigeria.

    No country can truly call itself a great nation if it is unable to adequately cater for the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.

     

  • How my police father, disabled mum shaped my life , by Edo lawmaker

    How my police father, disabled mum shaped my life , by Edo lawmaker

     Hon Osaigbovo Iyoha is a first-time lawmaker in the Edo States House of Assembly. He won election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent Oredo East Constituency. In this interview with Osagie Otabor, the lawmaker reveals how the determination to succeed, in spite of his humble background, spurred his efforts.

    How do you combine business with politics?

    It is not easy. It is only in Nigeria and in some other countries that politics has become a full time job. It is bad for it to be so. Ask somebody here who he is, he will tell you, I am a politician. I think politics should be part-time. We should make politics less attractive. That is what drives stealing and other vices. It will make people to know that public service is an avenue to serve. People should have time for their business as well as being involved actively in politics.

    What was your growing up like?

    It was not easy growing up. I was not born with a silver spoon. I am the son of a policeman and a disabled tailor. They did their best to make sure I had a good education. I grew up in Benin City. I sold things on Lagos Street to survive. A lot of people had it more difficult than I did. It was not bread and butter always. My parents had to bend their backs to ensure I got educated. The secondary school I went to, the Immaculate Conception College, was one of the best in old Bendel State. For me to get admission into ICC then, being from a modest background, means my parents meant well.

    How did you make the breakthrough in business?

    As every young man, while in secondary school, you aspire to be a doctor, lawyer or an engineer. I attended former Edo State University now Ambrose Alli University. I actually wanted to be an Electrical Engineer but I was given Mechanical Engineer. At that time, we were under the illusion that after school, jobs would be waiting for us. Growing up in a difficult time, I knew that I had to find a way to survive.

    After completing my National Youth Service Corps, I went to live with my sister in Lagos. Luckily, I was around where real estate was growing – the Badagry area real estate was growing. I became an agent and turned into a super-agent. I moved to Ajah axis where they call the fastest growing real estate area in Africa and I became a broker for most of the communities. That was what we did for 10 years. In 2007, we moved to Bayelsa. The attraction was real estate. But after three years, I was lucky to be close to people through which we started doing construction jobs. It was from there I moved into politics.

    How did you feel when you made your first millions?

    I am not a millionaire, but the reward for hard work is success. You will realise that some people work harder than you but they have not been fortunate. It is only through God we can achieve more. Making money is like arithmetic; when you are able to be at the right place at the right time and take it when opportunities call. When you project and work towards your dream, you will get there. You also need to be truthful. Morally, I was taught to be modest by my parents. No matter what happens, nobody knows tomorrow. When I look at my background compared to where I am now, I never believed it. If you have the desire and energy to work at something, make sure you have every time and not taken by the vices. Once you keep the focus, you will achieve your goals.

    What pushed you to run for political office?

    I have been a private businessman all the while. I got interested in politics because of what Oshiomhole said the day he declared to run for governorship. He said governance is a serious business that should not be left for mediocre. That was where the drive came from. We needed to start building the system and to make good laws. That was the drive and I believed (that) I have a lot of goodwill.

    How has it been this past three months?

    It has been a very interesting time at the Assembly. We are learning on the job. We are not a rich state. We are doing something but you know we are barely three months in office.

    Do you think your party will make headway in 2016?

    What you sow is what you reap. If you ask people on the streets and market women they will tell you the difference between the PDP and APC. I was surprised people were congratulating Jonathan for conceding defeat. He did not have a choice because the people wanted change. The thing is to impact on the people because the day of reckoning will come. I always tell people they should vote us out if we do not perform. The only reason people voted APC was when they compared what APC governors were doing in Lagos and Edo to other PDP controlled states, they saw the difference.

    Go to Delta State, you will not believe it is an oil rich state. Go to PDP states, they have not done anything. We have the momentum in APC. It is no longer business as usual in this country because a new sheriff is in town. Everything in this country was programmed to fail because certain individuals want to reap from the system before it collapses. We will not lose focus on what we have for the people. Very soon, everything is going to fall in place. The problem we have in this country is corruption but things have started falling into place. There is improvement in power. Policemen now conduct themselves a little better. I travelled and was surprised to see a new immigration service at work. Where several immigration officers used to stay, you find only two and there was no queue. I was initially worried. We got in the baggage room and all the baggage were ready. Before now, you will wait for two hours and be asked series of questions just to be extorted. Things are falling into place in this country.

    What is view on the search for Oshiomhole’s successor by Dr. Ogbemudia?

    Only the people have the power to install a successor. When he finds his successor, we are still going to determined who to succeed Oshiomhole.

     

     

  • The disabled don’t need handouts

    The disabled don’t need handouts

    A lawmaker in Kogi State is reversing the notion that all disabled persons need is occasional gifts. Through the Institute of Disabled Persons (IDP), Hon. Adeyemi Abidemi Adebola is training People Living with Disabilities (PLWD), reports JAMES AZANIA 

    The great thing about the outreach is not just that the needy are getting attention but that an erroneous notion is being reversed. Somehow, most people tend to see people living with disabilities or PLWD as perhaps only good for the occasional hand-out, a bowl of rice here, a wheelchair there or N1,000 some other time.

    Hon. Adeyemi Abidemi Adebola, a lawmaker in the Kogi State House of Assembly, said he thought PLWDs need a lot more than gifts. Give them education or train them, he said. That way, they will not only fend for themselves; they will also contribute to the growth of the society.

    That is why the organisation he founded, the Institute of Disabled Persons (iDP) located in  Egbe area of the state is empowering PLWDs with education and skills.

    The reporter observed a steady stream of enthusuastic beneficiaries into the iDP office.

    Most of them were on crutches or  aided by others, but they moved with purpose heading in one direction, somewhere in Iyale, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    It was an engaging sight.

    After bidding my time, I approached one of them, Grace Ogalie, a young lady with a cherubic face and countenance, who on crutches moved towards the same direction as the others. After some pleasantries, she hesitantly told me her name and where she and others were headed.

    Ogalie was born with healthy, normal limbs. She only became disabled following a lethal administration of polio vaccination when she was a toddler.

    Ogalie, who is a holder of a Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSCE) has however remained up and coming. Highly talented, she is honing her skills in music, and for this, she was out early this morning to join others in a musical programme being arranged for PLWD by the Institute of Disabled Persons (iDP).

    My interaction with her was quite inspiring, as I got to meet others in the programme, who spoke of hope and their plans for the future, despite the seeming odds.

    A cross-section of PLWDs that I spoke with expressed a feeling of abandonment by government. They clamoured for the establishment of special schools as obtains in other states like Lagos, where there is a Technical (Special) College solely for the training of PLWD.

    They commended the efforts of iDP, saying the organisation has given them a sense of belonging and reawakened their spirit.

    Meeting with the Founder of iDPs, Hon. Adeyemi Abidemi Adebola, a politician and lawmaker in the Kogi State House of Assembly and why he is lending a hand to PLWD was another eye opener.

    Adebola, the House Minority Whip is also the youngest lawmaker in the state and is indeed using his youthful energy and resources to impact positively on the most vulnerable in the society.

    iDP according to him, took off formally in 2013, but that the urge to lend a helping hand to the needy predates.

    Hear him, “Being a lawmaker is public service, working for the disabled is serving humanity, I see it as not too far from each other. The essence of life is to help that cannot help themselves. There is no way we can appreciate God and our existence other than to care for the people that need help. If you travel abroad; Europe and America, you’ll cry for the disabled people here in Nigeria”.

    Shedding more light on the institute’s programme, Adebola said iDP’s was formed to advance the rights of PLWD, which he said is the most important and to cater to their welfare.

    “When we talk of welfare for the disabled, people often think of handouts and feeding, perhaps more of pitying agenda for the disabled. I think the greater welfare is for disabled people to have access to quality education and training so that they can contribute to the development of themselves, the nation and mankind generally.

    The disabled people have a purpose in life and it is positive. We must assist them in fulfilling it.

    “Once their rights are enforced they don’t need to be pitied; they have what they deserve, naturally and socio-politically, based on natural justice. They are human beings. We have to understand that they can add value to our economy. The disabled people have made giant strides all over the world; they have written books, they are great sportsmen and women and they have been leaders too. So, they have something to contribute beyond their disability. As a matter of fact, most geniuses in life are often thought to be disabled. Look at Albert Einstein for example”.

    Bemoaning the lot of PLWDs in Nigeria, coupled with the attitude of government towards them, the lawmaker vowed to bring to issue to the public domain. The iDP he said is also will come out with a the “seven things the President-elect must do for the 20 million disabled people in Nigeria”.

    As the saying goes that ‘heaven helps those that help themselves’, Adebola stated that the disabled have a role to play in the struggle for their rights, asserting that the profile of PLWD has risen significantly.

    Listing the mode of operation of the institute, he said it has developed a template for partnership with reputable institutions for the training of PLWD, identification and development of inherent talents and ploughing monies raised at their shows into supporting them.

    His words: “Our ambition is to build the largest campus for the physically challenged in Africa. We have started as an institution liaising with existing colleges, associations and entities that relate to PLWD. We staged a play in 2013 to raise funds for disabled people and in 2014 we realised that some of the disabled people in Kogi State have talent. So, we helped them to produce a music album which was launched at the School of Disabled in Iyale, in Dekina local government.

    “We have close to 500 active members. What we do basically is that we keep on exploring their productive rights and in advocating for their rights which is even more important in the disability struggle.

    Government has not done anything so far but when the new government sets in next month we have seven agendas- Promote Disability and Disability Right Agenda, Improve the Educational capacity of Disabled people, Use technology to solve the problems of disability,  Improve Medical Conditions, Overseas training for Disabled people, Medical practitioners and

    Teachers, World Class Research Centre for the Disabled, Employment Quota for Disabled people) that will be jointly executed by organizations, institutions and government- We have been doing it without government but in fact, any government that has conscience will attend to the issue of disabilities. PLWD also vote. And, don’t forget that our profile has increased. In the war against Boko Haram for example, a lot of soldiers have been amputated, blinded and facing serious disability issues, all of which has impacted on the profile and the best thing that can happen is to pass the Disability Rights law immediately. It has been rejected twice in the National Assembly, although we here in Kogi State have passed it, but the governor is yet to assent to it”.

  • Disabled persons urge Jonathan to sign bill

    Disabled persons urge Jonathan to sign bill

    Persons living with disabilities have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sign into law the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities’ Bill.

    This, they said, would reduce their pain and enable them to function well.

    According to the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, “it is not about given them alms all the time but for the President to sign the Bill into law. The bill provides for prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities, right to access to public premises and establishment of a national commission for persons with disabilities among others.

    This bill is a legacy bill as no President has ever signed such in the history of the country, he said.

    Anyaele complained that provisions were not made for people with disabilities to vote in the forthcoming elections, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reverse this.

    He also noted that parties and their candidates are not including issues concerning disabled persons in their campaigns.

    He urged INEC to make adequate arrangements to ensure that eligible Nigerians with disabilities collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) for them to participate in the coming election and also urged Nigerians to do away violence, saying it can lead to a means of disability.

  • Group makes case for disabled persons

    Group makes case for disabled persons

    The Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has expressed its regret that persons with disability (PWD) are in deprived situation in terms of access to justice in Nigeria.

    The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr David Anyaele, said persons with disability are being discriminated against, even as they experience difficulty in getting justice.

    He spoke during a seminar for Persons with Disability (PWD) at Clean Foundation office in Ojodu, a Lagos suburb.

    Mr. Anyaele, who presented abridged report entitled “Enhancing Access to Justice for Persons with Disability in Lagos”, said the NGO conducted a survey on the topic in Surulere, Ikorodu and Amuwo-Odofin local government areas.

    He said they visited 15 police stations, 12 Customary and Magistrate’s court and a focus group discussion was carried out with organisations in the areas.

    “We discovered that PWD who seek justice through the police and courts are often faced with the challenge of infrastructural discrimination in terms of lack of access to ramps for persons who use wheel chairs, lack of instructions in Braille, inability of the officers to use sign language and the cost of litigation in the court.”

    Mr Anyaele therefore reminded the Federal Government of the need to sensitise and strengthen the capacity of the police and court personnel to make justice accessible to PWD through provision of access ramp, training of the officers on the use of sign language for effective communication with the deaf.

    “Sensitise police officers, court personnel, legal aid organisations and the civil society on the rights of PWD and the ills of discriminating against them,” he said.

    Mr Anyaele noted that organisations working on human rights and access to justice should be sensitised on the rights of PWD and their access to justice.

    He also called for more awareness among people with disability on their rights.

    Coordinator (South), Justice for All (JFA), Mrs Ghbogu Obinwa, noted that it is important for citizens who are working with PWD to be conscious of the need to protect them and help them to be aware of their rights.

    “When it comes to access to justice, PWD have more challenges than those who are not living with disability because they would need social facilities to access platform for justice like the court, police station and transportation, she said.