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Persons with Disabilities have decried the lack of access to infrastructure, education, and favourable policies, which hinder their standard of living and contribute to unequal opportunities.
They voiced these concerns on Wednesday during the unveiling of a mural created by SightSavers Nigeria at the Area One roundabout in Abuja, ahead of the high-level Summit of the Future at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, with the theme, “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations.”
The summit will be held on September 22-23 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
On January 23, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and imposes sanctions, including fines and prison sentences, on those who contravene it. It also stipulates a five-year transitional period for modifying public buildings, structures, and automobiles to make them accessible and usable for people with disabilities.
The law will also establish a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, responsible for ensuring that people with disabilities have access to housing, education, and healthcare, among other things.
The Secretary-General of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Chris Agbo, stressed the need for the implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act.
Agbo said, “What we are asking for is favourable policies and full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act.
“They should make budgetary allocations towards the implementation of these policies and fund the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities for the benefit of over 35 million PWDs in Nigeria.”
According to him, the creation of the mural demonstrates SightSavers’ commitment to ensuring that the rights of PWDs are protected, that they have access to healthcare services and education, and that their voices are heard at decision-making forums.
“It is very important that we use this opportunity to remind duty bearers and the public about the rights of persons with disabilities to access these services. PWDs should have the right to education, health, and economic opportunities. When you talk about disability, it is essentially about the barriers that society has created.
“So this is an opportunity to tell the public that they need to remove some of these barriers so that PWDs can have access to resources and opportunities,” he added.
Additionally, a member of JONAPWD, Benjamin Isaac, emphasised that including PWDs in decision-making processes would enable them to highlight their challenges and work towards addressing them.
SightSavers Country Advocacy Coordinator, Esther Bature, noted that the upcoming summit at UNGA presents an opportunity for global leaders to discuss the progress and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on inclusivity for PWDs.
Bature said, “This mural is an attempt to draw more attention to the voices and the plight of young persons with disabilities. It will be showcased at the Summit of the Future at UNGA. We are focusing on the voices of young persons with disabilities. We believe that young persons with disabilities have a lot to contribute if given a space at the table, to be part of critical conversations that concern them.
“We also believe that if they are given the opportunity for their voices to be heard, they will make meaningful contributions to nation-building, and the burden of destitution in the country will be greatly reduced.
“So we painted this mural to draw attention to the upcoming Summit of the Future at UNGA and to ensure that the voices of young PWDs are heard.”
She also emphasised the need to implement the SDGs to ensure inclusivity for PWDs, particularly in health, education, and economic empowerment, to guarantee equal opportunities for all.
