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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has expressed sadness over the wave of discrimination against persons with disabilities.
It emphasised the legal protections now available under the Act, adding that it would heavily clamp down on organisations and persons discriminating against people with special needs.
Director of Compliance and Enforcement at the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Nkem Uchegbulam, issued the threat at an event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) in Abuja yesterday.
Executive Director of Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI), Catherine Edeh, tasked the government, civil society and the public to move beyond rhetoric and fully implement disability-inclusive policies, adding that it was not a privilege but a right.
She highlighted the daily challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Nigeria, noting that women and girls with disabilities face heightened risks of gender-based violence, children with disabilities are often denied access to education and adults struggle to access employment, healthcare and justice.
“These are not abstract statistics. They are lived experiences; painful, daily reminders that disability inclusion is not a privilege but is a right.”
She also called for full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, greater investment in disability-inclusive justice systems, institutional reforms to embed accessibility across all sectors and sustainable partnerships among government, civil society, international partners and the disability community.
Chief facilitator at Edoka Trauma Care Centre, Ene Ede, stressed accountability and active participation by all organisations, calling on civil society and media to monitor the proper implementation of the Disability Act.
She also highlighted the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities were included in all project planning and implementation, that budgets account for disability inclusion and that organisations uphold their obligations without excuses or reliance on sympathy.
