Speaking to reporters, the chairman of JONAPWD, the Joint National Association for Persons With Disabilities, said that over the years, members of his organization have suffered because of their inability to get a disabled persons' bill passed by the Nigerian legislature.
Adamu, a visually impaired Lecturer at Gombe State University, made this disclosure in an interview with journalists at a two-day stakeholders’ consultative forum meeting on the Gombe State Disability Bill.
It was reported that the meeting was organized by Coalition of Advocacy for Disability Act Cluster, Inclusive Friends Association and Strengthening Civic Advocacy Local Engagements. The three organisations implemented Palladium USAID funded strengthening civic advocacy local engagements project.
According to Adamu, Gombe is one of 14 states in the Federation that have no laws prohibiting discrimination against PWDs. The absence of such laws has negatively affected their social and economic well-being of people living with disability.
He said, “Persons With Disabilities over the years have been neglected and they lack opportunities in almost all aspects of life. Today, we have come with stakeholders to talk about how Gombe State Government can support and sign the Gombe State Disability Bill, which has been done in 14 states so far across the country.
“There is a relationship between poverty and disability, most of the parents of persons with disabilities lack funds to carter for their wards even those with opportunities they don’t see it as a priority.
They prioritise other things but if the government makes education free for PWDs it will go a long way to making persons with disabilities part of the society and not as liability for the community the same as healthcare PWDs are facing pre-existing health issues particularly those with Spinal cord injuries and the access to healthcare is very expensive.”
While lamenting limited access of the visually impaired to printed materials, he added, “It’s very difficult on average less than one per cent have access to published materials, most of the textbooks or reading materials in schools and even for leisure are not in a format that a blind person can read...
Delivering her welcome remarks, Executive Director of IFA, Grace Jerry, who was represented by Moses Oluwaseyi on this occasion voiced optimism about the Cluster’s commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities live fulfilling lives through an accessible system and structure which is rooted in inclusive legislation which informed this meeting to review the Gombe state Disability Bill.
She noted that stakeholders’ focus was on legislation that protects the rights and drives accountability from State and Non-state actors towards creating accessible systems, structures, policies, practices – all of which will in turn lead to growth.
