Imagine living as a disabled person in a country like Nigeria

Awele Ideal

 

Please, don’t shrug it off with a, “Not my portion!” Because, it’s no special person’s portion. Disability is no respecter of status, age or fineness of physical features. One may be born physically fit, but certain circumstances can subject him/her to a life in disability. How does the average fit Nigerian appreciate life in disability and what effort do we make to ease the discomfort of the physically challenged in our already difficult environment?

This was the question that has preoccupied me for days now since my meeting with Mr David O. Anyaele, a panelist on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities session at the just concluded 2019 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association #2019AGC NBA. That encounter really became the best part of my experience at the conference.
David O. Anyaele is the Founder/Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), a non –governmental organization working to promote inclusion, participation and access to justice for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria. David is a disability activist, social worker and development consultant with over 15 years of experience working on inclusion and rights of persons with Disabilities.

When visiting Freetown-Sierra Leone in 1999, he was attacked, captured and set on fire by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels of Sierra Leone, after his two limbs were forcefully chopped off because of his identity as a Nigerian.

He coordinated the final campaign by CSOs for the passage of two Disability Rights laws at the national and state levels. The laws include: An Act for the Full Integration of Persons with Disabilities into the Society – Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, and Lagos State Special Peoples Law 2010.

He has provided technical support to reputable donor agencies and organizations, including Justice for All Programme, RoLAC Programme, British Council, DFID, Ford Foundation, OSIWA, Embassy of The Netherlands, Australian High Commission, Disability Right Fund, etc on inclusion and rights of PWDs.

He is the current President, Nigeria Sitting Volleyball Federation and Convener, Coalition of Disability Organisations in Nigeria.

Now that the disability bill has been passed into law, what next?

AWARENESS
The law provides that the Federal Ministry of Information will be responsible for awareness creation. Therefore The police, judiciary, various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at the federal, state and local government levels have roles to play in ensuring that people are aware of this law.
Also, organisations of persons with disabilities need to know their roles and responsibilities in the struggle to ensure compliance as well as media and mainstream civil society organisations.

 

PROTECTION
The law states that in all situations of risk, including situations of violence, emergencies and the occurrences of natural disasters ― government shall take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of persons with disabilities taking cognisance of their peculiar vulnerability.

 

DISCRIMINATION
The law prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. A person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the ground of his/her disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance whatsoever. Any person who contravenes this provision of the law commits an offence and is liable, on conviction (in case of a body corporate), to a fine of N1,000,000.00; and an individual, a fine of N100,000 or 6 months imprisonment or both.

In addition to promoting awareness on the rights, respect and dignity of persons with disabilities, the Federal Ministry of Information champion advocacy of the capabilities, achievements and contributions of persons with disabilities to the society.

 

ACCESS TO PUBLIC PREMISES
Another provision of the law that is critical to citizens with disabilities is the right of access to public premises, etc.

The law provides that a person with disabilities shall have the right to access the physical environment and buildings on an equal basis with others. This includes access to goods, services and facilities. By law, it is unlawful for a person who is a positio to provide, (whether for payment or not), goods, services or facilities, to discriminate against another person with disability by preventing a physically challenged person from such goods, service or facility.

Even where there is access to the goods, service or facility, the terms or conditions upon which they are provided, must be favourable to a person living with disabilities.

 

RIGHT TO WORK
Another provision of the Act is equal right to work. All employers of labour in public organisations shall as much as possible have persons with disabilities constituting at least five per cent of their employment.

 

OTHER RIGHTS INCLUDE
Right to accessibility of vehicles, reserved spaces, seaports and railways.

For a nation that pays scant attention to emergency relief, it needs emphasising that in all situations of risk, including situations of violence, emergencies and the occurrences of natural disasters ― government shall take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of persons with disabilities taking cognisance of their peculiar vulnerability. These and many circumtances that confront people with disabilities are provided for in the law.

The law prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. A person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the ground of his disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance whatsoever.

 

COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT

With over 25m PWDS and a law that protects their political and social rights now in place, do you see the possibility of having a person with disability emerging as a president in the nearest future?

Yes, this is because no one is immune from acquiring disability. The law provides that persons with disabilities shall be encouraged to fully participate in politics and public life.

What are you and I doing to improve the condition of the disabled ones in our midst. Breathing life into a law begins with you and me. Let charity begin at .