Persons with Disabilities have criticised the lack of access to infrastructure, education, and favourable policies, which hinder their standard of living and contribute to unequal opportunities.
They said this on Wednesday during the unveiling of the 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.
The summit will hold on September 22-23 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Speaking, the Secretary General, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Chris Agbo, stressed the need for the implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Acts.
Agbo said, “What we are asking is for favourable policies and full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act.
“They should make budgetary allocations towards the implementation of these policies, the disability law 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 mural shows SightSavers commitment towards ensuring that the rights of PWDs are protected, have access to health care services, education and their voices are heard at decision-making forums.
“It is very important that we use this opportunity to remind the duty bearers and the public about the right of persons with disabilities to access some of these services. PWDs should have right to education, health and economic opportunities. When you talk about disability, it is basically about the barriers that the society have 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 resources and opportunities,” he added.
Also, a member of JONAPWD, Benjamin Isaac emphasised that the inclusion of PWDs in decision-making would enable them highlight their challenges towards addressing them.
Sightsavers Country Advocacy Coordinator, Esther Bature noted 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.
She said, “This mural is an attempt to draw more attention to the voices and the plights of young persons with disability. This 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 bring to the table if given a space on the table, to be a part of critical conversations that has to do with them.
“We also believe that if they are given the opportunity for their voices to be heard, they will make meaningful contributions in nation building, and the burden of destitution in the country will be greatly reduced.
“So we painted this mural to draw attention to the fact that there’s going to be a Summit of the Future at UNGA and also for the voices of young PWDs to be 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.
