The pains felt by people living with disabilities in Nigeria is well beyond the physical pains of the disability and the emotional pains of being isolated, it also includes the pains of inaccessibility.
Many living with disabilities are robbed of the right of easy access to public amenities. Access via stairs alone is still most popular, even ATM’s have a few steps that though serves as access for access, remains an inhibition to people with disabilities.
It goes beyond access to physical buildings, it also involves lack of access to major activities such as the electoral process. People with Disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria has been demanding for their inclusion in electoral processes and governance. Despite the yearly celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), and the passage of law by the Senate, attention is still not given to them.
The law which was passed by the Senate in March 2009, outlaws discrimination against people living with disabilities in the society. The law requires government and public institutions as well as individuals to provide convenient access for physically challenged persons. It states that; “public building shall be constructed with the necessary accessibility aids such as lifts, ramp and other facilities that shall make them accessible and useable to persons with disabilities."
Though it’s almost a decade since this law has been passed, it is still far from being fulfilled as most places such as Schools, Hospitals, Banks, Malls, Motor parks are still inaccessible to the PWD’s.
Be it the Government, Media, Institutions or Individuals, someone, everyone needs to intervene as this plight is not a negligible one because the painful cry for help from this important set of people in our society still lingers today.
