2022
Amuwo Odofin may be known to be home to the finest brands and businesses that are the hallmark of the neighborhood. Many may know it as home to world class hotels and cozy residential estates that are dotted around the city. Furthermore many may as well know it as home to great industries that are lined up within the Amuwo Odofin industrial estate. However, not many know that Amuwo odofin is also home to the physically challenged. The SCIAN village complex is situated here in Amuwo Odofin Lagos state.
The acronym SCIAN stands for the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria. It was established in 1984 with branches nationwide under the umbrella of PWDs (people living with disabilities). The Lagos state chapter of SCIAN has a village complex where Spinal cord injuries patients can live together as a community as the name suggests. It is Located along Alakoso Avenue just before Maria street and near Agary Pharmaceutical company on the other side of the road. Recently, I Visited the SCIAN village complex in one of my fact finding outings on accessibility. And I am about to share my findings.
The village complex is seated on a land mass spanning about three acres of land. It is a sort of a colony with many infrastructures in place to make life conducive for spinal cord patients. It boasts of several housing units, an administrative block with a conference room, a big events hall, a football pitch, parking lot, borehole, and children play set for the children etc
The Layout
The SCIAN village complex is a monumental town planning masterpiece. It was well planned, designed and developed with the accessibility of members in mind. For instance each building has a wheel chair ramp that allows the spinal cord patients to wheel themselves up and down the building with ease. And connecting each building with other buildings is a network of roofed walkways. These roofed walkways are wheelchair accessible. Then from the roofed wheelchair accessible walkways one can connect to the major road that runs through the village complex from the main gate. There is only one major road with several walkways connecting the road to the wheelchair ramp in front of every building. There is also another wheelchair accessible walkway connecting the parking lot to the major road.
The Observation
One important observation made during this visit is that the complex was designed and built to help spinal cord patients live their normal lives. In this complex they can move and do their normal businesses like any other person without any struggle or limitation. For instance the fellow that showed me round the complex is a spinal cord patient, yet he moved around the large complex on wheelchair with accelerated ease.
I also observed that they are normal and happy people like any other person. And that we can help them explore the world around them in a wheelchair accessible and conducive environment like the SCIAN village complex.
The Challenge
One major challenge the SCIAN village is facing is that of discrimination and stigmatization. According to the chairman of the complex the spinal cord injuries patients are not only discriminated against, they are also stigmatized against. Most buildings out there are not wheel chair accessible as they don’t have wheelchair ramps. And in some cases the buildings that are wheelchair accessible have wheelchair ramps that are not up to the standard specifications. So, spinal cord patients find it difficult to wheel themselves up the ramp slope because of the steep inclination.
Moreover, on my own opinion the challenge this complex is also facing is that of rehabilitation. The entire complex needs a face-lift to save it from further deterioration. So I implore the appropriate authorities to expedite actions to renovate the entire complex.
The Recommendations
Based on the above observations and challenges I will like to make certain recommendations which I believe will enhance accessibility for all including the physically challenged. The first recommendation is to have a working legal framework that will promote the right of the physically challenged. Through the passage and strengthening of the disability bills we can discourage discrimination against them and on the other hand encourage accessibility for all.
Like the fellow that showed me round the complex told me, there are now wheelchair accessible BRT buses in Lagos. This is a right step in the right direction towards accessibility for all and should be extended to other sectors like the building sector.
The second recommendation I want to make is that accessibility for all should be the keyword in construction of buildings and other infrastructures. Wheelchair ramps must be included in every contemporary building. So architects and builders should have due and adequate consultation with spinal cord patients to know the standard specifications for building wheelchair ramps. After all they say he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches.
In the words of chairman of the SCIAN village complex, Olamilekan Arogundade, consultations should be made with SCIAN in building of wheelchair ramps so that the physically challenged can access them by themselves. This people should be given opportunity to contribute their own quota in solving accessibility problems as it concerns the physically challenged.
Finally, on the part of the Local guides all hands must be on deck to sensitize the people and promote accessibility for all. These people are part and parcel of our larger society and so must be given a sense of belonging. They are just victims of circumstances and as local guides we must carry out a sensitization of the people to stop any form of discrimination no matter the coloration.
We are Local Guides, let’s continue to guide.
#AccessibilityIsFreedom.
