SPEECH BY RILWAN MOHAMMED ABDULLAHI, PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES (NAPWPD) ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
On behalf of the National Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (NAPWPD), I am delighted to say a happy international day of persons with disabilities to fellow PWDs and advocates for social inclusion across the world and in Nigeria especially. Our struggle is that of determination, resilience and grit. Our story has been of never giving up even in the face of great odds.
On 16 December 1992, the General Assembly of the United Nations appealed to Governments around the world to observe 3 December of each year as International Day of people with disabilities. This is a day to celebrate abilities of people with a disability all over the world. The aim of observing this day each year is to increase awareness, and understanding, of disability issues, and the gains to be derived from the integration of people with a disability in every aspect of life. The nomination and celebration of this day is an important tool in promoting the rights of people with a disability.
But an international day, on its own, is not going to redress the discrimination which Nigerians with disabilities face throughout our community. Whilst things have improved a lot during the last few years, through the achievement of the enactment of the National Disability Law some subnational disability laws across the country, but still, discrimination and barriers still persist for PWDs in Nigeria. So, in my view, the international day should not only be a celebration, but an opportunity for us to pause and look both at what has been achieved, and what is still left to do.
Internationally, one most important occurrence for people with disabilities was the passage by the United Nations General Assembly of the International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The Convention, which almost 120 countries have signed, and 187 have ratified, sets out fundamental rights and freedoms for people with disabilities around the world, in all areas of life.
The theme for the IDPD in 2023 is “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities”. The SDG contains bold agenda for the human race, including people with disabilities. It reflects the truism that people with disabilities have the right to lead dignified and independent lives like all people – defined by their own choices and aspirations.
But permit me to say that given the trajectory of development around the world, especially in Nigeria, the achievement of the SDGs for people with disabilities is in peril.
People: Women and girls with disabilities are acutely vulnerable to being left behind due to the intersection of gender and disability, which compounds the challenges and barriers they encounter. An intersectional lens is crucial for fulfilling the pledge that no one will be left behind.
Planet: Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, owing to their greater likelihood of living in poverty. Moreover, stigma and discrimination are additional factors that increase the vulnerability of persons with disabilities to the effects of climate change
Prosperity: Ensuring that adequate financial resources are allocated towards disability-inclusive development must be a priority going forward, as well as the effective mainstreaming of disability in all aspects of development, including its financing. It is imperative that persons with disabilities, in all their diversity and throughout the world, actively participate in and shape these policies and processes.
Peace: Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by conflict in several ways, yet their needs and priorities are rarely addressed in situations of conflict.
In the meantime, for us in Nigeria new buildings are being built, and existing buildings renovated. Unfortunately, the experience is that in far too many cases the requirements for access as stipulated in many of our laws are not being met. This is simply not acceptable.
Our schools and health centres everywhere are far from being accessible. Buses and bus stops are not accessible. The Standards require that people with mobility disabilities must be able to-
- Get to, and away from, the bus stop — while the Standards do not extend beyond the bus stop, they do require a seamless transition from the bus stop to the surrounding footpath where one exists;
- Have sufficient circulation space to get onto and off an accessible bus;
- Safely use a boarding device deployed by an accessible bus; and
- Get to and from any infrastructure associated with the bus stop, and used by passengers in conjunction with travelling on a public transport service, such as a bus shelter.
We expect that broader range of community facilities are made accessible to people with disabilities. Over the coming years, I’d like to see school and university students completing access audits as part of their curriculum work, and submitting the results to the providers of those facilities. Owners of offices, shops, playground equipment and transport systems would then have to explain why their facilities are only available to people who do not have disabilities. The responsibility for achieving an accessible community does not just rest with people with disabilities- it rests with all of us.
We can all play a part in the inclusion process:
- By including people with disabilities, as we do other members of our community, as part of our lives, at school, work or in community and sporting activities;
- By working with disability advocacy organisations to achieve positive change; or
- By supporting the many areas in which all levels of Government and private enterprise are facilitating change.
The efforts to rescue the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities need to be intensified and accelerated, given that persons with disabilities have historically been marginalized and have often been among those left furthest behind.
A fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is critical. Integral to this is the inclusion of the voices, needs and priorities of the global community of persons with disabilities in all their diversity.
People with disabilities are not heroes, and are not victims. We are agents of our own destiny, seeking an equal place in the Nigerian project.
Here is a call to action, to redouble efforts to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities. Happy International day of persons with disabilities to us all.
