- Government unperturbed as 98.5% of buildings remain inaccessible despite disability law
More than five years after the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act was signed into law, Nigerians with disabilities are yet to start experiencing the expected gains of the law as they are still being discriminated against and denied rights of accessibility, findings by The Point have revealed.
Some Persons With Disabilities who spoke with The Point in separate interviews disclosed that they no longer visit hospitals and other health facilities for treatment because most of these public places are not accessible to their colleagues who are on wheelchairs and that there are no special personnel to attend to them.
According to them, many public structures are yet to construct ramps and make their facilities conducive for use by PWDs despite that the five years ultimatum given by the Federal Government has elapsed for over five months now.
Notwithstanding heavy sanctions the law provides for defaulters and advocacy by concerned stakeholders, public transporters and house owners discriminate against the special citizens and treat them as if they are less human.
They said the clause of the law which provides that all public organisations are to reserve at least five percent of employment opportunities for PWDs is yet to be met as many of them are unemployed and impoverished.
The disability law which came to being in 2019 states that 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.
The law also mandates that a person with disability has the right to access the physical environment and buildings on an equal basis with others.
“A public building shall be constructed with the necessary accessibility aids such as lifts (where necessary), ramps and any other facility that shall make them accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities,” the Act reads.
According to the law, discrimination against PWDs is prohibited in public transportation facilities and service providers are to make provision for the physically, visually and hearing impaired and all persons however challenged. This applies to seaports, railways and airport facilities.
Also, it states that the rights and privileges of persons with disability include education, health care, priority in accommodation and emergencies.
A five-year transitional period within which public buildings, structures or automobiles are to be modified to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including those on wheelchairs was made in 2019 and it is to elapse on January 16, 2024.
If an individual is found violating this law, he/she will pay a fine of N100, 000 or a term of six months imprisonment. The law imposes a fine of N1 million on corporate bodies.
However, about six months after the expiration of the public building accessibility ultimatum, Agora policy report revealed that it has been near impossible for PWDs to access about 98.5 percent of public buildings.
In addition, the report stated that one percent of PWDs are employed in the formal sector, two percent have access to education, 92 percent are in dire need of rehabilitation services, and 96 percent have no access to assistive devices.
None of these conform to Nigeria’s disability law and neither has the Federal Government carried out its threat of shutting down public buildings across the nation lacking proper accessibility for PWDs.
Lamenting, a PWD, Funmilayo Abdullahi, a woman who uses crutches to walk, said so far, the outcome of the disability law has been far from expected and most parts of the law have not even been implemented in many states.
As of 2022, only 19 states had adopted the act.
Speaking at a Participatory Learning and Action meeting with persons with disabilities in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, Abdullahi said the disability law would not alleviate struggles being faced by differently-abled persons if the government and other relevant bodies fail to implement the content of the Act.
“The Federal Government promised to start closing down public buildings that did not make their structures accessible to us by January this year. This is six months after the ultimatum expired; no single action has been taken. There is no employment for us as contained in the law. Our people can no longer visit hospitals and health centres for treatment and this is worsening their challenges. There are no ramps at most hospitals and other public facilities, thereby making it difficult for those on wheelchairs to access.
“Owners of a few public buildings with ramps for wheelchair users do not bother to ensure the structures are built to standard measurements to easily aid usage. Something urgent needs to be done,” she stated.
A deaf and dumb Nigerian, Azizat Omolere, explained that she couldn’t attend her antenatal class because of the absence of a sign language expert at the hospital she registered with.
She disclosed her worries through the presence of a sign language expert at the programme, saying she was eventually delivered of her baby at home by aid of some female neighbours.
For albinos in the country, there is still a wide gap between them and other citizens.
The chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Osun State chapter, Aghanti Smith, appealed for equal opportunities for persons with albinism.
“We need to build a well accommodating and interactive environment which will enhance social security and integration of persons with albinism in the society and the grassroots, including family, residents, and co-workers.
“In view of the discrimination faced by persons with albinism, focusing on social stigmatisation and exclusion, low vision, and the deadly skin challenges known as cancer, we encourage parents, guardians, and the society to understand the concept of the genetic makeup, unverified facts, and other societal beliefs.”
A civil rights activist, Kola Balogun, called on the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to enforce the disability law by ensuring that PWDs are not discriminated against in whatever form.
“I join the disability communities in advocating for equal access to public buildings and public servants, commercial motorists and other Nigerians should be sensitised on how to relate in civil manner with PWDs. If you go to hospitals hardly will you find a language interpreter for the deaf and dumb. Doctors often reject this set of people because of a gap in communication. This is why many of them no longer visit hospitals for their health.
“Some commercial drivers don’t even want to be patient with those on wheelchairs as they refuse to carry them. PWDs are still yearning for the gains of the disability law,” Balogun posited.
