The Disability Support International, Minnesota, United States-based nonprofit organization has held a virtual town hall meeting to enable disability stakeholders across America, Cambodia and African countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya and Togo to develop and build lasting solutions that will promote better lives for the people.
The meeting provided empowerment and collaborative opportunities for disability stakeholders to unite in the fight against COVID-19 crisis, and decide on ways of improving the lives of people with stabilities.
This global town hall meeting structure was opportunity for stakeholders to share strategies on problem-solving challenges for persons with disabilities.
The Disability Support International is helping promote better living conditions for persons with disabilities living in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria.
The Initiative for National Growth Africa also known as Special Needs Initiative for Growth located in Nigeria focuses on providing empowerment tools and resource programs for education, career development, entrepreneurship and health support services for persons with disabilities.
Participants discussed some of the key challenges facing persons with disabilities across Africa which. The meeting birthed solutions and strategies such as mainstreaming health care services and education inclusion of disability into health workers curriculum as well as inclusion of disability into livelihood or designing an inclusive livelihood policy or framework proposed by Mrs. Patience Ogolo Dickson.
Also, strategies around implementing COVID-19 hospital passports/ information pack which has relevant information about a person with disabilities health history and identifying a disability champion in all health care settings that will be trained and can train his/her peers on the needs of people with disabilities and how to support them during the pandemic was suggested by a Specialist Nurse in Learning Disabilities called Tolu Olaniyan who practices in the United Kingdom.
The Co-creative Hub – American Corner Center manager , Stephanie Adesanya pledged their support in providing disability inclusive strategies for persons with disabilities; as this aligns with the United States Mission in Nigeria goals.
Nigerian sign language interpreter Omimakinde Tobi indicated the need for the government to involve educational training for more sign language Interpreters in African countries. Creative Director of the Initiative for National Growth Africa – Mr. Amdi Salam emphasized that African Governments and heads of state will need to work hard on engaging more partnership agreements with public and private stakeholders for persons with disabilities to obtain access to economic activities especially during the covid -19 period.
Jennie Wendland, co-founder of the Disability Support International stated that every step that is made to change someone’s mindset can change the future. And by having town hall meetings like this, we are working together to align our pursuits with broader goals including the CRPD (Convention for Rights on Persons with Disability) and the SDGs.
Lastly, Racheal Inegbedion, Founder of the Initiative for National Growth Africa discussed how important it was to work assiduously as countries in alleviating the socioeconomic stress as a result of the covid19 for persons with Disabilities. She hinted another possibility for a second town hall meeting in celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on the 3rd of December 2020.