As the world celebrate Labour day during this global pandemic, Sightsavers Inclusion Works project has made a clarion call on the private sector, Federal and State Government to improve the lives of people with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria by promoting equal opportunity and disability rights throughout its work.
A statement signed by Rasak Adekoya said it was noteworthy and commendable that social workers and care givers are ensuring people with disabilities live healthy, providing them with emotional, social, economic and psychological support.
He said while no one has an immune system to resist the corona virus, it has been proven that the level of vulnerability differs, depending on context, while people with disabilities are the largest vulnerable group in Nigeria and are likely to be among those who suffer most during the period of the lockdown caused by the pandemic.
Adekoya said with over 20 million PWDs in Nigeria, more than 90 percent of working age of this category of persons are yet to have equal right to employment, both in the formal and informal sector owing to attitudinal, institutional, environmental and communication barriers.
He lamented that Despite the signing of the discrimination against prohibition act by the President in January 2019 and few States like Lagos, Ondo, Jigawa, Plateau and Anambra having their own State disability law with a disability agency established, government was yet to implement and realize the potentials persons with disabilities can contribute to the economy if employed.
“According to World Bank, a country that is inclusive of persons with disabilities in its development planning and fully annex their talent will likely increase its GDP by 3-8%.
“If both private sector employer, national and State government had invested and give opportunity to thousands of people with disabilities prior to COVID-19, it will have significant impact in decreasing the number of vulnerable groups they will cater for during this global economic lockdown. They would have been earning, build some level of resilience and possibly recover quickly post COVID-19,” Adekoya said.
He noted that the future of work will change to the virtual space post COVID-19, a development he said will pose a significant opportunity for employers who are willing to reduce their operational cost to employ people with disabilities.
“Most online meeting platforms, productivity tools and software’s are becoming accessible and this provides opportunity for PWDs to work effectively, contribute and meaningfully participate in decision making in the organisation,” he added.
He said despite the certain gaps, Sightsavers, through the DFID Inclusion Works project, waa working with five organisations of persons with disabilities to provide technical assistance in building the disability confidence of employers, enhancing the employability skills, competence and job readiness of people with disabilities as well as advocating to government and private sector to give equal right and opportunity to people with disabilities.
He listed the organisations to include The Albino Foundation, Nigeria Association of the Blind, Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, Network of Disabled Women and Kanawa Educational Foundation for the Disabled across Lagos, FCT and Kano.
“When they say there is ability in disability, we change the narrative and strongly believe there is productivity in disability,” Adekoya concluded.