The Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ANSDRC) has announced plans to hold seminars and workshops focused on exploring investment opportunities related to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Chairman of ANSDRC, Mr Chukwuka Ezewuzie, unveiled the initiative during a press conference in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The events, which are part of the 2024 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) organised by the commission, will include road shows and public awareness campaigns.
Beginning on December 3rd, 2024, the activities will feature leadership and advocacy campaigns, tours of special education centers such as Basden Memorial School, Special School for the Deaf in Odakpu, Onitsha, as well as other locations in Umuchu and Awka.
On December 4th, seminars on exploring investment opportunities in disability-related ventures will take place in Onitsha, while a session on empowerment and emotional well-being, themed “Lifting Persons with Disabilities from Paranoia to Pronoia,” is scheduled for December 5th in Ekwulobia.
Additionally, an evening session with the United Nations Simulcast on the theme “Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future” will be held on December 4th, followed by a family day on December 6th aimed at empowering PWDs to overcome Social Anhedonia.
Road shows and public awareness campaigns in Awka are set for December 7th, with Thanksgiving Services on December 8th at various worship centers.
Ezewuzie emphasised that disability does not equate to economic vulnerability or social media, noting that legal representation for PWDs under the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program (RoLAC) has already begun.
Four cases have been filed at the commission by PWDs seeking to enforce their rights against institutions and individuals.
Among the affected persons are Mr. Victor Onwudiegwu, a civil servant denied a driving license by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) due to his hearing impairment, Mr. Nwokedi Philip, a person with Albinism who survived an attempted ritual killing, and Mrs. Ifeoma Ejidike, disfigured by her brother-in-law.
The commission, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Justice, is committed to providing legal recourse for PWDs in accordance with the Anambra State Disability Rights Law 2018. Pro bono lawyers from the RoLAC program are prepared to defend and protect the rights of PWDs, ensuring they are empowered to seek redress in court if their rights are infringed upon.
Mr. Shedrack Nwekeagu, a representative of RoLAC, emphasized the importance of utilizing the 2018 Anambra State Disability Rights law and pro bono lawyers to expedite justice for PWDs.