Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria (PWDN), Kaduna chapter, has demanded total inclusiveness in all human activities ahead of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities slated for December 3, 2023.
The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) Kaduna, in support of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment, and Development (CALPED), organised an interactive session with all the participants across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna state on Saturday.
Speaking during the event at the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Board, the state chairman of PWDN, Comrade Suleiman Abdulazeez, called for the inclusiveness of all human activities with persons with disabilities.
The theme of the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with, and by persons with disabilities.
According to him, the call for inclusiveness became necessary given the various roles played by his members.
“We want to be included in everything related to human activities like jobs, skills acquisition, appointments, etc
“Don’t pity us; we don’t need your mercy; all we need is the engagement of all activities related to human endeavours, as the constitution of the country spells out.
Also speaking, Malami Ibrahim Abubakar, the state chairman of the Nigerian Association for the Blind, decried the incessant increase of educational materials and mobility, e.g., white cane for blind students.
He also lamented that digital literacy is affecting blind kids. To this end, he called on the state government and wealthy individuals to assist the poor blind children with scholarships.
Similarly, the state chairman of the Association for the Deaf, Mohammed Musa Iya, lamented over the continuous discrimination and lack of accessible, sound, and communicative devices.
He said, “Lack of all the above is affecting real communication between the members and other people.
He also noted that the participation of deaf people in any conference or dialogue is very difficult due to the lack of sign-language interpreters.
Also, he called on event and conference planners to involve sign language interpreters for effective communication.
“Television stations should engage sign language interpreters to enable their members to understand or communicate effectively about happenings around them.
Steven Waya of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment, and Development (CALPED) said that the organisation would continue to support persons with disabilities to be self-reliant.