TIME and time again, they have proved that, with suitable support, they can live life to the full alongside the rest of us. At the 2012 London Paralympics, which was held from August 29 to September 9, 29 of them (12 bold ladies and 17 determined men), christened "Team Nigeria," hauled back home a total of 13 medals: six gold, five silver and two bronze medals, when their peers at the Olympics came back empty-handed. But time and time again, their pains and the many barriers they face are forgotten no sooner than their exploits are celebrated. On December 3, the 2012 International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed, again, with lots of talk about physical disabilities. Will their abilities be overlooked, their capacities underestimated and their needs given low priority again? It is time our government offered hope to the disabled persons among us.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities says persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. And there are a whole lot of them. Globally, a lot of them are stigmatised and discriminated against, but their fate is worse in a country like Nigeria, where the social and political systems do not reckon with their plight.
For instance, there is no consideration for the 19 million physically-challenged Nigerians when public buildings are being designed and when roads are constructed. In 2008, one Angela Nebo, who was on crutches, had gone to a commercial bank in Lagos to deposit money but was denied access into the banking hall because her crutches would not pass the metal detectors at the security door. Naomi Omozeghian, a graduate of Counselling Psychology from the Delta State University, who reportedly became a victim of Polio at the age of three and lost the use of both legs, said one of the greatest challenges of her life was the lack of access to public facilities/places with an unfriendly environment, which further bogs her down.
The plights of Nebo and Naomi highlight the difficulties many disabled people grapple with in our country. UNICEF says children with disabilities and their families constantly experience barriers to the enjoyment of their basic human rights and to their inclusion in society. Sadly, out of the world's 200 million children with disabilities, many of them, especially children with disabilities in developing countries, do not attend school. Unlike what obtains in many advanced countries, public institutions such as banks, schools and hospitals do not have ramps for easy access of disabled people. Nor are toilets designed to accommodate them in most of these institutions. Commuting from one place to another is a difficult thing for them. There is no easy access to board commercial buses. And nowhere is demarcated for them to stay once they are inside the bus. Sometimes, they get wounded in the process of struggling to enter commercial vehicles.
Educationally, the lot of the disabled is also not pleasant at all. Most of them lack the necessary infrastructure required for sound academic pursuits in their schools. And even when they manage to graduate, many employers of labour do not engage them. What follows is crushing poverty. The World Bank has estimated that persons with disabilities account for up to one in five of the world's poorest people, that is those who live on less than one dollar a day and who lack access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, clothing and shelter.
Incidentally, disability is not by choice. Warren Buffet, an American billionaire, referring to an imaginary genie, says "You don't know if you are going to be born rich or poor, white or black, male or female, able-bodied or infirm, intelligent or retarded." He is right. According to the United Nations Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, over one billion people or about 15 per cent of the world population live with some form of disability. About 10 per cent of children in Africa have one form of it or the other. Some people are afflicted with their disability from birth. For some, it is polio. For others, it is some genetic disorders, such as Down Syndrome.
Studies estimate that the prevalence rate of Down Syndrome in the world is one in every 800 live-births. About seven million people reportedly suffer it in the world. The problem knows no class or race as it can happen to the children of both the rich and the poor, or black and white. And unlike other disabled people who can still speak out against their plight, Down Syndrome persons do not have that capacity. They depend on the love and care shown them by their relatives or those looking after them. Unfortunately, these are in short supply.
But disabled people can achieve much if given the opportunity. One of our gold medallists, Yakubu Adesokan, even set a new world record in men's 48kg Power-lifting. In different parts of the world, some disabled people are known to be successful in their chosen careers. Franklin D. Roosevelt, first governor of New York State and later elected President of the United States for four terms, had polio. In the world of arts and entertainment, no compilation of successful musicians will be made without the mention of Stevie Wonder, a blind musician. Also, John Foppe is another disabled man that has made waves in the world. Born without arms, the man has overcome his disability to become an author and owner of international corporate motivational company. He travels around the world giving talks to company executives. Another typical example is popular musician, producer and songwriter, Cobhams Asuquo. His blindness notwithstanding, Asuquo has won several awards for his works.
What these examples show is that what the disabled persons need is not pity or charity. They also do not need to be stigmatised. They need equal access to health care, education, employment, political participation, transport and other good things of life. While countries around the world are deploying hybrid buses, specifically equipped to accommodate full-sized wheelchairs, paratransit buses, sidewalks and special health care, Nigeria is scornfully arming her own most vulnerable citizens with begging bowls. Disabled persons, especially children, deserve much more than what the Nigerian system offers them now.
We must create a more inclusive society for all. The starting point is the domestication of the UN convention through the Persons with Disabilities Bill, which is yet to be signed by the President. The President should sign this bill, which the National Assembly sent to him since 2010. It also requires clear budgetary allocations for the disabled persons at the federal, state and local government levels. "A nation's greatness," Mahatma Gandhi once said, "is measured by how it treats its weakest members."
