Six years after Disability Act, Edo PWDs still face daily exclusion

Ann Ojugu had always dreamed of advancing her education. As a wheelchair user, she knew it would not be easy, but she was determined.

However, after enrolling in a Master’s programme at a federal university in Benin, reality hit hard.

“I started attending lectures, but after my third attempt at struggling to get into the lecture hall upstairs, I gave up.

“There were no ramps, no provisions for people like me, and I couldn’t continue,” she says.

As a result, Ojugu, who is the Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Edo chapter, had no choice but to abandon her academic pursuit.

Importantly, this was not because of her disability but rather due to an inaccessible system that failed to accommodate her.

Similarly, for visually impaired Joseph Osakwe, what should have been a simple trip to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in the city quickly turned into a nightmare.

Without braille-enabled ATMs or voice-assisted services, he had no choice but to rely on a third party to withdraw his money.

Unfortunately, that decision cost him, as the stranger he trusted ended up defrauding him.

Reflecting on this, Mr Melody Omosha, Executive Director of the Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), describes such experiences as a form of economic disempowerment.

Likewise, Samuel Oboh, a deaf entrepreneur in Edo, faces daily struggles in accessing essential services.

For instance, during a hospital visit, he had no interpreter available and was forced to rely on written notes to communicate his symptoms.

Unfortunately, the hurried doctor misunderstood his condition, leading to a wrong prescription.

“I almost took the wrong medication. If I hadn’t double-checked with a friend who could interpret, it could have been dangerous,” he recalls.

In the same vein, Patience Uyi, a young woman with cerebral palsy, finds public transportation in Benin City to be a daily struggle.

More often than not, she waits for hours at bus stops because drivers refuse to pick her up, fearing delays or inconvenience.

“One day, after being ignored by multiple buses, I begged a driver to let me in. He said, ‘I no get time for wahala,’ and drove off,” she recounts.

Consequently, with no accessible transport options, Uyi is forced to rely on costly private rides or miss important appointments.

In spite Nigeria enacting the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in 2018, which granted a five-year transition period for public buildings, transport, and infrastructure to be retrofitted for accessibility, people like Ojugu, Osakwe, Oboh, and Uyi continue to face exclusion daily.

According to the World Health Organisation, 1.3 billion people globally have a significant disability, representing about 16 per cent of the world’s population.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, approximately 15 per cent of the population, around 25 million people live with disabilities.

Given this reality, the Disability Act mandates accessibility to public buildings, employment rights, and non-discrimination

However, implementation has been painfully slow.

Ojugu describes the disability law as the best thing that has happened to Nigeria because it aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Nevertheless, she regrets that, six years after the bill was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari, many government and private institutions continue to ignore it.

“Even in government offices, compliance is low. You should see how I get into my office.

“There’s no ramp. Either I wait for people to carry me, which is humiliating, or I struggle on my own. The local government chairman promised to build a ramp, but I am still waiting,” said the JONAPWD chairman.

She is also a Chief Administrative Officer at the Egor Local Government Area of the state.

For Edo’s estimated 700,000 persons with disabilities; 15 per cent of its five million population, according to UN statistics, the lack of accessibility extends beyond education and public buildings to essential services such as banking, public transport, and employment.

“The banks, for instance, are still largely inaccessible. For wheelchair users, many ATMs are out of reach.

“For the visually impaired, there are no braille signs or voice-assisted ATM services. These are basic facilities that should have been in place by now.

“As a result, PWDs are forced to depend on others, making them vulnerable to fraud and financial abuse. If the banking sector had implemented the law, such situations wouldn’t arise,” Omosha bemoaned.

Similarly, public transport remains inadequate. Many buses do not accommodate wheelchair users, and train stations lack ramps or elevators.

Although the Disability Rights Law was passed in Edo on July 28, 2022, its implementation remains slow.

Notably, the law requires the establishment of a disability commission to oversee enforcement.

Yet, as Ojugu revealed, “We heard that a commission chairman was appointed recently, but till now, we don’t even know who he is.

“There’s no office, no engagement with the disability community”.

Expressing his frustration, the NAPVID boss, who is also visually impaired, stressed that without a commission to drive implementation, the disability community would struggle to make progress.

According to him, the law should not merely exist on paper, it must be actionable.

Experts and advocates agree that stronger enforcement is needed. Civil society organisations, the media, and disability rights groups must intensify advocacy to ensure compliance

Additionally, Omosha, who is a lawyer, explains that legal action could be an effective tool in holding institutions accountable.

“After the five-year transition period, we should start seeing cases in court. If institutions refuse to comply, PWDs should take legal action. This law must be enforced, not ignored,” the disability rights advocate said.

READ ALSO:PWDs hold election, re-elects Ojugo chairman in Edo

Meanwhile, Ojugu insists that inclusivity should never be treated as charity.

“PWDs are not looking for handouts; we are asking for our rights. If accessibility is not implemented, we will remain excluded from education, employment, and society at large,” she said.

Adding to this, Mr Yinka Olaito, Executive Director of the Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP), an organisation working on disability inclusion in Nigeria, raises concerns over the poor implementation of the law.

Olaito called on the government to take urgent steps in enforcing the provisions of the law and holding non-compliant institutions accountable.

“The government seems to be slowing down on implementation. The law clearly states that after five years, enforcement should begin, and non-compliance should attract punishment. However, no institution or individual has been penalised yet,” he says.

Furthermore, the AFYMP executive director underscores the need for the National Assembly to push for stronger government commitment to enforcing disability rights.

“Beyond just enacting the law, there is a need for proper enforcement. Many states have not even established disability commissions, and where they exist, there is no funding for them to function effectively,” he adds.

The disability rights advocate also urged state governments to expedite the domestication of the law, noting that some states, like Benue and Bayelsa, are still in the early stages of legislative discussions.

“We are monitoring the situation across different states. While some have passed the law, they have done little to implement it. Others have not even begun the process. Governors must go beyond signing bills into law; they must ensure they are fully executed,” he notes.

Equally important, Olaito emphasises that media and civil society organisations have a crucial role in ensuring accountability.

He calls on organisations representing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to actively advocate for their rights.

“Organisations of persons with disabilities must also speak out. Now is the time to demand action from the government,” he states.

As the Disability Act reaches its post-transition period, experts insist that full implementation must take priority.

With the media, CSOs, and PWD organisations stepping up their advocacy, the pressure is now on the government to move beyond policy declarations and take concrete action towards inclusivity.