Plateau PWDs Demand Employment Waivers, Empowerment Packages

The Plateau Chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has called on the state government to grant employment waivers to employable PWDs, roll out empowerment packages and provide free education and healthcare services to their families.

Mr Shindol Aaron, the chairman of the chapter, made the call in a news conference to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Jos.

Aaron, who decried that PWDs in the state had been neglected, also called on the government to grant them soft loans, adding that such a move would boost their means of livelihoods.

He decried the lack of shelter, quality education, abject poverty and sustainable means of livelihood for its members in state.

”Government should grant soft loans to encourage our members to own businesses and PWDs should also be considered for appointments into public offices for our disabilities are not death sentences.

”We also urge government to consider our members with the requisite requirements for five per cent of contracts, as enshrined in the Disability Rights Act.

”PWDs deserve to live a good and decent life just like any other person and to achieve this, we appeal to government to grant us those requests,” he appealed.

He said that due to the poverty level, PWDs in the state were prone to all kinds of diseases and became victims of social ills.

”We are susceptible to all kinds of diseases because of malnutrition; we live in houses that are not habitable and our children fall victim to social vices because we can’t cater for tehi needs.

”With the hike in the cost of transportation due to the removal of fuel subsidy, moving from one point to another has been a task for us,” he lamented.

He called on Gov. Caleb Mutfwang to appoint PWDs into the state’s Disability Commission, adding that it would give the PWDs a sense of belonging.