Equal Access: Disability Community Push For Sign Language Interpreters In Public Institutions

The disability community in Benue State has advocated for sign language interpreters in public places, including police stations, courts, hospitals, among others to ensure equal access for the deaf.

The cluster head, Nigeria Association of the deaf Benue State Chapter, Ezekiel Eladoga, who made this know during a stakeholders engagement meeting organised by the Nigeria Women Trust Fund in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, lamented the communication difficulties faced by the deaf in hospitals, police stations among other public places.

He advocated for the inclusion of the sign language interpreters in the disability law, to enable both the private and public institution employ interpreters as a way of giving the deaf a sense of belonging.

In a welcome address, Brenda Anugwon explained that the Advocacy Project For Inclusive Development (D-RAPID), aim at engaging stakeholders on the objectives and scope of the D-RAPID project, as well as strengthen collaboration and stakeholder commitment towards disability inclusion.

She urged participants to be focused and engaged effectively to list out challenges persons with disabilities faced and also fashioned out ways that will help in surmounting those challenges and ensuring inclusivity.

In a remark by the programme coordinator, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, Daniel Ogabiela, he said the D-RAPID project meeting with stakeholders is to strategise on ways to support the domestication and implementation of the Disability Rights Act in Benue State.

According to him, “ The stakeholders engagement will help us to build shared understanding on the domestication and implementation of the law, what needs to be added in the law or removed. As you can see, we are just noticing what the deaf face in hospitals and other places, and there are some public and private places that cannot be accessed by persons with disabilities. All of these has to be taken into cognisance through engagement of this kind.

“Actually, this is our first engagement meeting and I want to appreciate all the stakeholders for being in attendance, I am impressed. Moving forward, we want to see how we can brainstorm on all the suggestions made here so that they will become a reality.”

In a presentation on Barriers and opportunities for disability inclusion, Barr.Ori Onum lamented a situation where most public organisations are not heeding to the disability inclusion rights by including accessibility of persons with disabilities in the design of their buildings, and also allocating 5 per cent of their employment to persons with Special Needs, saying there is ability in every disability.

Earlier, the principal, special assistant to the Benue State Governor on Persons with Special Needs, Bem Anshe who commended Governor Alia for the attention given to the disability community, also advocated for the establishment of the disability commission in the state.