Parents Seek Effective Participation For Children With Disabilities

The Parents of Children with Disabilities’ Forum has appealed to Federal State and LGA, international communities across board to ensured full and productive employment, decent work and sustainable economic growth for Persons with disabilities. 

This was contained in a press release jointly signed by Mrs. Catherine Isang, Hajia Fatima Abubakar Doki, and Mr. Akoh Ali Neuman, to mark 2022 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The event was organised by the National Commission of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), in collaboration with Deaf Resource Centre (DRC) and parents of children with disabilities in Abuja, yesterday.

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The programme Manager, Deaf Resource Centre, Victoria Adewole said the aim of the event was to increase understanding and awareness of disability issues and the abilities of Persons with disabilities, promote the full and effective participation in society for the dignity, rights and well-being of Persons with disabilities, as well as celebrate the achievements and contributions of Persons with disabilities in our society.

Hajia Fatima Abubakar Doki on behalf of parents of Children with disabilities said, “All around the world, there are nearly 240 million children with disabilities, 1 in 10 children worldwide- are being denied basic rights, according to UNFPA (2021) World population dashboard as well as the WHO/World Bank (2011) report on disability

“Nigeria is home to an estimated 32 million persons with disabilities, most of whom are children, like every child in the world, children with disabilities have the right to be nurtured through responsive care, supported in education, and provided with adequate nutrition and social protection, including in humanitarian situations, but all too often, such rights are denied.”

“However, 42 per cent less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills, children with disabilities typically face additional barriers that place them at higher risk of experiencing less than optimal educational trajectories, when parents do search for educational opportunities for their children, they often find schools and classrooms that are not accessible, either physically or due to the lack of appropriate learning materials.” She added.

She also said 49 percent are more likely to have never attended school, 51 per cent more likely to feel unhappy and 41 per cent more likely to feel discriminated against the society.

“This struggle for rights of persons with disabilities has gain more grounds in recent in Nigeria, the signing of the Discrimination Against Persons with disabilities (Prohibition) bill into Law in 2019 by President Mohammadu Buhari and subsequent establishment of the National Commission for Persons with disabilities in 2020, unveils a new dispensation in the pursuit for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities including children with disabilities in Nigeria.

“Most importantly the implementation of the provision of the Act is at its critical point due to the fact that the public is yet to understand the operationalization of the Act, as it relates to equal right to health, right education, and right to work, right to public life and its relevant sections, and some of the huddles crossed to make the law relevant today, came from the commitment of the Nigeria disability community.

“Therefore, we call upon government at all levels, federal government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, development actors, donors, and the private sector to, provide equal opportunities for children with disabilities by ensuring access to free, safe, inclusive, accessible and equitable quality education, securing assistive technologies, training teachers and administrators, as well as providing accessible infrastructure, recreational spaces, water and sanitation facilities and transportation.

“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all Persons with disabilities at all ages, all health care service delivery must be accessible and inclusive: birth registration, early childhood development, health, nutrition, immunizations and social services must be accessible and inclusive of children with disabilities and their families throughout their lives, wherever they may live, in terms of stability and emergency, and stigma and discrimination are eradicated by supporting and strengthening the effective implementation of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in Nigeria.”

They can focus on making life easier for parents with disabilities, possibly giving them visibility and creating an empowerment/intervention programme/ policy for incentive for them disability, bringing parents who are in denial out of their hiding and make them comfortable with seeking help they need for their mental health and the growth of their children.

“Meanwhile the Director Planning Research and Statistics, National Commission For Persons With Disabilities Olasoji Ebenezer Adewale, represented the executive secretary of the commission Mr. James David Lalu, while marking his remarks saying that what the parents of Persons With Disabilities are doing is advocacy and it is one of the ways to end discrimination against persons with Disabilities . ”

“This action will reduce ignorance with the activities of Parents of Persons With Disabilities and the Partners for what they are doing because it is in line with the mandate of the Commission to end all forms of discrimination against PWDs. added that we have been rescue work with Children with Disabilities that their parents are hiding, thanked the organizers for their job weldon, reassured them that the commission is ever willing to collaborate with organisations that would support NCPWD in achieving her mandate. “