Plateau State chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has called on the state government to consider people with disabilities in empowerment packages and provide free education and healthcare services for their families.
Chairman of the association in the state,
Mr Shindol Aaron, made the call at a news conference to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Jos at the weekend.
Aaron, who said PWDs in the state had been neglected, also called on government to grant them soft loans, adding that such would boost their means of livelihoods.
He decried the lack of shelter, quality education and sustainable means of livelihood for members in the 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 lives just like any other person and to achieve this, we appeal to government to grant us those requests,” he said.
He said due to the poverty level, PWDs in the state were prone to all kinds of diseases and become victims of social ills and called on the government to act.
‘’With the hike in the cost of transportation due to the removal of fuel subsidy, moving from one point to another has been tasking for us,’’ he said.
He urged Gov. Caleb Mutfwang to appoint PWDs in the state’s disability commission, adding that it would give them a sense of belonging.
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