From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Disabilities Affairs Board has held the first of its kind Disabilities Inclusion Summit, to seek the commitment of relevant stakeholders in promoting inclusion to foster sustainable development and build a future where everyone belongs.
The 2-day Summit, themed: Breaking Barriers and exploring the roles of relevant stakeholders. Building inclusion and sustainable future where everyone belong, highlighted the roles of Government and development partners in addressing disability issues in Kaduna.
In his remark, the State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) Suleiman Abdul said that the historic event provides an opportunity for relevant stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to creating a society that values and empowers persons with disabilities.
He opined that the summit is a call to action that requires everyone to work together to create a more inclusive and accessible society, where every individual, regardless of their abilities, can thrive, adding that, it requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the social, economic, and environmental barriers that persons with disabilities face.
He adds: “We also gather here today as beacons of hope to celebrate the resilience and determination of persons with disabilities, who, despite these challenges, continue to strive for excellence and make meaningful contributions to our communities.”
Suleiman lamented that persons with disabilities in Kaduna State, and across Nigeria, continue to face significant barriers in their daily lives adding that, from inaccessible infrastructure to discriminatory practices, these obstacles hinder their full participation in society and undermine their fundamental human rights.
“To achieve this vision, we must ensure that our public spaces, transportation systems, and buildings are accessible to all. Provide quality education that caters to the diverse needs of learners with disabilities.
“Create opportunities for persons with disabilities to access employment, entrepreneurship, and financial services. Push for the implementation and enforcement of disability rights laws and policies”, he stated.
The State Chairman urged the Kaduna State Government to continue demonstrating commitment to disability inclusion by implementing policies that promote accessibility, provide resources for inclusive education, and support economic empowerment initiatives.
“I leave you with a quote from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: “Disability is not inability.
“Together, let us break down barriers and unleash the potential of persons with disabilities in Kaduna State and beyond”, he stressed.
The representative of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment & Development (CALPED), Smith Waya said that the essence of the summit was to establish a coordinating body that will coordinate and monitor the activities of development partners in the State.
According to him, it will foster collective efforts and collaboration and avoid replication of already existing programs or initiative and help them forge on.
He said: “We are working towards having an inclusive budget that speaks to the needs of the disability community and that is why we had MDAs and CSOs represented here to help factor our concerns so that provision will be made available in the State budget to promote inclusion.
“We are also going to establish a Technical Working Group to be headed by the Disabilities Affairs Board which will include all development partners who are working towards disability inclusion in Kaduna State so that there will be coordination and issues surrounding disabilities can be tabled and properly addressed.”
In his goodwill message, the representative of Save the Children International (SCI), Mr Babatunde said the gathering is a testament to all collective commitment in ensuring that every child, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to thrive, learn, and contribute meaningfully to the society.
According to him; “At Save the Children, we believe that disability inclusion is not just an option but a necessity.
“Our commitment is rooted in our core values and we are committed to breaking down barriers and creating an inclusive environment where children including those with disabilities can access education, healthcare, and protection services without discrimination.”
Similarly, the representative of the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), Grace Attah said that her organization is looking into disabilities law to see want provision is available for persons with disabilities and make efforts to utilize it in promoting inclusion in their activities.
“We are going to redesign our programs and projects to suit the needs of persons with disabilities so that we can also bridge that gap that puts them aside and promote inclusion.
“ This will help them to benefit from all our projects and help us also to achieve our goals”, she stated.
The Summit, which received representatives from various MInistries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Civil Society Organizations was in collaboration with development partners such as JONAPWD, SCI, PLANE, Hope for the Village Child, CALPED and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)
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