As part of their efforts to improve access to health services and information for Deaf women and girls in four area councils, Deaf Women Aloud Initiative (DWAI) paid an advocacy visit to the Chairman, Gwagwalada Area Councils recently.
The advocacy visit is part of the activities of DWAI’ s project supported by Disability Rights Fund (DRF).
The honorable Chairman, Hon. Adamu Mustapha Danze and his executive councils received the team well.
The Executive Director of DWAI, Hellen Beiyoku-Alase in her speech stated that communication barriers remain a major challenge in providing quality health services and information for Deaf women and girls of reproductive ages and this often results in wrong diagnosis, wrong prescription, poor healthcare delivery, just to mention but a few. Despite these challenges, it should also be noted that it is the right of every citizen including a Deaf person to be carried along in the day-to-day activities of the society in which they live.
“As domesticated in Nigeria Disability Act of 2018 under Part V 21(1) that Government shall guarantee that persons with disabilities have unfettered access to adequate healthcare without discrimination on the basis of disability” she added.
She used the opportunity to sensitize the Chairman and his council members on how they can ensure that they are committed to the adoption of policies and directives to make health services and information accessible to and inclusive for Deaf women.
Speaking further, she advocated for the provision of sign language interpreters in primary health centers for communication accessibility, inclusion of Deaf women and girls with disabilities matters in policies domesticated by the Council and ensure the right of deaf women and girls to quality healthcare, particularly maternal and new-born and equal employment opportunity.
The chairmen in his response, considered all the issues presented to be very critical which need urgent attention and he alongside his council expressed surprise and acknowledged the fact that they are hearing the issues presented for the first time and fortunately it is coming from those who are directly affected.
He then issued a directive to the Head of the Health Department to work on DWAI’s requests and the modality for partnership and collaboration.
The highlight of the visit was the presentation of DWAI’s fact-finding mission on the issues of accessible health services and information which is very critical to the Deaf community.
MORES PICTURES OF THE VISIT
