Disability Support & Rehabilitation Center (D-SARC) has asked government to remove identifiable barriers hindering access to opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The group made this call during a workshop in Bwari Abuja on promoting access and inclusion of PWDs with the theme: Strengthening Resilience And Economic Sustainability Of PWDs, Through Sustainable Empowerment And Inclusive Financial Literacy.
Olufunke Osadare, President/ED, D-SARC speaking to the press said that government should take deliberate step to address attitudinal, physical, communication and institutional barrier facing persons with disabilities to enable them have equal opportunity at workplaces.
She also said that persons with disabilites have enjoyed equal employment opportunity. Persons With Disabilities still experience higher rate of unemployment and economic inactivity.
There is lack of disability friendly facilities in most public places, the employment opportunity is also lacking which led to call for removal of all the barriers to enhance the productivity of PWDs.
The Executive Secretary, NCPWD, James Lalu ably represented by Lawrence Idemudia told the press that the privileged ones should understand the challenges of persons with disabilities and make deliberate effort to empower PWDs to enhance their economic activity in order for them to contribute their own quota to the development of the society.
Dr Chris Nwanoro, the chairman of event said that the some people are still ignorant of the provisions of the Act so Organizations of Persons With Disabilities (OPDs) should do more to create awareness and educate them about the act.
This will help to enhance the implementation of the act.
Ajisafe Isaac, CEO, SBM BUSINESS SCHOOL, A keynote speaker at the event, said that PWDs need to be empowered to the extent that they can empowered others. PWDs should not be receivers, they should be empowered to be givers and wealth creators.
The participants said that the companies lack the capacity and knowledge to employ PWDs.
Those who employed PWDs or willing to engage PWDs lack requisite knowledge, capacity (from recruitment to retention) and understand the tools to deploy in order to ease work experience for persons With disabilities. They also proposed that including persons with disabilities in social interventions, governance and other activities in the society will go a long way to poverty among persons with disabilities.
The participants were drawn from different clusters of disability.
