The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has appealed to governments at all levels to provide ease of lockdown guidelines for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), across the country.
Mr David Anyaele, Executive Director of the group, said this on Friday in Abuja during an online discussion with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), on disability-inclusive COVID-19 response and recovery.
Anyaele said that the group was concerned with the exclusion of PWDs from both the federal and state governments ease of lockdown guidelines.
“The exclusion is not only by the government; even the private sector has excluded PWDs from all plans and strategies while easing the lockdown.
“Looking at the different ease of lockdown guidelines, we observe that PWDs issues are missing in almost all the document seen so far.
“We feel that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 at the federal level is not disability sensitive, so other governments and sectors are copying the federal government’s approach,” he claimed.
He said that the group was, however, ready to support both the federal and state governments in the development of a disability-sensitive COVID-19 ease of lockdown guideline to protect PWDs, especially in response and recovery.
He said that the organisation was not only committed to supporting the government to develop disability-friendly guidelines, but also help in creating more awareness on the COVID-19 pandemic among PWDs, especially on preventive measures.
He said that the group had implemented a project with the theme “Breaking Barriers against Nigerians with Disabilities (BBAND)”, through a component on Enhancing COVID-19 behavioural change among Nigerians.
“The goal of this intervention is to minimise the negative impact of COVID-19 among Nigerians with disabilities. The objectives are to raise awareness on COVID-19 among Nigerians with disabilities.
“It is also targeted at enhancing access to information and essential services among PWDs and to link PWDs to social security interventions of the governments,” he said.
Anyaele urged MDAs responsible for rehabilitation of PWDs to synergies and work together with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), to formulate educative and informative policies and strategies, and implement them.
Other participants of the online meeting included Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, Disability Clusters, as well as private and public disability stakeholders, .
Edited By: Olawunmi Ashafa and Ephraims Sheyin (NAN)
