By Chris Agbo,
Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) in collaboration with National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) on Tuesday in Abuja organized a Stakeholders’ Meeting on Access to Transportation for Persons with Disabilities.
The event is part of the Data 360 project of DRAC supported by Ford Foundation, it is a 3-year project to support Research and Technology Adoption to address disability inclusive policymaking in Nigeria
The Executive Director of DRAC, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her opening speech said that access to transport has always been an issue for persons with disabilities but in recent times, it has become a more pressing issue going by the experiences of some persons with disabilities at the airport whereby airlines discriminate against PWDs which has been all over the news recently.
It is in view of this that DRAC deemed it critical to bring critical stakeholders together to enlighten them on the rights of Persons with Disabilities to access all services including transportation services.
She affirmed that DRAC as an organization is committed to ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities are protected and the promotion of disability inclusion. It is time to beam the spotlight on the transportation sector especially with the enactment of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 which clearly states that no person should be denied transport services on the basis of disability. So it is time to liaise with stakeholders in the transportation sector to begin to operationalize that section of the act.
She appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for establishing the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities because it is edging PWDs closer to their right and DRAC is excited collaborating with the Commission in this event designed to remove barriers hindering PWDs from accessing transport services.
She urged participants to listen carefully and also make contribution so that at the end of the meeting, there would be clear-cut recommendations towards addressing the issue.
Watch ED, DRAC Opening Speech:
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. James Lalu in his address said that the meeting is geared towards brainstorming to see how to solve the pressing needs of PWDs in Nigeria. “Access to Transportation is very important because it is a challenge PWDs face on daily basis”
He shared his experience with Federal Road Safety Officers and their negative attitude towards which suggests that persons with disabilities should not drive. He emphasized that PWDs have right to drive as well as indulge in any other activities provided it is within their jurisdiction.
The challenges PWDs face at the Airport, Seaport, Railway and other means of transportation requires urgent intervention of all the relevant MDAs and this is the right time to proffer solution because it is very important to the lives of PWDs in Nigeria. He stated that this is the beginning of the engagement because the engagement will continue to ensure that the Nigeria disability act is fully implemented.
“It is he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches; we will find a way to continue to work with you in order to continue to solve the problem”.
Speaking further, he said that the Commission will be engaging all the heads of the Ministries and organizations especially the Federal Ministry of Transport to review all the policies together in order to eliminate the discrimination against PWDs in Nigeria.
Watch ES Speech:
The Honorable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (HADM&SD) who was ably represented by Mr. Sunday Ezekiel said that the Minister is very passionate about Disability issues and that’s why she was instrumental in ensuring that the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities was established and she is working and supporting to ensure that the commission succeeds. He spoke on the need for awareness creation on the Act saying that it is still not known by Nigerians which is going to be one of the challenges the Act will encounter. He gave the Minister’s firm support for the removal of not just transportation barriers but indeed all barriers facing persons with disabilities across board.
Mr. Theophilus Odaudu, the Program Officer of Disability Rights Fund (DRF) in his goodwill message said that the challenges and the discrimination of Persons with Disabilities are facing in accessing transportation is enormous and it has been long overdue. It requires a lot of advocacy so he commended DRAC and NCPWD for the initiative and Ford Foundation for supporting the initiative. He urged Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to take advantage of the DRF call for proposals coming up in March to address the issue of access to transportation in Nigeria.
The Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), Grace Jerry in her goodwill message said that issue of discrimination against PWDs in access to transportation services especially by airline operators has been reoccurring incidents and it is high time, it is addressed head on. She advised that the recommendations that will arise from the meeting be Implemented.
Mohammed Haruna Tsafe, The Vice President of Nigerian National Association of The Deaf (NNAD) standing in for the President in his goodwill message recalled recent incidences between wheelchair users and airline operators. He appreciated DRAC and NCPWD and said that the event is a step in the right direction because the issue requires urgent attention and it should be addressed.
There were goodwill messages from other MDAs and organizations.
The meeting also witnessed an educative and incisive presentation by the ED, DRAC titled: Access to Transportation: Barriers faced by Persons with Disabilities. She took stakeholders through the right to transportation for PWDs, what the UNCRPD said about it, though it doesn’t have a specific article but it was mentioned in Article 9. UNCRPD acknowledges the centrality of transportation for PWDs to access a range of services including homes, schools, healthcare facilities, workplace and leisure.
It is attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers that hinder PWDs from accessing transportation at equal basis with others. She used illustrations to explain those barriers that PWDs have to contend with whatever they are accessing public infrastructures not just transportation alone. She spoke about the air travel experiences of PWDs and highlighted the attendant challenges such as No Priority Boarding (PWDs are forgotten at the queues and they would be carried which is embarrassing when other passengers have boarded.), Taking away of wheelchair at the check-in, Poor handling of wheelchair which cause damage on the electric wheelchairs which is very expensive and there is no compensation, loss of wheelchairs or its components, manual handing (Lifting PWDs to the aircraft like bag of sack and No aisle or bad aisle. She also spoke about the Rail Experiences for PWDs such as No functional lifts, no ramps, no wheelchair accessible train coach, inaccessible railway platform and no accessible toilets in the trains.
She pointed out some of the effect of these challenges to PWDs, such as fear of traveling which can lead to loss of opportunities, Pitiful and pathetic portrayal of PWDs, Panic attacks leading to poor mental health, poor handling when a PWD is being carried into a plane or train, it can aggravate his or her Disability condition, it can lead to low self-esteem after being carried into an aircraft, the fear of humiliation in flying or railing can expose a PWD to discomfort from road travel and accident due to bad road, it can lead to SRHR issues which can result into infection, overstress on the bladder when the toilet is inaccessible and poor menstrual management because of inaccessible toilets, and it leads to financial trauma due to replacement or repair of lost or damaged mobility aids.
She recommended the following: a) Adapt relevant policies, guidelines and frameworks for accessible transportation. b) Review policies, business class seats, mobility aids up to the door, free travel for aids etc. c) Use of telescopic passageways (Boarding Bridge), d) Use of Ambulifts, e) Diverse training of transport sector on Disability f) Inclusion and handling of mobility aid and on PSEAH, g) Grievance redress mechanism are also extremely important, h) Designate Disability Centres at all airports, railway stations, bus station etc.and i) Always put Disability into consideration when designing new COVID-19 strategies for transport sector.
Ag. Director Enforcement/ Compliance of NCPWD, Barr. Ikem Uchegbunam presented an overview of legal frameworks protecting the rights of persons with disabilities where he took the Stakeholders through the sections of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
The meeting also featured experience sharing of persons with disabilities in access to transportation and some MDAs and organizations reacted to the issues raised by PWDs.
The meeting also featured group work and presentation on Improving access to transportation for PWDs: Strategies and Immediate Actions, here the PWDs, law enforcement agencies/organizations and MDAs came up with unique strategies to address challenges associated to access to transportation for persons with disabilities.
Ag. Director Social Integration, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Lawrence Idemudia coordinated a process of formulating a committee of the Stakeholders of one representative from each MDAs and OPDs to serve as a team that will ensure the implementation of the recommendations.
The meeting was attended by Leaders of the Disability Community, MDAs responsible for transportation, organizations working in transport sector and the media.
Some pictures of the event
