by Aderibigbe Adedotun
Did you know that according to the United Nations, in 2013, there were 25 million disabled people in Nigeria? This constitutes about 13 per cent of the population or implies that at least one in 10 people in Nigeria is disabled.
So why don’t we see people with disabilities more often in schools, workplaces, recreation areas and even places of worship? Has Nigerian society excluded people with disabilities by building a litany of barriers difficult to navigate?
A high number of disabilities in Nigeria are caused by preventable diseases, due to inadequate immunization in some areas, poor maternal and neonatal care. Also, poor healthcare causes infections which increase the potential for further disabilities.
People with disabilities face problems in accessing services that would aid personal development as well as daily life. Some of these services include education and access into public and leisure areas. The lack of access excludes people with disabilities from society and as the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation famously said in 1976:
“Disability is something imposed on top of our impairments the way we are unnecessarily isolated and excluded from full participation in society”.
Many organisations have noticed this exclusion and have taken steps to reduce these barriers. The United Nations’ international policy framework guiding disability-inclusive urban development known as The Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disability made in 2006 was ratified by Nigeria in 2010.
The World Programme of Action concerning Persons with disabilities views accessibility as a fundamental means to ‘full participation’ and ‘equality’. However, the UN CRPD and similar documents ratified by the government are still on the theoretical level because the government has not enacted legislation for the implementation of the legal framework.
In March 2009, the Senate passed a disability bill which prohibits all form of discrimination due to disability and also stipulated all public buildings should be accessible to people with disabilities. The bill was eventually signed into law by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on January 23, 2019, almost 10 years later. Even though the bill has been passed into law there is no assurance that the contents of the bill we be adhered to or that the government will punish those who err.
Most times, the architecture of a place mirrors the people and their values. Architects and urban planners often try to design based on their analysis of the society, its ethos and needs. An absence of or little to no allowances in our urban planning and buildings for disabled people indicate our disregard for persons with disabilities.
Steep gradients, steps/stairs, uneven/slippery surfaces, heavy doors, poor lighting, narrow corridors and inadequate signage are a few physical obstacles people with disabilities have to try to overcome daily. Unintentional as it may seem, the barriers to access have socially and physically excluded persons with disabilities.
Their enforced absence in society has made them appear invisible. The implication of this is a lack of empathy or understanding from the rest of the population.
Until dealing with an ageing parent, friend with disability or even children, many people are unaware of how inaccessible many buildings are. It is in the little things; a woman not being able to visit her grandkids without being constantly carried, a man unable to go to the bank because of the numerous steps and unaccommodating security doors; or how difficult it is for a mother with kids in strollers to go anywhere.
Inaccessibility has monumental effects, from discrimination to stigmatisation, it is something we must actively seek to correct in our bid to live in a more sustainable and equitable society.
An inclusive society is one with no social, physical or environmental barriers to equality of access, a society where everyone has equal opportunities to contribute and participate in everyday activities. But how do we create this society?
Before an inclusive society can exist, the citizens must all think inclusively and intentionally. Inclusive thinking is multi-faceted because society is generally diverse and thinking inclusively requires a multi-dimensional approach.
A careful understanding of how the built environment directly affects an individual’s ability to move, see, hear, communicate, interact and undertake tasks is vital to inclusive thinking. Therefore, all design considerations must be made with the end users’ experience in mind.
How they will navigate the spaces, the limits of their physical and cognitive capabilities in these spaces. There are three critical principles underpinning inclusive thinking in the built environment design.
First, there must be an understanding of diversity and differences. This is the most critical because disability is multifaceted, and many times the needs of people with disabilities in a space are exclusive to certain categories of persons with disabilities.
For example, ramps that are required by wheelchair users to negotiate level changes are disliked by people with visual impairment or ambulant mobility problems who prefer stairs and handrails.
Secondly, there must be a deliberate effort to promote independence. People generally like doing things on their own without having to depend on other people and this is not different for people with disabilities. Inclusive access should provide people with disabilities with choices, autonomy and dignity.
Third, integration must be ensured. All end users must be able to access and use the same space and facilities on similar terms, there should be dignity in the choices and options that people with different disabilities can conveniently access.
Another area that must be looked at is inclusive design of buildings and the challenges faced by persons with disabilities. Inclusive design is a holistic process, it starts from the design to the construction and management stage, a never-ending process subject to change and improvement when the need arises.
Accessibility has often been treated as an afterthought by many building professionals. The lack of care is very visible, as seen by many non-functional ramps, illogical disabled parking areas, tiny corridors but with proper signage. Even when inclusive design is considered in projects, it is treated like a couple of obligations they need to tick off a list to fulfil all righteousness and, in some cases, satisfy building regulations as opposed to catering to people’s needs.
The list should look like this: Column-free spaces, low concierge counters, elevator doors that stay open longer, handrails should flank both sides of staircases, chairs with grab handles, hearing induction loop for hearing aids, Braille directions, tactile guidance and easy-to-read pictographs for visually impaired.
However, disability is more complex than a list. Cost constraints also make it difficult to implement certain things. For example, clients are less willing to spend more on inclusive spaces. Instead of taking advantage of the currently excluded population, many of them would rather direct their business to the young and healthy population.
Contractors are always looking for cheaper options that might override built-in inclusive design decisions made during the design stage.
Furthermore, due to the shortage of access consultants in Nigeria, a lot of design decisions are made by people without disabilities and are more likely to fall short of the needs of persons with disabilities.
However, the ‘Third Age Suit’ developed by academics at Loughborough University’s Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute for the Ford Motor Company bridges this gap, allowing designers, live in the shoes of persons with disabilities and aged population while navigating through life.
It is believed that the suit would provide designers with further understanding of the challenges faced by people with disabilities as well as the limitations of their designs solving these challenges and hopefully lead to better and more inclusive spaces.
In addition, the installation of inclusive design features could be problematic and it is not always done the correct way because of the lack of understanding by many installers. A very good example is tactile paving. When badly installed, it negates the information it is designed to provide and runs the risk of becoming a public hazard.
Common installation issues include using the wrong colour of paving, a lack of contrast with surrounding paving, incorrect use of paving types within schemes, etc.
In concluding, it is clear that people with disabilities in the country encounter a series of barriers in attempting to access various services. When people are shut out of the public sphere, they gradually become invisible to the public, relevance starts eroding, decisions are made without putting them into consideration and then the exclusion increases over time and you are left with a marginalized group feeling sadness, resentment and anger.
They become people who constantly feel like they are swimming against the tide, who have to do twice as much just to be seen, before getting their foot in the door. Building policies emanate from norms and the social fabric of the society; our current attitude towards people with disabilities in our buildings does not speak well for the type of society we should aspire to.
Adedotun wrote in from Abuja via adedotunaderibigbe@gmail.com
