by Chris Agbo,
According to WHO, Assistive technology is an umbrella term covering the systems and services related to the delivery of assistive products and services. It maintains or improves an individual’s functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being.
Hearing aids, wheelchairs, communication aids, spectacles, prostheses, pill organizers and memory aids are all examples of assistive products. It enables people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labour market and civic life. Without assistive technology, people with disabilities are often excluded, isolated, and locked into poverty, thereby increasing the impact of disease and disability on them, their family, and society.
It is based on the importance of assistive devices to persons with disabilities and not much attention is being given to it, that Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) through their DATA 360 Project collaborated with National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) with funding from Ford Foundation organized a One Day Stakeholders’ Meeting on Assistive Technology for Persons with Disabilities in the FCT.
The Executive Director, DRAC, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her opening speech said that assistive technology is very important to persons with disabilities, if one’s mobility aid is taken away from the person, the person’s mobility, freedom and independent has been taken away. In spite of the importance of assistive technology, it is unfortunate that many of persons with disabilities don’t have access to assistive devices.
Speaking further, she said that DRAC invited a wider range of stakeholders to the meeting because they need to understand their roles because most of the organizations who supposed to provide assistive devices for persons with disabilities are not doing so, understanding the challenges and problems why a lot of persons with disabilities who need the assistive devices are not getting them.
Dr. Irene informed that access to assistive devices by persons with disabilities is a provision in the National Disability Act, therefore it is a core mandate of NCPWD, that’s why DRAC is grateful to be partnering with NCPWD to explore opportunities to make available assistive devices for persons with disabilities who need them.
She urged those from the technology sector to look beyond the most popular assistive devices like wheelchairs, white cane etc and develop more advance devices with technology to make life more meaningful for persons with disabilities. Assistive technology is also helpful to persons with disabilities in health facilities, education, that’s why inputs from these sectors are needed in improving access to assistive technology for persons with disabilities.
Mr. James Lalu, the Executive Secretary of NCPWD in his speech through his representative, the Ag. Director, Social Integration, NCPWD, Mr. Lawrence Idemudia appreciated DRAC for the initiative and asked if Nigeria is not developing because nothing much is being done in the area of assistive technology for persons with disabilities meanwhile a lot of advancement is happening around the world in the area of assistive technology but he wonders why Nigeria have not seen reasons to make them available for persons with disabilities.
He called for the technological knowhow of many Nigerians to develop assistive devices for persons with disabilities because the Commission’s budget for the provision of assistive devices is insufficient so if the commission can meet the need of persons with disabilities when it comes to assistive devices, there would be need for a wide range collaboration.
A Program officer at DRAC, Idris Agboluaje while making a presentation on the Situation analysis on access to Assistive Technology for Persons with Disabilities in the FCT to be carried out, pointed out consequences of lack of Assistive Devices to Persons with Disabilities such as limitation or loss of function by persons with disabilities, exclusion and isolation of persons with disabilities from services and participating in mainstream activities (healthcare, education, work, leisure, activities of daily living, reinforcement of stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities and lack of access to services and restriction from participation in mainstream activities often lead to and keep persons with disability in Poverty.
He also said that the Situation Analysis main target groups are persons with disabilities living in the FCT. It should be a randomly selected 300 persons with disabilities from households in the 6 Area Councils of the FCT, 100 other persons with disabilities will be selected from the streets and hospitals in the FCT, A questionnaire designed by WHO will be used to collect data from persons with disabilities and Key Informant interviews will be conducted.
“It is expected that the outcome of Situation Analysis would be a subsequent policy development and implementation to enhance access to Assistive Technology by persons with disabilities in the FCT” he added.
Some persons with disabilities shared their experiences on importance of assistive devices in their daily living and stakeholders were made to understand their roles in ensuring access to assistive devices by persons with disabilities in the FCT.
The Participants were drawn from ICT experts, MDAs in charge of Data collection, MDAs in Information Technology, Representatives of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Health Practitioners and Persons with Disabilities cutting across different clusters of disability.
TQM learnt that DRAC team would be reaching out to relevant agencies to conduct Key Informant Interviews and also consultations towards development of the policy.
SOME PICTURES OF THE EVENT
