By Benjamin Alade
One of the leading organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), has called on the Federal Government to strengthen social protection systems and establish programmes to cater for the needs of persons with disabilities.
The outfit also appealed to government to implement the five per cent employment quota provided for in the Disability Act, as this and other poverty alleviation measures would reduce the vulnerability of persons with disabilities to Disability Based Violence and give them means to seek justice, when the need arises.
Speaking at the third cohort fellowship programme of the ‘Amplifying Voices Project’ in Lagos, Executive Director, IFA, Grace Jerry, said the objective of training young persons with disabilities from selected states of the federation was to combat Gender Based Violence perpetrated against Persons with disabilities through dogged and strategic advocacies.
She said more persons with disabilities; their family members and caregivers should be enlightened on what Disability Based Violence is.
They should be enlightened to know what is acceptable or not, what amounts to a violation, what to do when they are being violated and how to go about it.
She said law enforcement agencies’ capacity should be built on disability issues, with a view to eradicating attitudinal, physical or systemic barriers persons with disabilities face, when trying to access their services.
She also tasked media outfits to take it upon themselves as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to report issues of persons with disabilities to enlighten the public and make them more aware and concerned with their issues, such that they no longer stigmatise a survivor of any form of violence or their family.
She encouraged other corporate organisations to sponsor media campaigns and projects that protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
She advocated free education for persons with disabilities of school age, saying their capacity should be built around defence mechanisms and how to seek redress.
