Bauchi state chairman of Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria (SCIAN) Iliya Ismail Danmaryamu has called on the Bauchi state government under the leadership of Sen. Bala A. Muhammad (Kauran Bauchi) to resuscitate the suspended Bauchi state Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The agency which was established sequel to the law which has been passed by the Bauchi state House of assembly and assented by the former executive Governor of Bauchi state Mal. (Dr.) Isa Yuguda on 2^rd day of May, 2010.

Section 3(1) of the agency’s law provided that:

“There shall be an established body to be known as Bauchi state Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The law states that the agency should be established and to be placed under the Governor’s office.” The agency vested with the responsibilities of full social integration of the persons with disabilities in Bauchi into the society particularly through provision of economic, education, counseling and psychotherapy needs. By suspending the activities of the agency by the immediate passed administration of the former Governor Barrister. M.A Abubakar in 2015, the plight of millions of indigenes of the state who suffer one form of disability or the other are in precarious circumstances.

It is imperative that if the agency is resuscitated, it would provide recognition and protect persons with disabilities in the state from discrimination and harmful practices while building their economic wellbeing. It serves as a link between PWDs and government. The agency like National commission for Persons with Disabilities which is yet to be established is saddled with the responsibility for the following objectives, economic, social and education objectives as contained in section 16.(economics objectives) 17.(social objectives) 18.(education objectives) and 33, Rights to life both under the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy and fundamental Rights of the Constitution of FRN, 1999 (as amended).

Bauchi state government has the Ministry of women affairs and child development, Ministry of youths and sports and also established Agency for youths and women. It is only the agency that cater for the persons with disabilities was suspended. This is discrimination and inequality to the highest level against the PWDs in Bauchi state.

It also contravenes the Article 1,3,4 and 5 of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of persons with disabilities. It also negates goal 10 of the sustainable development goals which is to “Reduced inequalities “and no one will be Left behind.

He pleaded to Governor Bala A. Muhammad to show compassion and heed to the cry of the most marginalized group and bring back the Agency and make all the necessary appointments to the agency for its proper take off.

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… Has proved that everything is possible.

A father-of-three without arms and legs has proved that everything is possible, despite losing all his limbs to meningitis – inflammation of brain and spinal cord membranes – at the age of two.

Joseph Reed, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, takes care of his kids, helps his wife with household duties and has a full-time job, all despite having no limbs.

The 34 year old said that although growing up without his arms and legs was hard, he can now live ‘no problem’ without his limbs, and that he doesn’t care what people say about him anymore.

He told Barcroft TV: ‘It was hard growing up with no limbs, everybody used to treat me differently back then, plus I grew up in a foster system.Now I can live without limbs with no problem and I don’t care what people say anymore. I have to live for myself and be comfortable in my own skin.’ Joseph works as a sales rep in the electronics department at a local Walmart store.

He said: ‘I am probably the first cashier they have ever had with no hands and no legs.’ And when asked if his disability has affected his love life, Joseph said: ‘I have three beautiful kids with my wife. I have my youngest son outside my marriage. ‘So no, I would say that my condition didn’t affect my love life at all.’ Joseph met his wife, Lore Allen, in high school and the couple have now been married for over 13 years. Asked about her impression of Joseph when they first met, Lore said: ‘This man was a serious playboy. He flirted with every woman he has seen. ‘The thing I love the most about Joseph is his personality and if I’d be down he comes in and brightens my day.It’s never dull with Joseph,’ she added. Lore said that despite her husband’s condition, Joseph always helps her with household duties. ‘He helps to run the house, he knows how to vacuum the floor. He also helps me to prepare food for the kids. Joseph explained that he gets around the house by moving himself along on the floor, and hops up and down the stairs. When he is cooking, going somewhere outside the house, and at work, he uses his wheelchair. ‘Even though he doesn’t have his limbs, he still can do everything. We live our life to the fullest,’ she said. Lore admits that sometimes the couple get stared at when they are out and about. She said: ‘I tell people, I don’t care. It doesn’t matter what age, what color it is, you know you love that person, that’s all that matters. ‘Love conquers all,’ she added. Joseph experienced a difficult childhood, with his life in the care system leading to depression and even suicidal thoughts. He said: ‘I went through a lot as a child, I even though about suicide a lot of times.’ Joseph had a troubled relationship with his adoptive mother and remembers the moment when he left her house in 2004. He said: ‘My adopted mother was out of town. ‘I cleaned the whole house, I washed all the dishes, washed all the clothes, vacuumed and I left the house and never went back there,’ he added. Today the 34-year-old father considers himself a happy man and lives his life to the fullest. He said his children and family help him to maintain a positive mindset. . Culled from dailymail.co.uk

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by Kenneth Alabaraonye

The Chief Executive Officer of The Qualitative Magazine (a disability advocacy magazine) Agbo Chris Obiora congratulates all muslims in Nigeria on the celebration of Eid Maulud. He used the opportunity to sue for peace and unity of Nigeria as he urges muslims and indeed all faiths to pray fervently for our leaders to get it right.

Speaking further, he appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for signing disability bill into law but he advised that the President effort in signing the bill into law will amount to nothing if he doesn’t expedite action to set up a National Disability Commission that will propel the full implementation of Law.

He urged Mr. President in the spirit of the celebration show more compassion to Nigerians with Disabilities by setting the commission. Without the commission, the act is like a vehicle without wheels so make a declaration of establishment of the commission this week as Eid Maulud gift to over 25 millions Nigerians with disabilities.

by Chris Agbo

SafeHOST International Initiative/Academy with the motto: ‘To every child according to their needs’ and with a slogan: Learning is Fun, is an inclusive educational centre with boarding facilities for children with special needs. It is located at No. 1, Major Gen. Nuhu Bamali Street. Phase 2, Post Army Housing Estate. Kurudu Abuja.  

It all started when Mrs. Ngozi Belolisa, the proprietor of the school was working as a Guidance Counsellor in a school at Wuye, Abuja. In 2008. The Senior Pastor, Pastor Sarah Omakwu of Family Worship Centre created a special needs department within the school and Mrs. Belolisa was engaged alongside a special education teacher working in the school to run the department.

Thereafter they were sent to South Africa for further training. In South Africa, they were trained on Educational Therapy. It broadened Mrs. Ngozi’s knowledge on how to manage children with disabilities. Later she was sent to United States of America in 2016 for further training. While there, she learnt so much about Respite care.

Again, she had a niece in United Kingdom who has a child with special needs. One day, her niece engaged her on phone asking some vital questions about the child after that her niece came to Nigeria, left the child in her care. She registered the child at the school (RFA) but living with a child with disability gave her the opportunity to have deeper knowledge of respite care. 

The desire to run a school where every child irrespective of the condition will find a conducive learning environment, a school where no child will be rejected on the grounds of disability was born.

Safehost, (a name given by her husband who died few Months after commissioning the school) has therapists and the teachers who are being trained on daily and weekly basis for a better understanding of children with disabilities and how to manage them. In her words, we don’t want to compromise our standards, we are here to help and we want to ensure that parents/guardians who enroll their children get value and positive changes in the learning and living standards of the children.

She understands that there are parents who will want to enroll their children with autism, cerebral palsy etc but they are living far away from Kurudu, so she made provision of boarding facilities, two well furnished rooms, one for boys and the other for girls.

The school also has some blocks of classrooms where the children learn. This school is an inclusive environment where all the children are taught in the class with teachers who understand what inclusive education is all about. They are giving all the children the best. Those with peculiar or sever cases who cannot stay in the classroom all day are taught in the room under the supervision of a therapist. They have children that their parents brought from as far as Bauchi, Gwarinpa, Suleja, Lubge, Kurudu and different parts of Abuja.

Mrs. Belolisa who has been a teacher for over twenty-seven years and her husband who retired as a civil servant, set up the school through all their savings but unfortunately, her husband died in May 2019. The school was commissioned on the first day of September, 2018. Their aim is to create a forum for continuous ‘Grassroot Advocacy’, where children with special needs and their neurotypical counterparts grow up together, learning together and appreciating one another.

The SafeHost community believes that neurotypical children who mingled with special needs children, would grow up to be adults who would not despise or discriminate against people with disabilities.

 Their challenge is funding, it is too expensive to manage this kind of school. Many of the parents with special needs kids cannot afford it. But because of her resolve to help these children, which was what prompted her to set up the school in the first place, she has been helping each parent based on their capacity.

SafeHost community needs help financially to sustain the school because majority of those who need her services are middle and low income members of the society. Their children need early intervention and should not be abandoned. 

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On Sunday 10th November, 2019, Disability Not A Barrier Initiative (DINABI) embarked on another of its advocacy programme tagged “Disability Awareness Creation from the Church” which held at First Baptist Church, Miracle Cathedral, Okeyinmi Street, Ado-Ekiti. The program with the vision of increasing the awareness of parents and guardians of children with disabilities on the need not to hide them indoor any longer but allow them to get required education and live a purposeful life and also to encourage and teach parents and guardian of children with disabilities on the best way of taking care of them was supported by Brilliant Minds Academy, Ado-Ekiti.

The Executive Director of DINABI, Olajide Funso told the 530-capacity congregation that disability is not a disease. He urged parents and guardians of children with disabilities to emulate his own parents who against all odds decided to train him in school despite discrimination and stigmatization. He said further that disability should not be a barrier to academic success and living a purposeful life.

Engr. Olajide said there were still parents in the society and even probably in the congregation that have children with disabilities hidden at home even unknown to the pastor due to fear of discrimination, shame, stigmatization and archaic belief. He urged such parents/guardians to emulate him and other members of the team who are all graduates and doing well in life.

He admonished parents/guardians to instill courage in children with disabilities, set targets for them, make research on their type of disability, consult groups/association of persons with disabilities and also tell and show them stories of people with disabilities who have made it in life. He also encouraged the parents/guardians to always watch what and how they address their children with disabilities.

Olajide further said that implementation of the National Disability Acts and domesticating same at the State level is one of the surest ways of ameliorating the sufferings of persons with disabilities in our society. He urged the pastorate and members of the congregation to speak up for persons with disabilities most especially on their rights as a member of the society and the need to implement the Disability Acts. He also calls for collaboration between the church and the disability community to ending discrimination and stigmatization of persons with disabilities.

The Senior Pastor of the church, Rev. Dr. Kayode Ayinde through his wife, Pastor (Mrs) Hellen Ayinde said all men were created and given a fair share of talents according to their capacity. The woman of God who spoke on “A Faithful Steward” told the congregation that irrespective of our disabilities, we will all give an account of our stewardship since God has deposited huge resources and talents in us. She urged persons with disabilities to stop feeling inferior and stop looking down on themselves.

Deacon Segun Ogundare on behalf of the church thanked the team from DINABI for bringing such purposeful programme to their congregation. He said there is no doubt that members of the church are now more enlightened than ever on the issues of disability and inclusion.

DINABI’s Program Assistant, Ibitoye Hellen said DINABI will not rest until disability awareness and inclusion gets to the nooks and crannies of our society.

DINABI’s train goes to another church next Sunday.

States Houses of Assembly in the South West have been charged to collaborate and partner with Civil Society Organizations on the Budget process, implementation and oversight to meet the needs and aspirations of the citizens.

The charge was made in a communiqué adopted at the end of a meeting to promote inclusive and participatory budget monitoring and oversight among stakeholders in South West which was facilitated by the Southwest Legislative Reform Implementation Committee (SLRIC) and supported by Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn, PERL.

Towards ensuring the smooth relationship between State Houses of Assembly and CSOs, it was recommended that the SHoAs through the SLRIC should create a CSO desk and also accredit credible CSOs for effective and efficient partnership.

Responding, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly explained that the SHoAs need to accredit credible CSOs for the purpose of relating with them and sharing confidential documents with them.

Agunbiade added that there are CSOs that are not credible and if there’s no option for the SHoAs to accredit the CSOs they will work with, it might be difficult to trust and share documents with random civil society groups.

He noted that it is important that a cordial relationship exist between CSOs and legislators for the purpose of having a participatory and inclusive budget process.

Participants at the meeting also stressed the importance of passing and implementing laws on Public Finance Management, PFM and Open Government Partnership, OGP which would ensure the availability of budgets online.

The communiqué added that, “SLRIC should ensure that budget supports infrastructure development of border communities across the South West and enact laws to harness socio-economic cooperation among the South West States.”

Speaking concerning one of the resolutions of the meeting which sought for the enactment of disability law and mainstreaming disability inclusion into all capital project designs, Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Disability inclusion consultant said it is imperative that capital projects comply with global standards on disability inclusion and access.

He added that it is cheaper to meet up with disability standards at the design and planning stage of projects than to mainstream disability during and after implementation.

For his part, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Somolu Constituency 1 while reacting to the recommendation on the need to ensure budget are allocated to specific projects  instead of omnibus. Olowo said omnibus provision would only create opportunity for fraud and difficulty in monitoring the budget.

He added that if there are no specifics, there could be recycling of budgets which according to him would promote manipulation and fraud.

The communiqué also added that State Houses of Assembly in the South West should ensure that appropriation bills be subjected to public hearing by core stakeholders before passage. (BONEWS)

Governor Willie Obiano has called for a Collective action to end discrimination against persons with disabilities saying that Sustainable Development Goals, will be fully achieved when the scourge of discrimination against people with disabilities is eliminated.

Governor Obiano stated this during the 2019 International Sign Language Day at the Professor Kenneth Dike e-Library in Awka.

The Governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Disability Matters, Mr Chukwuka Ezewuzie, said his administration is desirous of making the study of sign languages a must in Schools and Colleges across Anambra State.

He announced that more employment will be offered to disabled persons in the State, adding that other needs of the association will continue to receive the attention of his administration.

While calling for assistance to enable deaf children go to school to learn sign languages as means of communication, the Special Assistant to Governor Obiano on Sign Language Communication, Mr. Joseph Collins, explained that out of the one hundred and sixty-nine targets of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, eleven have clear reference to persons with disabilities, including the deaf.

He noted that approximately seventy-two million people across the globe are Deaf, with over eighty per cent of them living in developing countries and using more than three hundred different sign languages.

In his address, the State Chairman, Anambra State Association of the Deaf, Comrade Amobichukwu Nwagwu, disclosed that the association promotes full integration of the Deaf in areas of education, vocational skills acquisition, character building, jobs creation and economic emancipation.

While commending Governor Obiano for his disability friendly policies, demonstrated by the appointment of a Special Assistant on Sign Language Communication, Comrade Nwagwu, listed some of their pressing needs to include, employment of deaf teachers and sign language interpreters, upgrade of facilities in special schools, as well portion of land for the association’s Secretariat According to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Sing Language Day recognizes the importance of sign languages in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, and fulfilling its core promise of leaving no one behind.

The day also offers opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of users of sign languages.

The event, organized by the Anambra State Association of the Deaf, in collaboration with the Office of the Governor on Disability Matters, has as its theme: Sign Language, Rights For All.

Award presentation, national anthem, as well as drama presentation by deaf school children added glamour to the event. (ABS)

by Chris Agbo

On Tuesday 5^th November, 2019, Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC) organized a one-day project launch/inception workshop of the Project “Making it work”. A project supported by Oxfam Voice, it is geared towards improving Access to SRHR for Women and Girls with Disabilities (WGWDs) in the FCT.

Executive Director, DRAC Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her opening remarks said that the project “making it work” is an opportunity for DRAC to continue to advance the rights of persons with disabilities especially WGWDs. The project is aimed at initiating actions to bring the National Policy to life and make it work for WGWDs using the FCT as a pilot project.

Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR) is an essential component of health and a pillar for sustainable development, however, the SRH needs of PWDs especially women and girls with disabilities who have been neglected due to discrimination, negative attitude of service providers and widespread negative stereotypes are often neglected and go unaddressed.

The Director GASHE, Dr. Christopher Ugboko of Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) representing the Honorable Minister of Health in his speech commended DRAC for representing the interests of persons with disabilities (PWDs) because not too many organizations are working for PWDs in Nigeria and that is why FMOH identifies with DRAC and all their efforts in working for PWDs. FMOH have collaborated with DRAC to develop a National policy for Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for PWDs especially for WGWDs. The policy has also received the approval of National Council on Health and it is significant because it is now national acclaimed policy on health, everybody now knows that there is a policy designed specifically to address the sexual reproductive Health of WGWDs. There is also the 5-year costed strategic framework of implementation of the policy and in the next few weeks, the framework will be finalized. He called on organizations to show more interest on the issues of disability especially WGWDs because 60% of the 25 million Nigerians with disabilities are WGWDs.

Ngozi Nwosu-Juba, Executive Director, VisionSprings Initiative in a keynote address appreciated DRAC for taking steps to ensure the implementation of the landmark policy. She said that she has been working with young women in the issue of sex but she has not been thinking about WGWDs. Women and girls with disabilities have little or no opportunity to negotiate sex, the public don’t consider WGWDs when it comes to sexual and reproductive health. Persons with disabilities are humans, they have feelings and their sexual life should be taken seriously. She called on other organizations to partner with DRAC in SRHR of WGWDs.

Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu gave an overview of the “Making it Work” project, where she narrated some of the challenges, barriers and stigma that women and girls with disabilities are faced with in accessing health facilities. According to her, health providers most times assumes that women with disabilities should not indulge in any sexual activities and even the public have a mindset that persons with disabilities have nothing to do with sex. She gave a scenario of what happened in her church where sexual reproductive health promotional materials were being distributed and she was skipped, she had to call for it and the usher was defensive apologizing and saying it was not deliberate, but she knew it was deliberate because of the societal notion that a woman in wheelchair cannot or should not be having sex. It was some of these challenges that necessitated DRAC’s interest in addressing the SRHR of WGWDs, approached FMOH and after a lot of ups and downs, was able to achieve a National Policy on SRHR for PWDs with emphasis on WGWDs, she further highlighted the fact that it was the Honorable Minister of Health that insisted on the emphasis on women and girls with disabilities because he understands the peculiarities of WGWDs. In order to support the implementation, DRAC approached VOICE Nigeria who supported the project.

She went further to explain some of the activities to be expected in carrying out the project and the expected outcomes of the project. Most importantly, she said that DRAC believes in collective action and is open to collaborations and networking in carrying out this project to get the desired outcome.

There were goodwill messages from some notable participants at the event such as Lawrence Idemudia from Centre Deaf Inclusion, Theophilus Odaudu from Disability Rights Fund, Beatrice Mube representing JONAPWD FCT, Nike Akinola from Network for Women with disabilities. 

Ola Adepoluji of VOICE Nigeria representing the Project Coordinator, Ijeoma Okwor, in his speech said that VOICE is a grant-making facility from the initiative of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in the Netherlands to help amplify the voices of the voiceless. He said that DRAC’s project proposal spoke to the core values of what VOICE wants to achieve and that prompted them to approve the proposal without hesitation. He urged the women with disabilities to take advantage of the opportunity that the project provides.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the “Making it Work” project banners by the representative of the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Ugboko with the support of other stakeholders at the event, after the cutting of the project cake.

The event ended with the establishment of Project implementation Hub which was an opportunity for participants to register their areas of interest in the implementation of the “Making it Work” project whereby DRAC can collaborate with them.

The events witnessed the presence of professionals from the health sector, Organizations of Persons with disabilities (OPDs), media practitioners, CSOs and development partners.

It is a worthy project and we at The Qualitative Magazine, we wish DRAC well and wish to work with DRAC and call on all relevant stakeholders to queue behind DRAC to see to the success of this project. We are not in doubt of DRAC’s passion and capacity, we will contribute our own quota to give all activities around this project the desired coverage.

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by Chris Agbo

Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) David Anyaele has cautioned that persons with disabilities may not be able to vote in the forthcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States because of the security challenges in both states.

He made this statement in Abuja on Tuesday while presenting an assessment report on provisions by the Independent National Electoral Commission for PWDS in Kogi State ahead of the polls. He said that politicians in these states are talking like warlords and advised the PWDs to stay clear if the polling centres are not safe for them because it is only the living can vote in another election.

Speaking further, he called on INEC and security agencies to provide adequate security for PWDs who are willing to vote.  

Many states have no law protecting PWDs and as such, they will not have facilities for PWDs. for example, Bayelsa state is no law protecting PWDs”

Mr, David Anyaele said that he submitted his assessment report to INEC because in their framework, they had promised to provide facilities such as materials in Braille format, magnifying glasses, and others, to make it easy for PWDs to vote and also priority voting for PWDs which means that PWDs should be allowed to vote first.

He categorically stated that his organisation would monitor the elections to ensure that INEC provided all the special materials for PWDs and ensure that the right thing is done in accordance with INEC framework, Disability rights Act and UNCRPD.

He concluded by saying that if INEC lived up to expectation, his organization will commend them but if INEC fell short of the expectation, his organization will inform the public that INEC promise is all a scam because money was mapped out for these provisions.