Abuja -The Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), an NGO, on Wednesday appealed to the National Assembly to assist Women with Disabilities (WWDs) by passing the Disability Bill.
The National Coordinator of the NGO, Mrs Patience Dickson, made the appeal at a news conference in Abuja.
Dickson said women with disabilities were burdened with challenges bothering on education, healthcare, transportation and access to livelihood.
She said such women were being discriminated against in some parts of the country, adding that the public perception of WWDs needed to change.
“Many WWDs, who live in their communities have little or no education, no means of livelihood and have limited opportunity to participate in the day-to-day activities.
“For total freedom of WWDs, the Assembly must pass the bill. If the bill is not passed and put into law, we will forever be slaves,” Dickson said.
She urged the government to meet its social responsibility by ensuring that WWDs and others were involved in decision making.
Dickson said that it was the responsibility of government to take care of its citizens, adding that physical access to information should be created for people with disabilities.
The coordinator, who recalled her experience in the US, said the environment was friendly to people with disabilities and called on the Assembly pass the bill.
She said it was time to think of inclusive education for the disables, adding that special schools would be established for severe disability.
Dickson also said that disabled persons, especially women, hardly work in big organizations, decrying the attitude where employers look at their disability rather than ability.
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She, therefore, urged women with disability to come together to improve themselves, adding, “they should develop themselves for inclusion in politics, agriculture, banking and other sectors of the economy.
“They should also empower selves with skills, education and advocate for their rights and the right of others to be included meaningfully in the society,” she said.
The coordinator commended donor agencies, Australian AID, ministries and government agencies for supporting the NGO. (NAN)