Ikorodu: The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has urged for the provision of fundamental civil rights to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) to access public civic spaces within the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State. This call was made during an advocacy programme titled: ‘One-Day Grassroot Awareness On Free Civic Space For PWDs In Ikorodu’, held in Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Programme Assistant of CCD, Tosin Aniramu, highlighted the advocacy efforts due to the persistent denial of access to public civic spaces such as banks, hospitals, schools, and religious centres for PWDs in the Ikorodu area. Aniramu stated that the initiative aligns with CCD’s responsibility to advocate for and promote the welfare of PWDs in Nigeria.
During a presentation titled ‘Introduction To Disability And Disability Rights’, Aniramu educated participants on various aspects, including the Concept of Disability Clusters, Models of Disability, and Disabilities Rights. She underlined that PWDs h
ave fundamental rights to access civic spaces not only in Ikorodu but across the entire nation.
Aniramu shared statistics indicating that approximately 16 per cent of the global population, which translates to 1.3 billion individuals, live with some form of disability. As of 2018, about 29 million Nigerians had a disability. She noted that the World Bank reports an increasing disability growth rate in Nigeria, attributed to ongoing conflict, violence, accidents, and inadequate healthcare systems.
Emphasizing the ‘Human Right Model’ as the best approach to disability, Aniramu stressed its focus on the dignity and comprehensive rights of PWDs. She contrasted this with other models, such as the ‘Religious Model’, which views disability as divine punishment, and the ‘Medical Model’, which treats it as curable, alongside the ‘Charity Model’ that depicts PWDs as victims of unfortunate circumstances.
Aniramu highlighted several barriers that infringe upon the rights of PWDs daily, including attitudinal barriers l
ike discrimination and stigmatization, institutional barriers due to weak legal enforcement, bureaucracy, and insufficient social welfare funding. She called for civil society organizations and the media to lobby for inclusive budgeting and to monitor budget utilization, ensuring that disability activities are mainstreamed.
Furthermore, Aniramu emphasized the need for increased advocacy to drive social change, rigorous enforcement of legal frameworks, and enhanced awareness to report violations of PWDs’ rights. She advocated for the use of UN Approved Disability-Inclusive Terminologies when addressing or referring to PWDs.