The Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) Kaduna, in collaboration with the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment, and Development (CALPED), organized an interactive session with all the clusters in the state.
The objective was to celebrate December 3rd set aside as International Day for Person with Disabilities by calling on all stakeholders to sustain the efforts for inclusiveness in all human endeavors.
JONAPWD State Chairman, Comrade Suleiman Abdullaziz, stressed the need for total inclusiveness and accessibility for People with Disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria.
The theme of the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is: “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with, and by persons with disabilities.”
The gathering brought together all the clusters of disabled persons in the state to dialogue and interact on issues related to them.
According to him, the call for inclusiveness became mandatory in view of the various roles played by religious, traditional title holders, and concerned civil society organizations in the country. They want to be included in everything related to human activities, including jobs, opportunities, appointments, etc.
“We don’t need your mercy; all we need is engagement in all activities related to human endeavor, as the constitution of the country enshrined,” he said.
Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar is the state chairman of the Nigerian Association for the Blind, which equally decries the increased cost of educational materials and mobility, e.g., white canes for blind students across northern states. He called on the state government and wealthy individuals to assist poor blind children with scholarships.
Similarly, Mallam Mohammed Musa, State Chairman of the Association of Deaf, lamented over discrimination and the lack of communicative devices/systems affecting their communication with others.
