Lending A Voice To Persons With Disabilities (PWD’s) In The Face Of COVID-19

By Odunayo Oluwatimilehin

According to Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (‘DDA’), a person is perceived to be a disabled if:

a. ‘ They have a physical or mental impairment, and

b. the impairment has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

The above definition covers:

• People with HIV, and cancer. People that have multiple sclerosis are also deemed as disabled as soon as they are diagnosed.
• Other progressive conditions, such as motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, and forms of dementia.
• A person who is certified as blind, severely sight impaired, sight impaired or partially sighted by a consultant ophthalmologist is deemed to have a disability.
• Severe disfigurement is treated as a disability.
• A range of conditions are treated as a disability, as long as the other factors from the definition are met, in terms of having substantial and long-term impact on the ability to do normal day to day activities,

– Sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing.
– Auto-immune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE).
– Organ specific conditions, including respiratory conditions such as asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, including thrombosis, stroke and heart disease.

– Developmental conditions, such as autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

According to the World Health Organization’s 2011 World Disability Report, about 15 percent of Nigeria’s population, or at least 25 million people, have a disability with over 3.5million of them having difficult challenges of moving around. Many of them face a number of human rights abuses including stigma, discrimination, violence, and lack of access to healthcare, housing, and education.
In the face of the global threatening and dreadful Coronavirus pandemic, the community of disabled persons have been excommunicated and relegated to the background by the State and Federal Government in Nigeria.

An aggrieved citizen pointed out that it would have cost the government nothing to attach a sign language interpreter beside the President and State Governor’s while they addressed the citizens over the developments as regards COVID-19. As this would enable those who are deaf and dumb to understand the critical times we are in, and also make them have a strong sense of belonging and be informed about the need to be cautious during this period. It was gathered that all the adverts, gingles, announcement, etc about or on how to stay safe in this period are tailored wholly for the typical citizens. This to a large extent is not fair enough as this does not portray our country has been Disability sensitive.

Disabled persons in our societies are the most vulnerable and indigent. A Disability Ambassador in Lagos, Mrs Franca, expressed her pain of government neglect of PWD’s especially in such a critical time as this, “I want to say that my people have been excommunicated or boycotted from the Covid-19 safety and precautions awareness and even the Covid-19 stimulus package”.
‘Based on the above submission, I wish to remind us that the Disabled persons are more vulnerable to Covid-19 than pregnant women and the elderly’.

Mrs. Franca later updated that Lagos State Government, on Thursday 2nd April, 2020, gave 100 bags of COVID-19 relief packages to the disabled community in Lagos State. Though minute to the number of persons with disabilities in the state, the government promise more in the next batches. This is a laudable effort which can be improved on, I also implore other State Governments to imitate and exceed this.
Before the Stay at Home directives, People with Disabilities experience difficulty in fending for themselves and families, how much more now that they are asked to stay indoor without hope of where their next meal will surface from. Their plight this period of Lockdown can only be imagined than experienced.

I therefore call on all State Governments in Nigeria to ensure that this group of people receive the best possible care this period. In the various States, the welfare of PWD’s should top the list while urgent considerations should also be given to them in the process of distribution of Stimulus Packages as a means of alleviating their plight. Various NGO’s are not also left out in this utmost service to humanity at this crucial time.

Be a voice, be a helping hand, and a miracle to Person’s With Disabilities around you during this downtime, posterity will never forget your good deed.

#AVoiceToPWD’s
#COVID-19
#NaijaLockdown
#IAmMegaTimmy

Odunayo Oluwatimilehin, OYEWOLE.
A Postgraduate Student, University of Ibadan.