CCD calls for implication of disability law in Lagos
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), has called for the implementation of the Lagos State Special People’s Law, to protect the rights of People with Disabilities in the State.
The CCD Executive Director, Mr. David Anyaele, made the call on Friday in Lagos during a programme organised by the centre, to validate the law and ensure its implementation and accessibility.
“The law was aimed at minimising discrimination and other harmful practices against Persons With Disabilities ( PWDs ).
“The CCD over the years had been monitoring compliance to the law established in June 2011, among agencies in the state,” He said.
According to Anyaele, CCD had secured support to ensure understanding, awareness, and appreciation of the contents of the law and for inhabitants of Lagos State, to benefit from it.
“And part of the activities include, the translation of the abridged version of the law in pidgin English and Yoruba language.
“The essence is to ensure accessibility, understanding and usage of the law for the welfare of more than two million Lagos citizens living with disability.
“After the validation, we are going to package the document, prepare it in a clean manner and print it in good quantity, and distribute to people with disability and other citizens.
“We will equally upload it on our website so that those who want, can download it and read,” Anyaele said.
A member of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, Mr. Oluwayinka Isaac, said the essence of the exercise was to make the law simpler and comprehensible to PWDs and the public.
Isaac said the overall motive was to make the Nigerian society disability friendly and to give PWDs knowledge about their rights, irrespective of their educational background.
“To be included in what is happening in the society has been a big challenge for PWDs. People do not see us as part of the society, as if it is the making of our own to have physical disabilities,” Isaac said.
Mr. Olutoye Oyewole, Director, Evaluation and Orientation, LASODA, said numerous people living with disabilities in the rural areas were unaware of their rights.
He said the exercise would give hope to PWDs at the grassroots and for PWDs to read, interpret and imbibe the version of the law to know their rights and fight for them.
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