Group urges govt to establish Disability Rights Commission

THE Joint National  Association of Persons with  Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra State Chapter,  has made a passionate appeal to the state government to establish Disability Rights Commission that could attain fully to the yearnings and aspirations of the association for equal opportunity in all aspects of life and endeavours.

  The state chairman of the association,  Ugochukwu Okeke, who made the appeal in Awka, during a one-day result tracking meeting organised by the association, also revealed that the Disabilty Rights Law 2018 of the state was designed to provide justice to the persons with disability in the state and eliminate all forms of discrimination against the persons with disability in society.

   Noting with dismay that the association has come to realise that over time society had developed attitudinal, institutional and architectural barriers that undermined the free participation of the persons with disability in the affairs of the society in the form of neglect, abandonment, oppression and denial of equal rights, Okeke reminded the people that the persons living with disability are bona fide members of society.

   The JONAPWD boss, who spoke among other things, said that the Disability Rights Law 2018 of the state has created a favourable space for them to enjoy the opportunity of actively involvement in decision-making process, especially on the policies and programmes that directly affect them.

  In his address, a participant and state director, National Orientation Agency,(NOA), Awka, Charles Nwoji, disclosed that  the agency had done a memo requesting the government ministries, departments and agencies to work towards  including awareness  creation on the Disability Rights Law 2018 of the state in their routine activities in the state, pointing out that the staff members of NOA in the state were currently  being  trained  on disability etiquette and basic sign languages to facilitate easy communication of the agency’s programmes in the state.