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INSERT INTO `cd5_posts` VALUES (2208,2,'2019-04-02 09:26:55','2019-04-02 09:26:55','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>SDG: Making a Case for People Living with Disabilities\r\nAuthor: Gbenga Ogundare\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/02/sdg-making-a-case-for-people-living-with-disabilities/\">ThisDay</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nGbenga Ogundare writes that Nigeria’s slack tax system poses a threat to the attainment of the eighth Sustainable Development Goals, which covers minorities like People Living With Disabilities and seeks to ‘promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’\r\n\r\nNigeria, with no fewer than 20 million people damaged one way or the other, has yet to fully include this minority in its public spending—how much less floating a special tax regime to raise fund for their welfare.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, in climes where inclusion matters in governance, tax credits to fund the welfare of Persons Living With Disabilities(PLWDs) are being proposed, and policy makers are taking a long hard look at them.\r\n\r\nNorth America first: Canada, years ago, introduced the Disability Tax Credit to shore up its disability welfare fund—for its 500,000 PLWDs—to above a billion dollars. Even if it seemed a political move of the government at that time, Australia, too, proposed a disability tax in 2013. The policy meant to kick in by 2014 was expected to raise over $3 billion (Au)by increasing a compulsory health insurance levy from 1.5 per cent of personal income to two percent. The country has around 410,000 PLWDs.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Nigerian Situation</strong>\r\n\r\nBut Nigeria, with no fewer than 20 million people damaged one way or the other, has yet to fully include this minority in its public spending—how much less floating a special tax regime to raise funds for their welfare.\r\n\r\nFunding has always been the excuse. And the government will sing it out louder in these trying times as Nigeria’s oil fortunes dwindle, and its economic handlers flounder in uncertainty.\r\n\r\nThe world’s sixth largest oil exporter earned N207 billion from crude oil and gas export in the first half of 2018. This fell short of the N661.4 billion the federal government targeted.\r\n\r\nThese disappearing revenues threaten a lot of things, the most important being the eighth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which covers minorities like the PLWDs, and seeks to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Funding</strong>\r\n\r\nTax revenue thus remains one of the sources to look to—in order to tide the nation’s 200 million plus citizens over the storm.\r\n\r\nGoal 17 of the SDG addresses this: Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. The first clause specifies the means: Strengthening domestic resource mobilisation, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection.\r\n\r\nAcross all development, economic, and financial institutions working to save the world’s poor, taxation has been identified as one reliable means to oil the wheel of the global development agenda.\r\n\r\n“Funding the SDGs is an economic and ethical imperative with major implications for taxation. Countries themselves need to raise more revenue in an equitable way,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said during the February 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) meeting in New York.\r\n\r\n“And the entire international community needs to eradicate tax evasion and tax avoidance.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Avoidance and Evasion</strong>\r\n\r\nTax avoidance and evasion plague developing economies where their tax-GDP ratio is low—compared to the developed economies.\r\n\r\nIn Nigeria, the ratio is 6.1 per cent, lower than Ghana’s and Egypt’s at 16 per cent, Morocco’s at 22 per cent and South Africa’s at 27 per cent. Norway’s, one of the OECD members, however, stands at 54 per cent.\r\n\r\nIn 2016, global consulting firm PwC said in theJune edition of its Tax Watch that Nigeria earned N5.5 trillion ($27 billion) from taxation in 2015.“South Africa with a smaller economy and only about one-third the Nigeria’s population collected twice as much R808 billion (about US$57 bn) in taxes alone,” the report stated.\r\n\r\nThe difference is clear: 40 million, out of the 70million active citizens in Nigeria, said former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, pay taxes. And the 30 million tax dodgers cut across the rich and the poor. This shenanigan mirrors the tax situation in Africa, a situation not exactly bad, some international tax watchers say.\r\n\r\n“Governments committed to expanding revenue collection, including through income taxes, have sometimes seen large gains,” researchers from the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) stated.\r\n\r\nThey cited the Rwanda and Ethiopia success stories. “In individual cases, governments have been able to mobilisepopular support for new taxation by linking it more explicitly to benefits, for example in Sierra Leone and Nigeria.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Nigerian Reality</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Nigerian authorities won’t celebrate this research finding, though. The reality is starkly different. As at December 2017, only 943 Nigerians paid self-assessed taxes of less than N1 million, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo while addressing a gathering of members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in Nigeria recently.\r\n\r\nA partner with Deloitte &amp; Touche Nigeria, Oluseye Arowolo, also revealed that of the 14 million registered personal income taxpayers, just 214 Nigerians pay up to N20 million as annual tax; 914 people pay up to N10 million. And according to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), there are just 2.5 million tax-registered corporates out of the 30 million on the CAC list.\r\n\r\nWorse, the 214 in the tax upper crust live in Lagos where just five million of the taxable nine million pay taxes, the state internal revenue service said. Ninety per cent of the tax payers are from the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and public servants while 10 per cent are from the informal sector in the state. The Joint Tax Board stated that Lagos raked in 40 per cent of the N684 billion the 36 states of the federation took in in 2015.\r\n\r\nAt least 46 per cent of Nigeria’s 10-million registered personal-income taxpayers, said the National Bureau of Statistics, lived in the state.\r\n\r\nBut this is not in praise of the Lagos elite. They could have done more, and declared higher than N20 million each, annually, considering the sheer number of the rich cocooned in the most populated city on the continent.\r\n\r\n<strong>Lagos also ranks the fourth wealthiest in Africa.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn a report by AfrAsia Bank and New World Wealth in 2017, Lagos warehouses$120 billion of Africa’s wealth. No fewer than four dollar-rich billionaires, 360 multi-millionaires, and 6,800 millionaires live in the city. Yet just over 200 of these moneybags remit about N20 million each, yearly, and just over 900 pay N1 million each every year.\r\n\r\n<strong>Injustice against the Poor</strong>\r\n\r\nIt has actually been discovered the tax system is rigged against the poor in developing countries, thanks to the games the elite play in shaping politics of tax and its collection.\r\n\r\nIn Africa, the ICTD says, taxation of the wealthy remains ineffective. “The overall collection of income and property taxes is a fraction of levies on the OECD countries,” the group’s findings reveal.\r\n\r\n“Taxation of professional incomes and capital gains are often almost negligible; corporations benefit from poorly monitored tax exemptions, and so on.”\r\n\r\nIn Nigeria in particular, the wealthy declare just single sources of income, when they have streams of multiple incomes hidden from the tax man.\r\n\r\n“They are only taxed through the PAYE,” said Adeosun. “Yet, they earn so much from part-time jobs, and extra businesses.” These artful dodgers include the nerds in online businesses, entrepreneurs, Nollywood’s big earners, and others.\r\n\r\nIn the enforcement, the injustice is also obvious. “There is growing evidence that much of the cost of poor enforcement of taxes on the rich falls on the poor,” the ICTD says.\r\n\r\nThat happens through fragmented subnational taxes, formal and informal user fees, reliance on community associations for services, and the broad reach of informal taxation—all borne by the have-nots, including the PLWDs.\r\n\r\n<strong>PLWDs Stand</strong>\r\n\r\nThe PLWDs are not grumbling about paying taxes, anyway. “There’s nothing wrong in paying taxes as disabled persons,” said Tunde Muhammed, chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, Lagos.\r\n\r\n“It helps any disabled person paying his tax to stand up and insist on exercising his rights.”\r\n\r\nMuhammed’s only worry is what he sees as the fundamental problem in government approach to disability in Nigeria. And he believes this approach makes the minority objectives of the SDG a tall dream—tax or no tax.\r\n\r\n“Local laws that should promote and protect the PLWD’s right to inclusive development are not there in the first place,” he said.\r\n\r\nDavid Anyaele, Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, also pays his tax, though he thinks the PLWDs should be shielded from tax because the government has no plan for their welfare. But he agrees with Muhammed on one point: The problem goes beyond tax justice.\r\n\r\n“It is about deliberate state policy to include and ensure no one is left behind in development,” he said.\r\n\r\nLack of good tax policies actually spawns the problem of the rich gaming the tax system at the expense of the poor. And that laxity permits just any smart alec, including multinationals, to also bend the tax rule, says Adewale Adeduntan, Social Mobilisation Manager at Actionaid Nigeria.\r\n\r\nAdeduntan isn’t exactly wrong. Between 2005 and 2015, capital gains tax unremitted by some oil giants that bought the federal government assets stood at $270 million, according to a report.\r\n\r\nThe Impact of non-payment of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and other Levies in the Oil and Gas Sector on the Socio-Economic Development of the Country, a report by the Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), reveals that this failure has bogged Nigerians deeper into poverty and under-development.\r\n\r\nThis perceived injustice is not without its effect. The informal sector, which the Central Bank of Nigeria says contributes 48 per cent of Nigeria’s over $500 billion GDP, has no trust in the tax system. And the 36 million mom-and pops, (out of the 37 million businesses in Nigeria) employing over 60 million people, will do everything to blow off tax collectors.\r\n\r\nAnd according to Adeduntan of the Actionaid Nigeria, it’s a loss that must be stopped in the effort to fund development.\r\n\r\nThe race for the SDG medals is actually spurring on responsible governments. No doubt, funds will determine how far a nation will go. But with shrinking government revenues in resource-dependent economies like Nigeria where oil generates 61 per cent of government revenues, attention has to shift to taxation.\r\n\r\nAnd the administration of revenue so gleaned, just and equitable, will only create responsible taxpayers engaging an accountable government for an inclusive society.','SDG: Making a Case for People Living with Disabilities','Nigeria, with no fewer than 20 million people damaged one way or the other, has yet to fully include this minority in its public spending—how much less floating a special tax regime to raise fund for their welfare','publish','open','open','','sdg-making-a-case-for-people-living-with-disabilities','','','2019-12-03 23:11:59','2019-12-03 23:11:59','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2208',5,'post','',0),(3078,2,'2021-04-20 13:10:15','2021-04-20 13:10:15','','ICDA speaker','','inherit','open','closed','','icda-speaker','','','2021-04-20 13:10:15','2021-04-20 13:10:15','',2170,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ICDA-speaker.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3586,2,'2021-05-02 14:02:04','2021-05-02 14:02:04','<h5>International Conference on Disabilities in Africa</h5>		\n												<img width=\"1200\" height=\"668\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Conference-front-image.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Conference-front-image.png 1200w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Conference-front-image-300x167.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Conference-front-image-1024x570.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Conference-front-image-768x428.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" />														\n				<h3>\n					ICDA 2021 <br>Registration Now Open\n				</h3>\n								<p>We invite you to join us for the International Conference on Disabilities in Africa, hosted biennially by the International School of Disability Studies. We aim to create a space where researchers, academics, law/policy makers, care professionals, activists, disabled individuals, their families and anyone interested in disability matters from around the world come together to share and debate research, ideas and developments in the field of disability studies in Africa. On this page, you can register or submit an abstract, as well as view the presentations and reports of our previous conferences. </p>\n			<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\">\n						ONLINE FORMAT\n					</a>\n			<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\">\n						ICDA 2021 Theme\n					</a>\n					<blockquote>\n			<p>\n				Global Perspectives on Empowerment for Disabled People			</p>\n					</blockquote>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Friday 30th July - Saturday 31st July 2021\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Online via Zoom\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<p>Friday 30th July 2021 -  9am to 4pm</p>		\n									<h1>\n						Paid Workshop					</h1>\n						We\'ll be offering a paid training workshop on Day 1 of the conference, using interactive learning techniques to introduce and cover theoretical and practical aspects of the subject of the workshop.					\n			<p>Saturday 31st July 2021 -  9am to 4pm</p>		\n									<h1>\n						Free Conference					</h1>\n						On Day 2, conference participants experience a series of keynote and paper presentations online from a variety of national and international speakers, as well as an interactive panel discussion.					\n			<p>Saturday 31st July 2021 -  4pm to 5pm</p>		\n									<h1>\n						Free Networking Session					</h1>\n						The conference ends on Day 2 with an online networking session, offering participants the opportunity to engage in and carry on discussing and networking with various key stakeholders.					\n			<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\">\n						Day 1: The Workshop\n					</a>\n		<h5>Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)</h5><p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals.</p>		\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\">\n						Day 2: The Conference and Networking Session\n					</a>\n		<h5>Global Perspectives on Empowerment for Disabled People</h5><p>Discussions and conference submissions would focus on how disabled people can be empowered to become more visible and actively included in their respective communities in Africa. Topics can include empirical or non-empirical work related to best practices; education, skills acquisition, and how these can be or have been applied in the African context. We also welcome presentations on any topic related to empowerment and disabilities (i.e., intellectual disability, vision Impairment, autism spectrum disorder, deaf or hard of hearing, mental health conditions, physical disability etc).</p>		\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online conference\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										1 hour online networking session\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Free registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n		<p><strong>Abstracts</strong></p><p>Abstracts can be submitted using the online form below and should be no more than 300 words not including the title and can consist of the following structure: Title, Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions and Reference list. Please include names, contact details and affiliation for all authors. Deadline for submitting your abstract is 4<sup>th</sup> June 2021<em>.</em> We will notify authors of the outcome by the 25<sup>th</sup> of June 2021.</p><p><strong>Presentations and Publications</strong></p><p>Abstracts that are accepted for the conference can choose to present at the conference only or also submit a full article for publication in the inaugural edition of The African Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD) by the 30th of November 2021.</p><p><strong>Sponsor the conference</strong></p><p>Will you like to sponsor the next edition of the International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA 2023)? We offer sponsors the opportunity to have their brand printed on conference materials, have a table in the lobby and the opportunity to address participants at the end of the conference or during the dinner night. Your sponsorship fee goes towards the cost of organising and disseminating findings from the conference.  Email <strong>info@isds.com.ng </strong>to discuss sponsorship opportunities</p>		\n			<h2>Register <br>Online</h2>		\n			<p>Call for Abstracts</p>		\n									<a href=\"\">ICDA 2021</a>\n									<a href=\"\">ICDA 2018</a>\n									ICDA 2021\n					<ul><li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Theme: </strong>&#8220;Empowering for a better quality of life”</li><li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Dates: </strong>Friday 30th &#8211; Saturday 31st July 2021 (9am &#8211; 4pm on both days)</li><li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Location:</strong> Fraser Suites, Abuja, Nigeria</li></ul><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><br />The theme of the ICDA 2021 conference is: “Empowering for a better quality of life”. </b>Discussions and conference submissions would focus on how disabled people can be empowered to become more visible and actively included in their respective communities in Africa. Topics can include empirical or non-empirical work related to best practices; education, skills acquisition,  and how these can be or have been applied in the African context. We also welcome presentations on any topic related to empowerment and disabilities (i.e., intellectual disability, vision Impairment, autism spectrum disorder, deaf or hard of hearing, mental health conditions, physical disability etc).</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Workshop: <strong>Demystifying Intellectual Disability </strong></p><p>Whether you are a beginner, or you are an academic looking for a refresher, this workshop is ideal for anyone interested in Intellectual Disability (ID). Some of the topics that will be explored on the day aim to give you a better understanding about ID, exploring various models and perspectives and various types of ID; challenges faced by disabled people in Africa and wider context. This workshop will be delivered by our faculty director and some of our ISDS consultants via face-to-face interactive sessions and with group tasks and discussions. Participants will also receive an ISDS <strong>Certificate of attendance</strong>.</p><p>You will also have an opportunity to <strong>become part of ISDS research teams</strong> organised according to the following research themes: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD); Special Educational Needs (SEN); Mental Health Conditions (MHS); Stigma and Social Inclusion (SSI); Social Policy and Inclusive Development (SPID); Spirituality and Quality of Life (SQL); Care Management and Leadership (CML).<br />Buffet lunch will be provided on the day.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Format</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Friday 30th: Training Workshops by ISDS faculty and consultants<br />Saturday 31st Keynote / Paper presentations and panel discussions<br />Saturday 31st: Networking Dinner at Fraser Suites, Abuja</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Abstracts</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Abstracts can be submitted using the online form below and should be no more than 300 words not including the title and can consist of the following structure: Title, Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions. Please include names, contact details and affiliation for all authors. <b>Deadline for submitting your abstract is 28<sup>th</sup> May 2021</b>. We will notify authors of the outcome by the 30<sup>th</sup> of June 2021.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Presentations and Publications</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Abstracts that are accepted for the conference can choose to present at the conference only or also submit a full article for publication in the inaugural edition of The African Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD) by the 30th of November 2021.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Registration</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Register for the conference using the online form below, <strong>registration ends on the 30<sup>th</sup> of June 2020 or when maximum delegates are reached</strong>. Registration to attend or present a paper on Day 2 of the conference (the 31st of July 2020) is <strong>free</strong>.</p><ul style=\"text-align: left;\"><li><strong>Day 1 &#8211; Workshops:</strong> 30th of July 2021 – a fee of <strong>£63</strong> or<strong> ₦30,000</strong> is required if you wish to attend the workshop taking place on Day 1 of the conference. Buffet lunch will be provided for all participants.</li><li><strong>Day 2 &#8211; Conference: </strong>31st of July 2021 –  <strong>Free</strong></li><li><strong>Day 2 &#8211; Networking Dinner: </strong>31st of July 2021 &#8211; a fee of <strong>£22</strong> or <strong>₦10,000</strong> is required if you wish to attend the networking dinner on the evening of Day 2 at Fraser Suites, Abuja.</li></ul><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Airport Transfers</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">For first time visitors to Nigeria, free airport transfers will also be arranged from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to their hotel upon arrival and when departing.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Accommodation</b></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">We will email out recommended hotels to conference attendees who require accommodation who will then need to arrange this themselves by contacting the hotel they choose to sojourn with.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Visas</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Please check if you need an entry visa to Nigeria and make your application by visiting oisservices.com You can email us at <em>info@isds.com.ng</em> if you need an invitation letter or need further assistance with the process.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Sponsor the conference</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Will you like to sponsor the next edition of the International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA 2020)? We offer sponsors the opportunity to have their brand printed on conference materials, have a table in the lobby and the opportunity to address participants at the end of the conference or during the dinner night. Your sponsorship fee goes towards the cost of organising and disseminating findings from the conference.  Email <em>info@isds.com.ng </em>to discuss sponsorship opportunities</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"> </p>\n									ICDA 2018\n					<ul><li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Theme: </strong>&#8220;Visible but invisible: towards a new perspective on disability in Africa”</li><li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Dates:</strong> Saturday 28th July 2018</li><li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Location:</strong> Abuja, Nigeria</li></ul><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><strong>We are delighted to invite you to attend the first International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA), on the 28<sup>th</sup> of July 2018, taking place at Nordic Hotel, in Abuja, Nigeria to mark the launch of the International School of Disability Studies (ISDS) in Nigeria. The theme of the conference is: “Visible but invisible: towards a new perspective on disability in Africa”. Discussions and conference submissions would focus on how to overcome the stigma associated with disability and exploring new approaches to improving the quality of life of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Africa.</strong></b></p><p><strong>Welcome</strong></p><p>The ICDA conference is being organised by ISDS under the auspices of the School Director, Dr Precious N Sango. The conference aims to bring together researchers and stakeholders in the area of IDD to develop and share ideas that would help improve research, policy and care practices for people with IDD in Africa. Researchers, academics, policy makers, care professionals and anyone interested in disability research is welcome to register and attend. Abstracts can also be submitted for the poster presentation and panel discussion segments of the conference.  Keynote presentations would be delivered by Professor Rachel Forrester-Jones (Director, Tizard Centre, University of Kent) and Professor Mary Haggai (Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Jos).</p><p><strong>Abstracts</strong></p><p>Abstracts can be submitted using the online form below and should be no more than 300 words not including the title and can consist of the following structure: Title, Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions. Please include names, contact details and affiliation for all authors and include if you would prefer for your abstract to be considered as a poster or for publication in The African Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD). Deadline for submitting abstracts is 31 March 2018.</p><p><strong>Registration and accommodation</strong></p><p>Register for the conference using the online form below, registration ends on the 31st of May. There is no registration fee. Morning refreshments and lunch  will be provided on the day of the conference. The conference will take place at the Nordic hotel, Abuja. Conference attendees who require accommodation need to pay an accommodation fee after registration to enable us make their reservations. Price ranges for single rooms are from £120 per night. Transport will be arranged to transfer attendees from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to their hotel upon arrival and when departing.</p><p><strong>Visas</strong></p><p>Please check if you need an entry visa to Nigeria and make your application by visiting <a href=\"https://oisservices.com/home.php\">https://oisservices.com/home.php.</a> You can email us at <a href=\"mailto:info@isds.com.ng\">info@isds.com.ng</a> if you need an invitation letter or need further assistance with the process.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Sponsor the conference</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Will you like to sponsor the next edition of the International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA 2020)? We offer sponsors the opportunity to have their brand printed on conference materials, have a table in the lobby and the opportunity to address participants at the end of the conference or during the dinner night. Your sponsorship fee goes towards the cost of organising and disseminating findings from the conference. Email <em>info@isds.com.ng </em>to discuss sponsorship opportunities.</p><h5><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/icda2018/\"><strong>&gt; VIEW ICDA 20</strong><strong>18 RESOURCES</strong></a></h5>','Conference','','inherit','closed','closed','','2170-revision-v1','','','2021-05-02 14:02:04','2021-05-02 14:02:04','',2170,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3586',0,'revision','',0),(3368,2,'2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals.','Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)','','inherit','closed','closed','','3367-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','',3367,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3368',0,'revision','',0),(3369,2,'2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','','Online via Zoom','','publish','closed','closed','','online-via-zoom','','','2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/venue/online-via-zoom/',0,'tribe_venue','',0),(3370,2,'2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','','ISDS','','publish','closed','closed','','isds','','','2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/organizer/isds/',0,'tribe_organizer','',0),(3573,2,'2021-04-20 23:10:42','2021-04-20 23:10:42','<h5>Innovative and Research-led Disability Training Workshops</h5>		\n										<img width=\"1000\" height=\"597\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Courses-Front.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Courses-Front.png 1000w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Courses-Front-300x179.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Courses-Front-768x458.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" />											\n				<h3>\n					ISDS Workshops<br>Registration Now Open\n				</h3>\n								<p>Our courses are available to everyone, including those without any previous experience in the field of disability studies. All the available courses below can be delivered as a Workshop, Certificate or Diploma, with the exception of the Social Research Methods course only available up to Certificate Level. Students can carry forward credits as they progress from Workshop through to Diploma. We can also offer bespoke training courses to organisations in line with the capacity building needs of their staff and clients.</p>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						AVAILABLE WORKSHOPS\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals. </p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Available Dates\n					</a>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Sat 30 July 2021\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Sat 18 December 2021\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n				<h3>\n					Inclusion and Participation of Disabled People in Education and Society (ISDS902)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Available Dates\n					</a>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Sat 28 August 2021\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Sat 29 January 2022\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n				<h3>\n					Spiritual, Cultural and Scientific Perspectives on Mental Health Conditions (ISDS903)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore the historical; medical and contemporary definitions of mental health and how policy and practice have changed over time; simultaneously illuminating the intricate yet close connection between spirituality and mental health from various perspectives.  This workshop will also develop an understanding of the way spiritual/religious and medical interpretations of mental health and illness influence the experience of mental illness, the diagnosis, and the variety of treatments people access.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Available Dates\n					</a>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Sat 25 September 2021\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Sat 26 February 2022\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n				<h3>\n					Leadership and Management of Care Services for Disabled People (ISDS904)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This online course is intended for people working, or interested, in any aspect of the disability field in African countries who want to advance their knowledge and understanding of the role of leadership and management in promoting the interests and support for people with disabilities in Africa.  The number of participants per workshop will not exceed thirty</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Available Dates\n					</a>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Sat 30 October 2021\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Sat 26 March 2022\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n				<h3>\n					Introduction to Social Research Methods - 2 Days Training and Research Project (ISDS905)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding of the principles of social research and related philosophical debates; people who take this workshop will also develop basic skills in the use of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques and begin to judge what methods and techniques are appropriate to specific research problems/questions.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										1,500 word essay report\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Available Dates\n					</a>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Sat 27 November 2021\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Sat 30 Apr 2022\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<h2>Register <br>Online</h2>','Training','','inherit','closed','closed','','2254-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 23:10:42','2021-04-20 23:10:42','',2254,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3573',0,'revision','',0),(2081,2,'2019-12-02 10:00:21','2019-12-02 10:00:21','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Group Wants FG To Establish National Disability Commission\r\nAuthor: <a href=\"https://www.nan.ng/\">NAN</a>\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://tribuneonlineng.com/group-wants-fg-to-establish-national-disability-commission/\">Nigerian Tribune</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nThe National Association of the Blind, FCT chapter, on Monday, urged the Federal Government to establish the National Disability Commission as prescribed by the law.\r\n\r\nThe FCT Chairman of the group, Mr Obinna Ekujureonye, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.\r\n\r\nEkujureonye said that aside from driving the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act, the commission would also help to foster better enforcement and implementation of the law.\r\n\r\nAccording to him, the Act has provisions for the full integration of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) into the society.\r\n\r\n“The commission should have the responsibility of providing welfare, education and development for the otherwise vulnerable group.\r\n\r\n“The commission is the most integral part of the law that will boost and give PWDs a sense of belonging in the country,’’ he said.\r\n\r\nEkujureonye tasked the government to live up to the expectations of PWDs in the country by implementing the law to enhance their lives.\r\n\r\nHe said that what PWDs needed was equity, not equality, adding that the non-implementation of the law was an impediment against the full integration of PWDs into society.\r\n\r\nHe appealed to Nigerians to develop a healthy attitude toward PWDs and learn to cohabit with them.\r\n\r\nHe also appealed to the media to always use the appropriate terminologies to depict the plight of PWDs in their reportage and news analyses.\r\n\r\nMr Theophilus Odandwu, Programme Officer, Disability Right Funds, appealed to Nigerians to help reduce the burden of PWDs by creating a barrier-free and accommodating society for PWDs.\r\n\r\nHe said that disabilities would not manifest, “if the society is accommodating.\r\n\r\n“Rather, disabilities become obvious when the society has numerous infrastructural, cultural, social and economic barriers.”\r\n\r\nOdandwu urged the government and Nigerians to create an inclusive economic plan that would factor PWDs into government plans, strategies and policies.','Group Wants FG To Establish National Disability Commission','The National Association of the Blind, FCT chapter, on Monday, urged the Federal Government to establish the National Disability Commission as prescribed by the law.','publish','open','open','','group-wants-fg-to-establish-national-disability-commission','','','2019-12-03 00:42:45','2019-12-03 00:42:45','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2081',8,'post','',41),(2082,2,'2019-12-02 23:32:20','2019-12-02 23:32:20','<strong>\"Buhari signs law banning discrimination against persons with disability\"</strong>\r\n<strong>Author: Samuel Ogundipe</strong>\r\n<strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/307474-buhari-signs-law-banning-discrimination-against-persons-with-disability.html\">Premium Times</a></strong>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nPresident Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that will henceforth criminalise common discriminations against persons with disabilities.\r\n\r\nThe Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act would see corporate entities and individuals face excruciating sanctions if found guilty of discriminating against persons with impairments, according to Ita Enang, the president’s National Assembly liaison who announced the assent on Wednesday night.\r\n\r\n“This Act prohibits all forms of discrimination on ground of disability and imposes fine of N1, 000, 000 for corporate bodies and N100, 000 for individuals or a term of six months imprisonment for violation concurrently,” Mr Enang said.\r\n\r\n“It guarantees right to maintain civil action for damage by the person injured against any defaulter.\r\n\r\n“It provides for a five-year transitional period within which public buildings, structures or automobile are to be modified to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including those on wheelchairs,” the official added.\r\n\r\nOther key elements of the new law are:\r\n\r\n‘’Before erecting any public structure, its plan shall be scrutinised by the relevant authority to ensure that the plan conforms with the building code.\r\n\r\n“A government or government agency, body or individual responsible for the approval of building plans shall not approve the plan of a public building if the plan does not make provision for accessibility facilities in line with the building code.\r\n\r\n“An officer who approves or directs the approval of a building plan that contravenes the building code, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of at least N1, 000, 000 or a term of imprisonment of two years or both.’’\r\n\r\n“Discrimination is prohibited in public transportation facilities and service providers are to make provision for the physically, visually and hearing impaired and all persons howsoever challenged. This applies to Seaports, Railways and Airport facilities.\r\n\r\n“The rights and privileges include education, healthcare, priority in accommodation and emergencies.\r\nFurthermore, all public organisations are to reserve at least 5 % of employment opportunities for these persons.\r\nThe National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is also established in Section 31 with Executive Secretary as the head”\r\n\r\nThe signing comes days after Mr Buhari accused lawmakers of not passing the bill during a town hall appearance with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.\r\n\r\nBut lawmakers rejected the claim, saying they passed the law since 2018 and submitted it to the president for assent. A document later circulated on social media showing that the State House acknowledged receipt of the bill.\r\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"></div>\r\nThe law brought a major relieve to anti-defamation campaigners, who accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to protect citizens with disabilities.\r\n\r\n“President Buhari has written his name in gold by assenting to this bill,” Razak Adekoya, a development and disability inclusion expert, told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday night.\r\n\r\n“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to sign the law when National Assembly passed it under him, saying it would have serious cost implications for the country,” Mr Adekoya said.” Former President Goodluck Jonathan also raised some objections about the bill when lawmakers again passed it under him.”\r\n\r\n“We are grateful now that those with some forms of disabilities now have a sense of belonging going forward,” Mr Adekoya added.','Buhari signs law banning discrimination against persons with disability','President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that will henceforth criminalise common discriminations against persons with disabilities.','inherit','closed','closed','','1816-revision-v1','','','2019-12-02 23:32:20','2019-12-02 23:32:20','',1816,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/02/1816-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2476,2,'2019-12-06 18:22:41','2019-12-06 18:22:41','President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that will henceforth criminalise common discriminations against persons with disabilities.\n\nThe Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act would see corporate entities and individuals face excruciating sanctions if found guilty of discriminating against persons with impairments, according to Ita Enang, the president’s National Assembly liaison who announced the assent on Wednesday night.\n\n“This Act prohibits all forms of discrimination on ground of disability and imposes fine of N1, 000, 000 for corporate bodies and N100, 000 for individuals or a term of six months imprisonment for violation concurrently,” Mr Enang said.\n\n“It guarantees right to maintain civil action for damage by the person injured against any defaulter.\n\n“It provides for a five-year transitional period within which public buildings, structures or automobile are to be modified to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including those on wheelchairs,” the official added.\n\nOther key elements of the new law are:\n\n‘’Before erecting any public structure, its plan shall be scrutinised by the relevant authority to ensure that the plan conforms with the building code.\n\n“A government or government agency, body or individual responsible for the approval of building plans shall not approve the plan of a public building if the plan does not make provision for accessibility facilities in line with the building code.\n\n“An officer who approves or directs the approval of a building plan that contravenes the building code, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of at least N1, 000, 000 or a term of imprisonment of two years or both.’’\n\n“Discrimination is prohibited in public transportation facilities and service providers are to make provision for the physically, visually and hearing impaired and all persons howsoever challenged. This applies to Seaports, Railways and Airport facilities.\n\n“The rights and privileges include education, healthcare, priority in accommodation and emergencies.\nFurthermore, all public organisations are to reserve at least 5 % of employment opportunities for these persons.\nThe National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is also established in Section 31 with Executive Secretary as the head”\n\nThe signing comes days after Mr Buhari accused lawmakers of not passing the bill during a town hall appearance with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.\n\nBut lawmakers rejected the claim, saying they passed the law since 2018 and submitted it to the president for assent. A document later circulated on social media showing that the State House acknowledged receipt of the bill.\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"></div>\nThe law brought a major relieve to anti-defamation campaigners, who accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to protect citizens with disabilities.\n\n“President Buhari has written his name in gold by assenting to this bill,” Razak Adekoya, a development and disability inclusion expert, told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday night.\n\n“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to sign the law when National Assembly passed it under him, saying it would have serious cost implications for the country,” Mr Adekoya said.” Former President Goodluck Jonathan also raised some objections about the bill when lawmakers again passed it under him.”\n\n“We are grateful now that those with some forms of disabilities now have a sense of belonging going forward,” Mr Adekoya added.','Buhari signs law banning discrimination against persons with disability','President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that will henceforth criminalise common discriminations against persons with disabilities.','inherit','closed','closed','','1816-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:22:41','2019-12-06 18:22:41','',1816,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/1816-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2119,2,'2019-12-03 00:32:17','2019-12-03 00:32:17','','el-728x546','','inherit','open','closed','','el-728x546','','','2019-12-03 00:32:17','2019-12-03 00:32:17','',2116,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/el-728x546.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3056,2,'2021-04-20 12:51:55','2021-04-20 12:51:55','<img width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png 512w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-300x300.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-150x150.png 150w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-270x270.png 270w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-192x192.png 192w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-180x180.png 180w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-32x32.png 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" />','CONTACT POPUP','','inherit','closed','closed','','2316-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 12:51:55','2021-04-20 12:51:55','',2316,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3056',0,'revision','',0),(2158,2,'2019-12-03 16:33:50','2019-12-03 16:33:50','','RTX2OV1S','','inherit','open','closed','','rtx2ov1s','','','2019-12-03 16:33:50','2019-12-03 16:33:50','',2157,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/RTX2OV1S.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2467,2,'2019-12-06 18:18:04','2019-12-06 18:18:04','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>ABUJA - Nigeria\'s paralympic athletes have outshined their able-bodied counterparts in world competitions year after year. Yet, these athletes face such challenges as lack of proper training facilities and inadequate funding.</p>\nAbdulazeez Ibrahim, who\'s known as Nigeria\'s para powerlifting champion, is training hard for the powerlifting competition at the Paralympic Games next year in Japan.\n\nIn 2016, he was part of the disabled team who won medals for Nigeria at the Rio Paralympic Games.\n\nDespite dominating world championships, Abdulazeez says the performances of Nigeria\'s paralympic athletes are a result of their personal sacrifices and fighting spirits.\n\n\"I\'m a champion, but when you see me along the road, I\'m not looking like a champion,\" he said. \"But go abroad, you see their champions. They\'re disabled, see their lives, see their cars. It\'s different. Every day, we always make Nigeria proud, and they don\'t make us proud. Why?\"\n\nNigerian paralympians say they are treated like second-class athletes and get less funding than their able-bodied counterparts, who win fewer medals.\n\nQueen Uboh, president of Nigeria\'s para powerlifting federation, agrees.\n\n\"If they can give 10% of the attention they give to soccer or football to para powerlifting or para sports, I think that\'s a good start,\" Uboh said.\n\nNigeria\'s paralympians lack proper training facilities, too.\n\nAt an underequipped facility in Abuja, para athletes like Abdulazeez say they\'re making do with what\'s available as they train for the Olympic Games.\n\nBut a new sports minister, Sunday Akin-Dare, who took over a few months ago, is promising to address their issues.\n\n\"I think what you do for this country in spite of the circumstances is very commendable. We invest so much in the able-bodied sports men and women. I think we should invest equally in the paralympics,\" Akin-Dare said.\n\nNigeria\'s paralympic team won all four gold medals in the powerlifting category at the Commonwealth Games, followed by Malaysia and India.\n\nWhile Abdulazeez and his fellow athletes don\'t have much to show for their wins, they\'re hanging on a hope that things will get better.','Nigeria\'s Disabled Athletes Face Surprising Challenges','\"I think what you do for this country in spite of the circumstances is very commendable. We invest so much in the able-bodied sports men and women. I think we should invest equally in the paralympics,\" Akin-Dare said.','inherit','closed','closed','','2157-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:18:04','2019-12-06 18:18:04','',2157,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2157-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2159,2,'2019-12-03 16:36:49','2019-12-03 16:36:49','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Nigeria\'s Disabled Athletes Face Surprising Challenges\r\nAuthor: Timothy Obiezu\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.voanews.com/africa/nigerias-disabled-athletes-face-surprising-challenges\">VOA News</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nABUJA - Nigeria\'s paralympic athletes have outshined their able-bodied counterparts in world competitions year after year. Yet, these athletes face such challenges as lack of proper training facilities and inadequate funding.\r\n\r\nAbdulazeez Ibrahim, who\'s known as Nigeria\'s para powerlifting champion, is training hard for the powerlifting competition at the Paralympic Games next year in Japan.\r\n\r\nIn 2016, he was part of the disabled team who won medals for Nigeria at the Rio Paralympic Games.\r\n\r\nDespite dominating world championships, Abdulazeez says the performances of Nigeria\'s paralympic athletes are a result of their personal sacrifices and fighting spirits.\r\n\r\n\"I\'m a champion, but when you see me along the road, I\'m not looking like a champion,\" he said. \"But go abroad, you see their champions. They\'re disabled, see their lives, see their cars. It\'s different. Every day, we always make Nigeria proud, and they don\'t make us proud. Why?\"\r\n\r\nNigerian paralympians say they are treated like second-class athletes and get less funding than their able-bodied counterparts, who win fewer medals.\r\n\r\nQueen Uboh, president of Nigeria\'s para powerlifting federation, agrees.\r\n\r\n\"If they can give 10% of the attention they give to soccer or football to para powerlifting or para sports, I think that\'s a good start,\" Uboh said.\r\n\r\nNigeria\'s paralympians lack proper training facilities, too.\r\n\r\nAt an underequipped facility in Abuja, para athletes like Abdulazeez say they\'re making do with what\'s available as they train for the Olympic Games.\r\n\r\nBut a new sports minister, Sunday Akin-Dare, who took over a few months ago, is promising to address their issues.\r\n\r\n\"I think what you do for this country in spite of the circumstances is very commendable. We invest so much in the able-bodied sports men and women. I think we should invest equally in the paralympics,\" Akin-Dare said.\r\n\r\nNigeria\'s paralympic team won all four gold medals in the powerlifting category at the Commonwealth Games, followed by Malaysia and India.\r\n\r\nWhile Abdulazeez and his fellow athletes don\'t have much to show for their wins, they\'re hanging on a hope that things will get better.','Nigeria\'s Disabled Athletes Face Surprising Challenges','\"I think what you do for this country in spite of the circumstances is very commendable. We invest so much in the able-bodied sports men and women. I think we should invest equally in the paralympics,\" Akin-Dare said.','inherit','closed','closed','','2157-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 16:36:49','2019-12-03 16:36:49','',2157,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2157-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2101,2,'2019-12-03 00:05:00','2019-12-03 00:05:00','','Nigerians with visual disabilities on the street to mark the International White Cane and Safety Day 2019','','inherit','open','closed','','nigerians-with-visual-disabilities-on-the-street-to-mark-the-international-white-cane-and-safety-day-2019','','','2019-12-03 00:05:00','2019-12-03 00:05:00','',2095,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Nigerians-with-visual-disabilities-on-the-street-to-mark-the-International-White-Cane-and-Safety-Day-2019.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2102,2,'2019-12-03 00:05:15','2019-12-03 00:05:15','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Why The Blind Beg in Nigeria\r\n</strong><strong>Author: International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.icirnigeria.org/why-the-blind-beg-in-nigeria/\">International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>NIGERIA’s ineffective inclusive education policy, aggravated by widespread fraud and infrastructure dearth, is driving more of its blind population to beg for a living</strong>\r\n\r\nA quick fact-check: Presenting the 2019 budget proposal to the state House of Assembly in November 2018, governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, announced that his administration had spent a chunk of the N646.649bn budget for 2018 on training and resettlement of 20 visually impaired persons (the blind) in different skills at the Nigerian Farm Craft Centre, Lagos and subsequent empowerment for them to start up their businesses in the development trade they learnt.\r\n\r\nSuppose the governor did exactly as he had told his legislature, that would have been 20 persons lifted out of a life of penury and street begging for which Nigerians living with disabilities are known.\r\n\r\nSeveral SMS and Whatsapp messages sent to Charles Udoh, immediate-past Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, requesting for information on the details of the trainees and the amount of the budget invested on them did not receive a reply.\r\n\r\nTo verify the governor’s claim, the reporter contacted the principal of the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, Mohammed Shuaibu Afegbua, who made it known that no student attended the centre in 2018, not even in 2017.\r\n\r\n“This school has neither admitted nor trained a single visually challenged Nigerian since 2016, he stated, adding “the last set of students we admitted graduated in December 2016.\r\n\r\nAlso, it is not possible for a state to send twenty visually challenged persons to the NFCB at once in a given session, contrary to Emmanuel’s claim. This is because the centre is a federal institution that operates a quota system of admission.\r\n\r\nIn essence, only three visually impaired candidates from each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory may be admitted in a given academic session, the principal further disclosed.\r\n\r\n“But as I speak, virtually all the states have candidates waiting on standby from six years back.”\r\n\r\nConclusion: It is not true that Mr Udom Emmanuel spent part of the budget passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in 2018 to train 20 blind citizens of the state at the NFCB.\r\n\r\n<strong>In the throes of dakness</strong>\r\n\r\nThe casualties of this kind of official deception are much more than those shortchanged by Governor Emmanuel. No less than a million persons living with blindness across the country are in dire need of some form of urgent rehabilitation to enable them live a productive and independent life again.\r\n\r\nThat is an estimate from an old study though. For over a decade now, just one national blindness and visual impairment survey has been carried out across the country.\r\n\r\nThe survey, at the instance of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shows that well over four million Nigerians are visually impaired.\r\n\r\nVisual impairment among those who cannot read and write, according to the survey, also stands at 5.8 per cent nationwide. This is against 1.5 per cent among those who can.\r\n\r\nAhmed Pindiga is one of such sore statistics of unlettered blind Nigerians analyzed in the now obsolete eye health survey. Every Friday afternoon, he joins a phalanx of itinerant street beggars who prime themselves around the Ikotun Central mosque, East of Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State.\r\n\r\nThe beggars have not come to observe the Jumat prayers. Rather they would wait patiently for the worship to end, and the scramble for the day’s Zakat, the Islamic form of religious alms-giving and show of benevolence to the needy, would begin.\r\n\r\nHe was at the same spot on September 6 this year when the reporter had a chat with him. Suddenly, Ahmed’s right hand disappeared into his pocket and brought back an old mobile phone. Soon he began to fumble with the keypad on the device as the phone rang and vibrated endlessly to signal an incoming call.\r\n\r\nUnbeaten, he fiddled with the keypad, again and again, glowering at the same time, until his restive finger finally found and hit the green button after several unsuccessful attempts.\r\n\r\nIt’s not exactly unusual to see frustration written on his face and many like him each time they try to receive calls on their mobile phones, Babatunde Mohammed, a rehabilitation expert and Chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind in Lagos State, told the reporter.\r\n\r\n“It has to be so because the phone obviously is not designed to enable a visually impaired person receives calls or identify his callers,’ he explained.“\r\n\r\nThat aside, it is also apparent he has not been through a functional rehabilitation program necessary to enable him leverage assistive technology to be independent and enjoy his privacy as a blind.”\r\n\r\nFor an illiterate, non-speaker of the English Language who relies on a child guide to lead him around as he scrounges for a living amidst the bedlam of crazy traffic at the busy Ikotun intersection, functional rehabilitation, independence and privacy, as hinted by Mohammed, actually sound like some jargons from a Latin dictionary.\r\n\r\n“Ban jiba walahi,’ Ahmed responded in his native Hausa dialect to inform the reporter he didn’t understand what the rehabilitation expert meant by assistive technology.\r\n\r\nAhmed is not alone in the dark about the option of rehabilitation and assistive technology available to enable him live an independent life. So is Isaac Olayinka, a blind clergyman at the Christ Apostolic Church in Ibadan who also relies on others every day to enable him navigate the crowded Ibadan roads and elsewhere he goes to preach.\r\n\r\nLike Ahmed, Isaac has never learnt how to use a Braille machine or computer-assisted devices to enhance his duties as a preacher. The best he has done, he told the reporter, was to perfect a cumbersome method to enable him recall chapters and verses of the holy bible.\r\n\r\n“For a long time, I have mastered how to cram the bible on a daily basis, after people must have read any particular portion to me,” he told the reporter.\r\n\r\n“I have never heard that computer and phone can help one read the bible or other Christian books on one’s own as a blind. You are the first to tell me so.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Ignorance everywhere</strong>\r\n\r\nThat kind of widespread information poverty is not exactly unusual in Nigeria. Eye health crises and the exact rehabilitation needs of those worse affected by visual impairment have been worsened by an apparent scarcity of public health education and accurate data.\r\n\r\nThat is in addition to a combination of depressing geographical, financial, and personal hurdles which constantly stand between this vulnerable community and the rehabilitation they need to be independent.\r\n\r\nIn other climes where inclusive education and rehabilitation are at the front burner of policy discourse, community-based rehabilitation initiatives are already eliminating those obstacles impeding the likes of Ahmed and Isaac.\r\n\r\nFor one, the innovation is less cumbersome because it provides rehabilitation programs to persons with visual disabilities right in the communities where they live.\r\n\r\n“So they don’t have to travel a long distance from their communities to attend a rehabilitation school, or be huddled together in one outskirt of the town, as though disability is infectious,” Dr Sheu Bukola Adebayo, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities in Lagos, explained.\r\n\r\n“Unfortunately, Nigeria is yet to come to terms with this social model of rehabilitation. And that’s why the traditional model of rehabilitating the visually impaired continue to fail us.”\r\n\r\nBlessing is a casualty of that failure—the inability of governments at all levels to launch widespread and sustained public enlightenment campaigns about community-based rehabilitation options for the blind who scavenge for living in street corners and those locked up in different homes by their families.\r\n\r\nStruck with sudden blindness at age of three, Blessing was simply abandoned to rot away in her Delta State hometown—denied any formal education. She is 19 years old already, she told the reporter, after a Lagos-based television personality found out about her plight and offered to reform her.\r\n\r\nUsman Ojo, now registered at Omoyeni Home School for the Blind in Ibadan, Oyo State, also suffered the same cruel fate as Blessing. Blind at birth, the boy spent the next 12 years of his life in a dinghy room with his mother, without nursery and primary education.\r\n\r\nThe father, a tailor before coming to Lagos to work for a fashion outfit in Lekki, told the reporter he knew late about the possibility of a school for the blind.\r\n\r\n“He was born blind, so I didn’t know anything could be done to get him an education. But by the time I heard about Pacelli School for the Blind in Lagos, they were not willing to take him again,’ he told the reporter.\r\n\r\n“When I tried again the following year, and I couldn’t meet up with the financial obligations, I became frustrated,” he lamented.\r\n\r\nSad, but real, many visually challenged Nigerians may never learn to be productive or independent after all, worried Dr. Adebayo, if the government fails to systematically implement the National Policy on Inclusive Education currently gathering dust in the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.\r\n\r\n“We have a National Policy on Inclusive Education at the federal level, and about 15 states also have their own policies as well, but the problem has always been implementation,’ the JONAPWD chairman lamented.\r\n\r\nPart of the implementation problems is the scanty number of rehabilitation centres for the blind, compared to the population of persons living with visual disabilities across Nigeria, explained Nicholas Obot, Principal of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind in Oshodi, Lagos, and National Secretary of the Braille Advancement Organization of Nigeria.\r\n\r\nThe majority of these centres are mostly private initiatives and profit-driven too, the reporter discovered.\r\n\r\n<strong>Collapsed infrastructure</strong>\r\n\r\nDespite plunking down N25m in 2017 to revalidate the National Policy on Rehabilitation of Persons With Disabilities, only a few things would appear as normal for anyone visiting the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind in Lagos for the first time.\r\n\r\nEstablished in 1967, according to its Principal, Muhammed Shuaibu Afegbua, the centre bears the responsibility of rehabilitating visually impaired persons from across Nigeria—through developing their skills in mobility, Braille, computer/ICT, and craft as well as farming.\r\n\r\nNot many blind Nigerians and their families are aware the NFCB exists, however. This is because the centre is neither advertised in the media nor in public enlightenment and rural outreaches.\r\n\r\nAt any rate, for two sessions back to back, the centre, with all of the hope it brings to the blind, was left to rot away.\r\n\r\nNFCB did not admit or trained a single visually challenged Nigerian since 2016 until April 2019, the reporter who visited the centre in the guise of a blind person seeking rehabilitation found out.\r\n\r\nAnd according to Afegbua, that is because of certain challenges he would not disclose to the reporter during their chat.\r\n\r\nBut at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs headquarters in Abuja, sources told the reporter the disruption was due to funding and seething tussling between the federal ministries of Education and Women Affairs and Social development over which controls the NFCB.\r\n\r\n<strong>Corruption unlimited</strong>\r\n\r\nThe years of redundancy at the NFCB, however, did not stop civil servants in the centre from earning their monthly salaries and leave bonuses.\r\n\r\nIt also did not stop some corrupt officials at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, under which the NFCB is an agency, from creaming off a huge N40m from the 2017 approved budget, supposedly as upkeep for the trainees at the NFCB, even though no single person with visual disability was admitted into the centre that year.\r\n\r\nThe steady sleaze in the guise of rehabilitating the blind leaped through the 2018 budget as well, even though the gates of the NFCB remained shut to trainees. Another N150m was sneaked into the 2018 approved budget of the Women Affairs ministry, as “upkeep of the trainees and strengthening activities at the following social welfare, rehabilitation, and other welfare centres.”\r\n\r\nThe Rotary Club of Egbeda, trying to do good in marking its 15th anniversary, also visited the NFCB on Saturday, March 31, 2018. The visitors did not suspect the centre had neither admitted nor trained any blind Nigerian for two years. So, they donated clothings and other items, supposedly to keep the blind trainees comfortable.\r\n\r\n<strong>Double jeopardy</strong>\r\n\r\nWaiting endlessly on the queue is torture any prospective blind must endure before he is considered for admission at the NFCB, the reporter found out.\r\n<div class=\"htrnpsd htrnpsd-clearfix htrnpsd-post-middle htrnpsd-float-center htrnpsd-align-center htrnpsd-column-1\">\r\n<div id=\"htrnpsd-78432-2030468145\" class=\"htrnpsd-container htrnpsd-type-image \" data-adid=\"78432\" data-type=\"image\">\r\n<p class=\"htrnpsd-caption htrnpsd-caption-above\">Advertisement</p>\r\n\r\n<a class=\"htrnpsd-link\" href=\"https://www.accessbankplc.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><img class=\"htrnpsd-image jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled\" src=\"https://i1.wp.com/www.accessbankplc.com/img/signature.jpg?zoom=2.5&amp;w=1170&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Advertisement\" width=\"707\" height=\"106\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" /></a></div>\r\n</div>\r\nThe centre can only admit three candidates from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in any particular session, disclosed its Principal. And that is just 111 lucky few every year. The less than fortunate candidates are then made to wait on the lists until another year when the jostle for admission would begin again.\r\n\r\n“Admission is competitive here because your state must have to recommend you to us for admission in any particular year,’ revealed Afegbua. ‘But as I speak, virtually all the states have candidates waiting on standby from six years back.”\r\n\r\nAssume that the population of blind Nigerians will remain at one million as indicated in the 1998 national eye health survey, and the NFCB will only admit 111 persons out of this cluster in any given year, it will invariably mean that Nigeria will need some 9,009 years to rehabilitate and make its blind citizens independent and productive again.\r\n\r\nBut if the entire population of the blind and visually impaired, estimated at a little over four million in the survey, is to scramble for space at the NFCB given the yearly admission benchmark, then Nigeria will require some 35,036 years or more before the entire visually challenged population would be fully rehabilitated.\r\n\r\nTo make matters worse, unlike in the past when trainees used to enjoy tuition-free rehabilitation, stipends, and boarding at the centre, a prospective student is now expected to pay a huge N120,000 upon admission.\r\n\r\nThe conspiracy against the blind, the reporter found out, was reached at the 10th National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development held between August 5-10, 2019 in Lagos, with all Commissioners for Women Affairs from across the states in attendance.\r\n\r\nThose who are not fortunate to be sponsored by their states, explained Afegbua, may then have to attend the school as self-sponsored students.\r\n\r\nThat financial burden is yielding a backlash already, the reporter found out.\r\n\r\nWhen the NFCB finally resumed academic session in April this year, only 48 visually challenged students from across 15 states of the federation were fortunate to take up their slots.\r\n\r\nBlessing didn’t get sponsorship from her Delta State of origin though, but she is one of the two self-sponsored trainees from the state currently at the NFCB. And to be in class, a good Samaritan had to squeeze out the compulsory tuition fees of N120,000.\r\n\r\n<strong>Failed states</strong>\r\n\r\nThe other 21 states, Afegbua said , simply would not invest N360,000 on three of their blind citizens at the cost of N120,000 each for the entire session “due to lack of funds”.\r\n\r\nMany of the defaulting states (Edo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross-Rivers, Taraba, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Plateau and the FCT) are from the North of Nigeria. This is followed by a few Southeastern states and then two states—Oyo and Ekiti—from the South-West.\r\n\r\nAkande O.M. of the Social Welfare Department at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Oyo State revealed as much. The devil that sabotaged the efforts of candidates from the state in filling up their quotas at the NFCB this current session was a combination of bureaucracy and insensitivity, he told the reporter, who presented himself as a blind citizen seeking sponsorship from the state.\r\n\r\n“We got the letter informing us of the new tuition fee at the NFCB late, but even after treating the request and sending it out for approval, the file never came back again because the government in power then was more concerned about the elections than anything else.\r\n\r\n“Even as I speak, the file is yet to come back to the ministry. But I am optimistic something positive will happen next session, and you may be one of the lucky candidates to be selected, especially now that we have an Executive Assistant on Disability in the Governor’s Office.”\r\n\r\nThe same reception of shock was awaiting the reporter when he arrived at the Blind Centre in Ogbomosho, also in Oyo State, the following day. The school has no facility in place to teach computer skills, or the technology needed to make the blind navigate a computer independently, the instructors explained.\r\n\r\n“We can’t teach you what you want to learn here, because there is no facility for that in school. But you can learn how to Braille and use the typewriter.\r\n\r\n“In fact, we don’t even admit older candidates like you, but because of the person that brought you, we may admit you into Primary 2, so you can learn any vocation that you like and still go-ahead to do common entrance later,” the headteacher assured the reporter out of pity.\r\n\r\nThe vocational training on offer at the school are as odd as the proposal made to the reporter. They include weaving, both of chairs and ropes for tethering livestock, as well as bead making.\r\n\r\nBut they are not too offensive to dissuade Ibukun Ogundijo from getting registered at the Blind Centre after all.\r\n\r\nOgundijo is one perfect example of the setback that inadequate infrastructure can cause in schools for the blind in Nigeria.\r\n\r\nNow 20,  the young man lost his sight while preparing to graduate into the junior secondary school in 2008. In search of a panacea, his family rushed him to the Blind Centre in Ogbomosho, after an initial desperate move to have his sight restored in hospitals and spiritual homes failed.\r\n\r\nAnother shocker was waiting for the blind lad instead. Ibukun was made to start all over again from Primary 1.\r\n\r\n“But when the school began to notice my performance, they offered me double promotion twice,’ he narrated to the reporter.\r\n\r\n<strong>All talk but slow inclusion in Lagos</strong>\r\n\r\nIn spite of the disability-friendly initiatives and inclusive education policy in Lagos State, blind students are not learning anything in those inclusive schools, Adebayo insists. “\r\n\r\nLagos is not implementing inclusive education yet, griped the JONAPWD chairman, adding, “so I can’t score the government high. In fact, it will be unfair on PLWDs living in Lagos to score the government 40 per cent for their effort so far.”\r\n\r\n“It is one thing to have an inclusive education policy, it is another thing entirely to make it work. And that’s why we continue to insist the government must design an operational guide for implementing inclusive education in Nigeria, in addition to supporting schools with the teachers, instructional materials and equipment needed to make disabled students learn.”\r\n\r\nThose who lost their sight as adults are not learning anything in Lagos either. There are only just four rehabilitation centers that can provide training and assistive devices for the crowd of visually impaired in the state for instance, and all of these institutions are either private initiatives or run by civil society organizations.\r\n\r\nThe only state-controlled institution, the Lagos State Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons With Disabilities in Owutu, Ikorodu“is anything but a rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities, if you compare it with international global best practice”, Adebayo told the reporter.\r\n\r\nHe is right after all. The centre merely exists in structure and not in equipment and devices needed to effectively address the special needs of blind students especially, the reporter found out on his visit.\r\n\r\n<strong>Expensive alternative</strong>\r\n\r\nFrom the schools for the blind in Lagos to Ibadan, down to Ogbomosho and back to Ijebu-Igbo where the reporter presented himself as a prospective student, the blind have an option though: to shun the empty and dysfunctional state-controlled special schools and patronize private institutions. That’s if they will ever be able to afford the cost.\r\n\r\nAccording to Obot of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, “it costs nothing less than N750,000 [about $2,100] to take a visually impaired through complete rehabilitation, and that includes rehabilitation fee, laptop and JAWS, typewriter, stylus and guide cane.”\r\n\r\nThe bargain is no less expensive at the Anglo-Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind [ANWAB], another rehabilitation centre for the blind in Yaba, Lagos, the reporter discovered.\r\n\r\nAccording to CajetanDuru, an instructor in the school, Job Access With Speech [JAWS], the software that enables a visually impaired navigate the computer and Internet, costs N300,000, while the market price of a new laptop computer varies between N180,000 and N250,000.\r\n\r\n“Other than that, you will need an Android phone which can help you do the same thing a JAWS will enable you do on the laptop, and that will cost at least N50,000. However, we can allow you pay your rehabilitation fee in installments since the training is in three phases, beginning with mobility and typing training,’ Duru explained.\r\n\r\nThe rich and willing visually impaired also have an option of patronizing private home bound rehabilitation services, revealed Sunday Badejo, a visually challenged expert in education for the blind. At a more expensive charge, though.\r\n\r\n“The least I charge is 100,000 and that is for a professional who suddenly lost his sight and requires an accelerated rehabilitation to go back to work in just six weeks, Badejo told the reporter, adding,“but my professional fee can be more than that, depending on a number of considerations such as location, distance and length of training required by the client.”\r\n\r\nBadejo has travelled across several states in Nigeria, including in Kano, Niger and Jigawa, providing home-bound rehabilitation services to visually challenged persons who can pay his bill, but “it’s alright if the person wants to come and meet me in Lagos,” he said.\r\n\r\n“I can help negotiate accommodation and factor the logistics into my final charges. That’s why I told you initially it depends on location, duration and such other factors,” the graduate of Federal College of Education [Special] in Oyo explained.\r\n\r\nOne scary consideration is the cost of the devices a visually impaired would have to procure to live a normal productive life again, he said. According to Badejo, aside from rehabilitation fees which can run into hundreds of thousand, students will be required to buy JAWS, Braille machine, Pearl scanner, typewriter, embosser, guide cane as well as stylus and mabourg.\r\n\r\n“Now, a JAWS software is around N500,000, Braille machine is N300,000, Pearl scanner is N469,000, a typewriter is N10,000, the least cane is N15,000 while stylus and slate cost N7000. So you are looking at well over one million naira as cost of devices needed to give you independence as a visually impaired person, aside from my own professional fee as a private instructor.”\r\n\r\nFor a disadvantaged community constantly frustrated by employment inequalities and other forms of negative stereotypes, raising no less than N1m to enable them go through coordinated rehabilitation programs has become a huge incentive for flushing on to the streets to beg for alms, lamented Mohammed.\r\n\r\n“You can call them names for causing a nuisance on the streets if you want,’\r\n\r\nMuhammed griped, ‘but the truth is that government institutions that should ordinarily rehabilitate them at little or no cost are dysfunctional, and that leaves them with no alternatives other than the few private rehabilitation centres which are expensive to attend already.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Gateway to inclusion, equality</strong>\r\n\r\nInside the Enabling Technology Room at the Southwest Resource Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a revolution similar to the community-based rehabilitation strategy recommended by the World Blind Union (WBU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking a steady foothold.\r\n\r\nSired in the twilight of the President Bill Clinton administration in 2004, narrated Emmanuel Akinola, the centre is an innovative ICT hub designed by the Americans to accelerate the globalization process in Nigeria through building the capacity of citizens in Information Communication Technology.\r\n\r\nAnd, to give that intervention a fillip, similar centres were erected in other geopolitical zones, including Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Ogun, and the FCT.\r\n\r\n“That was how we got the idea of including persons living with disabilities in the wider program,’ Akinola, also a blind lawyer, and Consultant instructor in Basic ICT Education for the blind explained.\r\n\r\nAttendance is tuition-free for the blind here, the reporter found out after registering and attending classes as a blind in need of rehabilitation at the centre.\r\n\r\n“That’s why this room is called the Enabling Technology Room because it is meant for PLWDs generally. The reason why only persons with visual disabilities are here now is that others can still see and read printed matter, unlike the blind who requires special skills in ICT to navigate the computer and internet,” said Akinola.\r\n\r\n<b>Again the crippling Nigerian factor</b>\r\n\r\nThat is some huge breather for inclusive education advocates like Adebayo and Mohammed really. But the excitement is not going to last long. For one, acceptance for blind trainees at the Southwest Resource Centre is difficult and low compared to the huge number of blind persons who need rehabilitation to enable them participate fully in public life again.\r\n\r\nBlame the sustained employment inequality and harsh economic condition that frustrate the bid of many of them who indeed registered their interest in the training but could not make it to Abeokuta in the end.\r\n\r\nThe three weeks course is free –written off by the Ogun State Government. But not transportation logistics, accommodation and feeding.\r\n\r\nGovernors of other southwest states deserve much of the flak afterall, groaned Akinola. “Even though the Southwest Resource Centre is designed to serve all the states in the region, these governors just carry on as if they are not concerned”, the blind lawyer and rehabilitation expert lamented.\r\n\r\nThe low attendance could not have been otherwise then. More so that public enlightenment about the centre, and deliberate mobilization of blind persons, are not on the priority list of the governors. And that’s a violation of Article 26 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) to which Nigeria is a signatory.\r\n\r\nThe law imposes obligations on state parties to take effective and appropriate measures to provide comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes, particularly in the areas of health, employment, education and social services for their citizens with disabilities.\r\n\r\nThe blind have little or no choice here really. Not even in a stranded economy where more than half of the population survive on less than $2 a day.\r\n\r\n<strong>* This report was done with the support of Ford Foundation and International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR</strong>','Why The Blind Beg in Nigeria','NIGERIA’s ineffective inclusive education policy, aggravated by widespread fraud and infrastructure dearth, is driving more of its blind population to beg for a living','inherit','closed','closed','','2095-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 00:05:15','2019-12-03 00:05:15','',2095,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2095-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2103,2,'2019-12-02 09:57:55','2019-12-02 09:57:55','The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Kaduna Chapter has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the organised labour and well-meaning individuals to help in eradicating street begging in the state.\n\nIts Chairman, Malam Suleiman Abdulazez, made the call at a news conference on Monday, to mark the 2019 International Day for Person with Disabilities.\n\nAbdulazeez said CSOs, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have a major role to play in ending street begging.\n\nAbdulazez appreciated the positive efforts toward the passage of Kaduna State Disabilities Bill but drew the attention of government, religious bodies, the media and others to the numerous problems being faced by persons with disabilities.\n\n“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\n\n“In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,\n\n“There are no sunscreen lotions for albinos and enough dermatologists to assist the albinos as current climate condition is directly affecting their skin, ” he said.\n\nHe commended the State Government for allocating N500, 000 to the six clusters of PWDs in the state.\n\nMeanwhile, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, has called for the quick passage of the disability bill in the state.\n\nAccording to him, the CCD has been partnering with Kaduna State for over 10 years and with JONAPWD in advocacy and fighting for the rights of people with disabilities.\n\nHe said that CCD would continue to remain committed to working with disability organisations in Kaduna State to ensure that no one was left behind in democratic governance.','PWDs Tell CSOs, Others To End Street Begging','“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\" “In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,','publish','open','open','','pwds-tell-csos-others-to-end-street-begging','','','2019-12-06 16:19:31','2019-12-06 16:19:31','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2103',0,'post','',33),(2104,2,'2019-12-03 00:11:39','2019-12-03 00:11:39','','Street-begging','','inherit','open','closed','','street-begging','','','2019-12-03 00:11:39','2019-12-03 00:11:39','',2103,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Street-begging.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2418,2,'2019-12-06 16:19:29','2019-12-06 16:19:29','The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Kaduna Chapter has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the organised labour and well-meaning individuals to help in eradicating street begging in the state.\n\nIts Chairman, Malam Suleiman Abdulazez, made the call at a news conference on Monday, to mark the 2019 International Day for Person with Disabilities.\n\nAbdulazeez said CSOs, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have a major role to play in ending street begging.\n\nAbdulazez appreciated the positive efforts toward the passage of Kaduna State Disabilities Bill but drew the attention of government, religious bodies, the media and others to the numerous problems being faced by persons with disabilities.\n\n“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\n\n“In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,\n\n“There are no sunscreen lotions for albinos and enough dermatologists to assist the albinos as current climate condition is directly affecting their skin, ” he said.\n\nHe commended the State Government for allocating N500, 000 to the six clusters of PWDs in the state.\n\nMeanwhile, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, has called for the quick passage of the disability bill in the state.\n\nAccording to him, the CCD has been partnering with Kaduna State for over 10 years and with JONAPWD in advocacy and fighting for the rights of people with disabilities.\n\nHe said that CCD would continue to remain committed to working with disability organisations in Kaduna State to ensure that no one was left behind in democratic governance.','PWDs Tell CSOs, Others To End Street Begging','“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\" “In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,','inherit','closed','closed','','2103-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 16:19:29','2019-12-06 16:19:29','',2103,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2103-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2105,2,'2019-12-03 00:12:35','2019-12-03 00:12:35','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>PWDs Tell CSOs, Others To End Street Begging\r\nAuthor: <a href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/12/02/pwds-tell-csos-others-to-end-street-begging/\">PM News</a>\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/12/02/pwds-tell-csos-others-to-end-street-begging/\">PM News</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nThe Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Kaduna Chapter has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the organised labour and well-meaning individuals to help in eradicating street begging in the state.\r\n\r\nIts Chairman, Malam Suleiman Abdulazez, made the call at a news conference on Monday, to mark the 2019 International Day for Person with Disabilities.\r\n\r\nAbdulazeez said CSOs, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have a major role to play in ending street begging.\r\n\r\nAbdulazez appreciated the positive efforts toward the passage of Kaduna State Disabilities Bill but drew the attention of government, religious bodies, the media and others to the numerous problems being faced by persons with disabilities.\r\n\r\n“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\r\n\r\n“In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,\r\n\r\n“There are no sunscreen lotions for albinos and enough dermatologists to assist the albinos as current climate condition is directly affecting their skin, ” he said.\r\n\r\nHe commended the State Government for allocating N500, 000 to the six clusters of PWDs in the state.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, has called for the quick passage of the disability bill in the state.\r\n\r\nAccording to him, the CCD has been partnering with Kaduna State for over 10 years and with JONAPWD in advocacy and fighting for the rights of people with disabilities.\r\n\r\nHe said that CCD would continue to remain committed to working with disability organisations in Kaduna State to ensure that no one was left behind in democratic governance.','PWDs Tell CSOs, Others To End Street Begging','“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\" “In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,','inherit','closed','closed','','2103-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 00:12:35','2019-12-03 00:12:35','',2103,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2103-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2106,2,'2019-11-11 12:00:10','2019-11-11 12:00:10','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTmlDSI3UpQ[/embedyt]</p>\n\n<header class=\"article-header\">\n<p class=\"subtitle\">Ban Chaining; Provide Mental Health Services.</p>\n(Abuja, November 11, 2019) – Thousands of people with mental health conditions across <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/africa/nigeria\">Nigeria</a> are chained and locked up in various facilities where they face terrible abuse, Human Rights Watch said today.\n\nDetention, chaining, and violent treatment are pervasive in many settings, including state hospitals, rehabilitation centers, traditional healing centers, and both Christian and Islamic faith-based facilities.\n\n“People with mental health conditions should be supported and provided with effective services in their communities, not chained and abused,” said <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/about/people/emina-cerimovic\">Emina Ćerimović</a>, senior disability rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “People with mental health conditions find themselves in chains in various places in Nigeria, subject to years of unimaginable hardship and abuse.”\n\nPresident <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hundreds-of-children-rescued-by-nigerian-police-fromtorture-schools-over-the-past-month/2019/10/21/8abe62ae-f402-11e9-829d-87b12c2f85dd_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Muhammadu Buhari said in October 2019 of the Islamic rehabilitation centers</a> that he would not “tolerate the existence of the torture chambers and physical abuses of inmates in the name of rehabilitation.” But the government has yet to acknowledge that this abuse is rife in government-run facilities too.\n\nBetween August 2018 and September 2019, Human Rights Watch visited 28 facilities ostensibly providing mental health care in 8 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including federal psychiatric hospitals, general state hospitals, state-owned rehabilitation centers, Islamic rehabilitation centers, traditional healing centers, and Christian churches. Human Rights Watch interviewed 124 people, including 49 chaining victims and their families, staff in various facilities, mental health professionals, and government officials. The names of the victims have been changed to protect their safety.\n\nDeep-rooted problems in Nigeria’s healthcare and welfare systems leave most Nigerians unable to get adequate mental health care or support in their communities. Stigma and misunderstanding about mental health conditions, including the misperception that they are caused by evil spirits or supernatural forces, often prompt relatives to take their loved ones to religious or traditional healing places.\n\nHuman Rights Watch found that people with actual or perceived mental health conditions, including children, are placed in facilities without their consent, usually by relatives. In some cases, police arrest people with actual or perceived mental health conditions and send them to government-run rehabilitation centers. Once there, many are shackled with iron chains, around one or both ankles, to heavy objects or to other detainees, in some cases for months or years. They cannot leave, are often confined in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions, and are sometimes forced to sleep, eat, and defecate within the same confined place. Many are physically and emotionally abused as well as forced to take treatments.\n\nA nun in charge during a Human Rights Watch visit to a state-owned rehabilitation center in southeastern Nigeria said they chain people to their beds “so they do not run away.” The nun defended chaining a woman who had HIV “to stop her from going around the men.” Human Rights Watch found another woman at the same institution chained naked to her bed.\n\nThe staff, except one older guard, would leave at 6:30 p.m. each day, leaving residents, including children as young as 13, with no one to help them. The facility has no electricity, so people are chained to their beds in total darkness. The nun said that, “The patients are given flashlights to use at night.”\n\nIn a traditional healing center close to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, Human Rights Watch met a woman who was pinned to a tree trunk with an iron ring. She had been restrained like this for three weeks with her upper body naked. She was unable to move and so she was forced to eat, urinate, and defecate where she sat.\n\nChaining can cause serious injuries and psychological distress. A 35-year-old woman chained for 10 months in an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano, northern Nigeria, said, “Everything about this (chaining) is difficult. You feel like you want to commit suicide … regardless of how you felt before coming here, you will get worse.”\n\nAdults and children in some Islamic rehabilitation centers reported being whipped, causing deep wounds. People in Christian healing centers and churches described being denied food for up to three days at a time, which staff characterized as “fasting” for “treatment” purposes.\n\nIn many of the traditional and religious rehabilitation centers visited, staff forced people with mental health conditions, including children, to eat or drink herbs, in some cases with staff pinning people down to make them swallow.\n\nIn psychiatric hospitals and government-run rehabilitation centers, staff forcibly administered medication, while some staff admitted to administering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to patients without their consent.\n\nIn some cases, families took their children – including young adults – to religious and traditional rehabilitation centers for actual or perceived drug use or “deviant” behavior, including skipping school, smoking tobacco or marijuana, or stealing from their parents. Some children in the facilities – some as young as 10 – have been abandoned by their families.\n\nNigeria ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007. It has the obligation to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities, including the right to liberty and freedom from torture, ill-treatment, and forced treatment. While the Nigerian Constitution prohibits torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment, the government has not outlawed chaining. In a 2015 report, the <a href=\"http://antitorture.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/English_Ghana_Follow-up_Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">United Nations special rapporteur on torture said that chaining</a> “unequivocally amount[s] to torture.”\n\nThe Nigerian government should ban chaining and urgently investigate chaining in state-owned rehabilitation centers, psychiatric hospitals, and faith-based and traditional healing centers in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The government should also prioritize the development of quality, accessible, and affordable community-based mental health services.\n\n“President Buhari denounced chaining as torture,” Ćerimović said. “But it’s not enough to raid these centers and shut them down. People rescued from these desperate conditions and other Nigerians experiencing psychological distress should have access to proper psychosocial support and mental health services.”\n\n<strong>Mental Health in Nigeria</strong>\n\nA <a href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mental health condition</a> refers to a range of experiences that affect a person’s mood, thinking, and behavior. This includes depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar condition. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, or any other background. The World Health Organization (WHO) says a <a href=\"https://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mental health condition will affect one in four people globally</a> at some point in their lives.\n\n<a href=\"https://www.apn.org.ng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria has fewer than 300 psychiatrists</a> for an estimated population of over 200 million. Several mental health professionals told Human Rights Watch that quality mental health services are available only to wealthier citizens who can afford it. The lack of quality mental health care and its prohibitive cost often drives people to consult traditional or faith-based healers.\n\n<a href=\"https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/acts/1958-45.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria’s 1958 Lunacy Act</a> allows the detaining of people with mental health conditions in mental health institutions, even without providing medical or therapeutic treatment. People spend years in institutions – sometimes decades – because Nigeria lacks adequate services to support them in the community. In all but one of the facilities Human Rights Watch visited, people were not allowed to leave or to challenge their detention.\n\n<strong>Unlawful Detention</strong>\n\nIn 27 of 28 facilities Human Rights Watch visited, all residents had been unlawfully detained. They did not enter the facilities voluntarily and could not leave if they wished to do so.\n\nVictor, a 29-year-old Christian man held in an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano since June 2018, said:\n\nI heard that I would be here only for two weeks at first when I was brought here, then later that changed to one month, then two months. Now I am going on my third month here. Other people here say they were told the same thing, and they ended up staying here for years.\n\nAkanni, a 22-year-old woman who had a mental health crisis following the death of her mother and who had been detained in a church in Abeokuta for five months at the time of a March 2019 interview, said: “When my father brought me, I didn’t know that he would leave me here. I was not happy, but I don’t have a choice.”\n\nSometimes families pay healers to detain their relative at home and take them to a center. Shums, a 27-year-old man who said he had depression, was taken as he worked on his farm in early 2019:\n\nTwo men approached me and asked if they could talk with me. I complied and started walking with them. They jumped on me, handcuffed me, and put shackles on my feet. Then they brought me here [an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano].\n\n<strong>Chaining</strong>\n\nIn 27 out of 28 facilities visited, staff chained or shackled adults and children. The youngest child chained was a 10-year-old boy and the oldest person was an 86-year-old man who also had a visual disability. Typically, staff fasten a chain to either both or one ankle of a person and connect it to a heavy or immovable object, such as a bed, tree, or car engine. In some cases, shackles consisted of an iron bracelet around both ankles, making it difficult for the person to move around. Some people are chained for a few days at a time as punishment, or for weeks or months to prevent them from moving or leaving.\n\nShums, a 27-year-old man with depression, was shackled by his leg to another man’s leg in an Islamic rehabilitation center in northern Nigeria. “We are like this all the time. Even when we have to use the toilet or sleep,” Shums said.  Two other men there were also shackled together. The center’s healer said one man had suicidal thoughts, “So I chained him to another person who is responsible, to prevent him from killing himself.”\n\nIn a government-owned rehabilitation center in northern Nigeria, Human Rights Watch saw dozens of men and women chained. Many were chained by one ankle to a piece of iron welded to the concrete floor. Most had lived there for years, some for up to 15 years.\n\nStaff at a psychiatric hospital in northern Nigeria insisted that chaining did not occur on the premises, but a researcher discovered a ward where people had iron shackles around their ankles.\n\nDespite repeated requests, Human Rights Watch was not allowed to meet or speak to people held in federal psychiatric hospitals in Kaduna, Lagos, and Abeokuta. Two psychiatrists, one psychiatric nurse, and one mental health activist said that shackling occurs in federal psychiatric hospitals across Nigeria. A doctor who works in a psychiatric hospital in southern Nigeria said, “We have to use chains in some cases.” A psychiatrist in a hospital in Lagos said that the staff there use handcuffs.\n\nTightly bound chains cause painful wounds as well as emotional suffering. Zain, who was chained in a traditional healing center in Abeokuta, said, “I was chained for three months until yesterday, with lots of injuries from the chains which are just starting to heal.” Adedamola, a woman in her 40s held in a church in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, for two years, said the chains would often injure her ankles.\n\n<strong>Unsanitary and Degrading Conditions</strong>\n\nPeople who are chained are forced to live in unsanitary conditions. Many must eat, urinate, defecate, and sleep in the same place, usually within the same place where they are confined.\n\nStaff often provide a bucket or plastic bag to urinate and defecate in, usually in full view of others. Akanni, who was chained in a shed in a Christian church with an unrelated man for up to three days at a time, said, “They left me a bowl to urinate and defecate. I had to do it in front of the man.”\n\nPeople detained in some Islamic rehabilitation centers Human Rights Watch visited usually had access to toilets during the day, but not at night. Khalil, a young man chained in a center in northern Nigeria after his family accused him of stealing and drug use, said:\n\nIf you feel you are in need to use toilet, you wake up someone you are close to and ask them if they have any plastic bag. If you want to urinate, you use the bottle we use for [drinking] water.\n\nVictor, the man chained in Kano, said:\n\nHygiene is a big issue here. When one person gets sick, it spreads quickly to other people. They refuse to give medicines when necessary because they say we will get hooked on it or they say the police will arrest them for getting it.\n\nAnother man said more than 60 people slept in his room: “More than 100 people use 1 toilet, the hygiene is very bad. When we are sick, and we request for drugs, it doesn’t come until we are almost dead.”\n\nA woman in her 30s who was chained to a car engine in a shed together with two men by a traditional healer’s home in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria, said: “I go to toilet in this place [where I am shackled] in plastic bags until they take it away at night.”\n\nPeople also had to urinate and defecate on themselves in two other traditional healing facilities Human Rights Watch visited. A 20-year-old woman said: “They tied me and kept me inside the room at the back for three days. I defecated and urinated on myself while I was in the room.”\n\nThe government-run rehabilitation center in southeastern Nigeria had functioning toilets. Yet staff denied those chained there access to the toilets, and instead left them a bucket next to their beds.\n\nIn three facilities, staff did not allow people to bathe regularly. A traditional healer in Abuja said: “When people are locked up … they don’t bathe sometimes for months until they feel better…. We just pour water with herbs on them without going very close to them.”\n\nHuman Rights Watch also found that people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities were denied food in some Christian healing centers. Akanni, the 22-year-old woman who had been detained in a church in Abeokuta for five months, said:\n\nWhen I first arrived here, I was tied with chains for three days straight so I could fast. For the three days I had no food or water. It wasn’t my choice, but the pastor said it was good for me. Sometimes if they say I should fast and I drink water or take food, they (staff in the church) put me on a chain. The chaining is punishment. I have been put on chain so many times I can’t count.\n\nAnother 27-year-old woman held in the same church said:\n\nWhen I came here, I started screaming. They took me to the prayer room, where I was chained and forced to fast for seven days. After the first seven days they released me for a little bit and then again chained me for seven days.\n\nStaff in the church and two other churches in the south confirmed the practice.\n\n<strong>Violence</strong>\n\nPeople in Islamic rehabilitation centers said that staff whipped them. Khalil, who was shackled for six months in such a center in northern Nigeria, showed researchers scars on his left arm that he said were from whipping.\n\nAn Islamic faith healer in northern Nigeria said:\n\nIf you are treating someone who is mentally unwell and he acts in a way that is causing disturbance, you will have to treat him. Some of them might be talking to themselves or suffer from lack of sleep…. For some of them, getting enough sleep will help. For others, we need to whip them – once, twice … up to seven times.\n\nA dozen people in that center showed researchers scars on their arms, chests, and backs that they said were from floggings by staff.\n\nAmina, who had a breakdown after her mother died and was taken to various Islamic healers and a psychiatric hospital, said she was tied with ropes, beaten, and spat on in one rehabilitation center in Kaduna, and then molested by a traditional healer in Abuja who came to her home: “He told me to undress, that it is the part of the healing process, and then he started touching my body,” Amina said. “Explain to me, how is that part of a healing process? How is that Islamic?” Staff in a psychiatric hospital in Abuja also tied Amina to a bed and forcibly injected her with medication. “I peed on myself. I was on my period and they just kept sedating me.”\n\nAkanni said that staff had slapped her.\n\nFaith-based and traditional healing centers might have the aim of caring for people who had nowhere else to go for support and help because of a mental health crisis or because they had been abandoned. Many traditional and faith-based healers interviewed seemed to genuinely care about the people in their centers. However, chaining strips people with mental health conditions of their most fundamental rights to dignity and humane treatment. Physical violence and sexual abuse further damages the physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and social well-being of an individual and can amount to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.\n\n<strong>Forced Treatment</strong>\n\nIn psychiatric hospitals and government-run rehabilitation centers, staff said that people are given oral and injectable medication without their consent. In two psychiatric hospitals visited, patients were given electroconvulsive therapy without their consent.\n\nIn many traditional and religious centers visited, healers forced herbal and other non-medical treatment on people with mental health conditions. One traditional healer in Ibadan said that four people would hold a person down so that he could administer herbs.\n\nAnother traditional healer in Ibadan said “We have to force them to take the herbs that will heal them. Sometimes we get strong people, strong boys, to hold them down so we can put the chains on them and give them herbs.”\n\nA Christian pastor in Ibadan described using chains as a threat to make people take herbs. In front of a traditional healer’s home in Abuja, researchers saw several women holding down a 12-year-old girl and making cuts on her back with a blade. They then smeared ground herbs into the cuts. The healer justified it by saying the girl had been stealing from her mother, and they had to let the evil blood come out of her.\n\n<strong>Recent Government Action</strong>\n\nOn June 17 and September 12, 2019, respectively, Human Rights Watch sent letters to the federal government in Abuja requesting to meet with officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development to discuss the findings but received no response. The two federal ministries have also not responded to an October 24 letter setting out concerns about chaining and abuse.\n\nSince <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hundreds-of-children-rescued-by-nigerian-police-fromtorture-schools-over-the-past-month/2019/10/21/8abe62ae-f402-11e9-829d-87b12c2f85dd_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Human Rights Watch began investigating chaining in Nigeria</a> in August 2018, several facilities have been closed. In September 2019, police closed an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kaduna that Human Rights Watch had visited in March. Another <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/hausa/labarai-50123563?fbclid=IwAR0xTeEVNYEY_u9MRL4NHBAmN2uRcS58fiswHtCqcfb1GLaQfYtMf315NR8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano was closed preventively</a> in October.\n\nWhile closing abusive facilities is a positive step, the government should ensure that it provides adequate psychosocial and mental health support in the community to people who have been freed. Otherwise, closing down these centers does nothing to address the desperate moves by families to look towards traditional and faith-based centers for loved ones with mental health conditions because of the lack of rights-respecting alternatives.\n\n<strong>Recommendations</strong>\n\nThe Nigerian government should:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Completely ban chaining</li>\n 	<li>Urgently investigate all state and private institutions where people with mental health conditions live in all 36 states and Federal Capital Territory with the goal of stopping chaining and ending abuses</li>\n 	<li>Ensure that people rescued have access to psychosocial support and social services, including child psychologists and specialist support services for children</li>\n 	<li>Train and sensitize government health workers, mental health professionals, and staff in faith-based and traditional healing centers to the rights and needs of people with mental health conditions</li>\n 	<li>Conduct a public information campaign to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the rights of people with disabilities, especially among alternative mental health service providers and the broader community, in partnership with people with lived experiences of mental health conditions, faith leaders, and media</li>\n 	<li>Progressively develop voluntary and accessible community-based mental health and support services, in consultation with people with lived experiences of mental health conditions and with the support of international donors and partners. This should include development of psychosocial support services and integration of mental health services in the primary healthcare system.</li>\n</ul>\n</header>\n<div class=\"article-utilities article-utilities--fixed clearfix is-attached\">\n<div class=\"article-print\"></div>\n</div>','Nigeria: People With Mental Health Conditions Chained, Abused','“President Buhari denounced chaining as torture,” Ćerimović said. “But it’s not enough to raid these centers and shut them down. People rescued from these desperate conditions and other Nigerians experiencing psychological distress should have access to proper psychosocial support and mental health services.”','publish','open','open','','nigeria-people-with-mental-health-conditions-chained-abused','','','2019-12-06 18:13:30','2019-12-06 18:13:30','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2106',13,'post','',0),(2396,2,'2019-12-06 15:27:17','2019-12-06 15:27:17','<h3>ARTICLES</h3>		\n			<h3>Source</h3>		\n			<h3>Originally published by:</h3>		\n								Share on facebook\n								Share on google\n								Share on twitter\n								Share on linkedin\n			<h3>Comments</h3>','ARTICLE TEMPLATE','','publish','closed','closed','','article-template','','','2019-12-06 17:08:26','2019-12-06 17:08:26','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?post_type=elementor_library&#038;p=2396',0,'elementor_library','',0),(2138,2,'2019-12-03 00:59:52','2019-12-03 00:59:52','','16871251069_8a1afe20e0_o','','inherit','open','closed','','16871251069_8a1afe20e0_o','','','2019-12-03 00:59:52','2019-12-03 00:59:52','',2135,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/16871251069_8a1afe20e0_o.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2113,2,'2019-12-03 00:24:09','2019-12-03 00:24:09','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Nigeria: People With Mental Health Conditions Chained, Abused\r\n</strong><strong>Author: Human Rights Watch\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/11/nigeria-people-mental-health-conditions-chained-abused\">Human Rights Watch </a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTmlDSI3UpQ[/embedyt]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<header class=\"article-header\">\r\n<p class=\"subtitle\">Ban Chaining; Provide Mental Health Services.</p>\r\n(Abuja, November 11, 2019) – Thousands of people with mental health conditions across <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/africa/nigeria\">Nigeria</a> are chained and locked up in various facilities where they face terrible abuse, Human Rights Watch said today.\r\n\r\nDetention, chaining, and violent treatment are pervasive in many settings, including state hospitals, rehabilitation centers, traditional healing centers, and both Christian and Islamic faith-based facilities.\r\n\r\n“People with mental health conditions should be supported and provided with effective services in their communities, not chained and abused,” said <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/about/people/emina-cerimovic\">Emina Ćerimović</a>, senior disability rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “People with mental health conditions find themselves in chains in various places in Nigeria, subject to years of unimaginable hardship and abuse.”\r\n\r\nPresident <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hundreds-of-children-rescued-by-nigerian-police-fromtorture-schools-over-the-past-month/2019/10/21/8abe62ae-f402-11e9-829d-87b12c2f85dd_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Muhammadu Buhari said in October 2019 of the Islamic rehabilitation centers</a> that he would not “tolerate the existence of the torture chambers and physical abuses of inmates in the name of rehabilitation.” But the government has yet to acknowledge that this abuse is rife in government-run facilities too.\r\n\r\nBetween August 2018 and September 2019, Human Rights Watch visited 28 facilities ostensibly providing mental health care in 8 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including federal psychiatric hospitals, general state hospitals, state-owned rehabilitation centers, Islamic rehabilitation centers, traditional healing centers, and Christian churches. Human Rights Watch interviewed 124 people, including 49 chaining victims and their families, staff in various facilities, mental health professionals, and government officials. The names of the victims have been changed to protect their safety.\r\n\r\nDeep-rooted problems in Nigeria’s healthcare and welfare systems leave most Nigerians unable to get adequate mental health care or support in their communities. Stigma and misunderstanding about mental health conditions, including the misperception that they are caused by evil spirits or supernatural forces, often prompt relatives to take their loved ones to religious or traditional healing places.\r\n\r\nHuman Rights Watch found that people with actual or perceived mental health conditions, including children, are placed in facilities without their consent, usually by relatives. In some cases, police arrest people with actual or perceived mental health conditions and send them to government-run rehabilitation centers. Once there, many are shackled with iron chains, around one or both ankles, to heavy objects or to other detainees, in some cases for months or years. They cannot leave, are often confined in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions, and are sometimes forced to sleep, eat, and defecate within the same confined place. Many are physically and emotionally abused as well as forced to take treatments.\r\n\r\nA nun in charge during a Human Rights Watch visit to a state-owned rehabilitation center in southeastern Nigeria said they chain people to their beds “so they do not run away.” The nun defended chaining a woman who had HIV “to stop her from going around the men.” Human Rights Watch found another woman at the same institution chained naked to her bed.\r\n\r\nThe staff, except one older guard, would leave at 6:30 p.m. each day, leaving residents, including children as young as 13, with no one to help them. The facility has no electricity, so people are chained to their beds in total darkness. The nun said that, “The patients are given flashlights to use at night.”\r\n\r\nIn a traditional healing center close to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, Human Rights Watch met a woman who was pinned to a tree trunk with an iron ring. She had been restrained like this for three weeks with her upper body naked. She was unable to move and so she was forced to eat, urinate, and defecate where she sat.\r\n\r\nChaining can cause serious injuries and psychological distress. A 35-year-old woman chained for 10 months in an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano, northern Nigeria, said, “Everything about this (chaining) is difficult. You feel like you want to commit suicide … regardless of how you felt before coming here, you will get worse.”\r\n\r\nAdults and children in some Islamic rehabilitation centers reported being whipped, causing deep wounds. People in Christian healing centers and churches described being denied food for up to three days at a time, which staff characterized as “fasting” for “treatment” purposes.\r\n\r\nIn many of the traditional and religious rehabilitation centers visited, staff forced people with mental health conditions, including children, to eat or drink herbs, in some cases with staff pinning people down to make them swallow.\r\n\r\nIn psychiatric hospitals and government-run rehabilitation centers, staff forcibly administered medication, while some staff admitted to administering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to patients without their consent.\r\n\r\nIn some cases, families took their children – including young adults – to religious and traditional rehabilitation centers for actual or perceived drug use or “deviant” behavior, including skipping school, smoking tobacco or marijuana, or stealing from their parents. Some children in the facilities – some as young as 10 – have been abandoned by their families.\r\n\r\nNigeria ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007. It has the obligation to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities, including the right to liberty and freedom from torture, ill-treatment, and forced treatment. While the Nigerian Constitution prohibits torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment, the government has not outlawed chaining. In a 2015 report, the <a href=\"http://antitorture.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/English_Ghana_Follow-up_Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">United Nations special rapporteur on torture said that chaining</a> “unequivocally amount[s] to torture.”\r\n\r\nThe Nigerian government should ban chaining and urgently investigate chaining in state-owned rehabilitation centers, psychiatric hospitals, and faith-based and traditional healing centers in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The government should also prioritize the development of quality, accessible, and affordable community-based mental health services.\r\n\r\n“President Buhari denounced chaining as torture,” Ćerimović said. “But it’s not enough to raid these centers and shut them down. People rescued from these desperate conditions and other Nigerians experiencing psychological distress should have access to proper psychosocial support and mental health services.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Mental Health in Nigeria</strong>\r\n\r\nA <a href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mental health condition</a> refers to a range of experiences that affect a person’s mood, thinking, and behavior. This includes depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar condition. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, or any other background. The World Health Organization (WHO) says a <a href=\"https://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mental health condition will affect one in four people globally</a> at some point in their lives.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.apn.org.ng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria has fewer than 300 psychiatrists</a> for an estimated population of over 200 million. Several mental health professionals told Human Rights Watch that quality mental health services are available only to wealthier citizens who can afford it. The lack of quality mental health care and its prohibitive cost often drives people to consult traditional or faith-based healers.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/acts/1958-45.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria’s 1958 Lunacy Act</a> allows the detaining of people with mental health conditions in mental health institutions, even without providing medical or therapeutic treatment. People spend years in institutions – sometimes decades – because Nigeria lacks adequate services to support them in the community. In all but one of the facilities Human Rights Watch visited, people were not allowed to leave or to challenge their detention.\r\n\r\n<strong>Unlawful Detention</strong>\r\n\r\nIn 27 of 28 facilities Human Rights Watch visited, all residents had been unlawfully detained. They did not enter the facilities voluntarily and could not leave if they wished to do so.\r\n\r\nVictor, a 29-year-old Christian man held in an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano since June 2018, said:\r\n\r\nI heard that I would be here only for two weeks at first when I was brought here, then later that changed to one month, then two months. Now I am going on my third month here. Other people here say they were told the same thing, and they ended up staying here for years.\r\n\r\nAkanni, a 22-year-old woman who had a mental health crisis following the death of her mother and who had been detained in a church in Abeokuta for five months at the time of a March 2019 interview, said: “When my father brought me, I didn’t know that he would leave me here. I was not happy, but I don’t have a choice.”\r\n\r\nSometimes families pay healers to detain their relative at home and take them to a center. Shums, a 27-year-old man who said he had depression, was taken as he worked on his farm in early 2019:\r\n\r\nTwo men approached me and asked if they could talk with me. I complied and started walking with them. They jumped on me, handcuffed me, and put shackles on my feet. Then they brought me here [an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano].\r\n\r\n<strong>Chaining</strong>\r\n\r\nIn 27 out of 28 facilities visited, staff chained or shackled adults and children. The youngest child chained was a 10-year-old boy and the oldest person was an 86-year-old man who also had a visual disability. Typically, staff fasten a chain to either both or one ankle of a person and connect it to a heavy or immovable object, such as a bed, tree, or car engine. In some cases, shackles consisted of an iron bracelet around both ankles, making it difficult for the person to move around. Some people are chained for a few days at a time as punishment, or for weeks or months to prevent them from moving or leaving.\r\n\r\nShums, a 27-year-old man with depression, was shackled by his leg to another man’s leg in an Islamic rehabilitation center in northern Nigeria. “We are like this all the time. Even when we have to use the toilet or sleep,” Shums said.  Two other men there were also shackled together. The center’s healer said one man had suicidal thoughts, “So I chained him to another person who is responsible, to prevent him from killing himself.”\r\n\r\nIn a government-owned rehabilitation center in northern Nigeria, Human Rights Watch saw dozens of men and women chained. Many were chained by one ankle to a piece of iron welded to the concrete floor. Most had lived there for years, some for up to 15 years.\r\n\r\nStaff at a psychiatric hospital in northern Nigeria insisted that chaining did not occur on the premises, but a researcher discovered a ward where people had iron shackles around their ankles.\r\n\r\nDespite repeated requests, Human Rights Watch was not allowed to meet or speak to people held in federal psychiatric hospitals in Kaduna, Lagos, and Abeokuta. Two psychiatrists, one psychiatric nurse, and one mental health activist said that shackling occurs in federal psychiatric hospitals across Nigeria. A doctor who works in a psychiatric hospital in southern Nigeria said, “We have to use chains in some cases.” A psychiatrist in a hospital in Lagos said that the staff there use handcuffs.\r\n\r\nTightly bound chains cause painful wounds as well as emotional suffering. Zain, who was chained in a traditional healing center in Abeokuta, said, “I was chained for three months until yesterday, with lots of injuries from the chains which are just starting to heal.” Adedamola, a woman in her 40s held in a church in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, for two years, said the chains would often injure her ankles.\r\n\r\n<strong>Unsanitary and Degrading Conditions</strong>\r\n\r\nPeople who are chained are forced to live in unsanitary conditions. Many must eat, urinate, defecate, and sleep in the same place, usually within the same place where they are confined.\r\n\r\nStaff often provide a bucket or plastic bag to urinate and defecate in, usually in full view of others. Akanni, who was chained in a shed in a Christian church with an unrelated man for up to three days at a time, said, “They left me a bowl to urinate and defecate. I had to do it in front of the man.”\r\n\r\nPeople detained in some Islamic rehabilitation centers Human Rights Watch visited usually had access to toilets during the day, but not at night. Khalil, a young man chained in a center in northern Nigeria after his family accused him of stealing and drug use, said:\r\n\r\nIf you feel you are in need to use toilet, you wake up someone you are close to and ask them if they have any plastic bag. If you want to urinate, you use the bottle we use for [drinking] water.\r\n\r\nVictor, the man chained in Kano, said:\r\n\r\nHygiene is a big issue here. When one person gets sick, it spreads quickly to other people. They refuse to give medicines when necessary because they say we will get hooked on it or they say the police will arrest them for getting it.\r\n\r\nAnother man said more than 60 people slept in his room: “More than 100 people use 1 toilet, the hygiene is very bad. When we are sick, and we request for drugs, it doesn’t come until we are almost dead.”\r\n\r\nA woman in her 30s who was chained to a car engine in a shed together with two men by a traditional healer’s home in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria, said: “I go to toilet in this place [where I am shackled] in plastic bags until they take it away at night.”\r\n\r\nPeople also had to urinate and defecate on themselves in two other traditional healing facilities Human Rights Watch visited. A 20-year-old woman said: “They tied me and kept me inside the room at the back for three days. I defecated and urinated on myself while I was in the room.”\r\n\r\nThe government-run rehabilitation center in southeastern Nigeria had functioning toilets. Yet staff denied those chained there access to the toilets, and instead left them a bucket next to their beds.\r\n\r\nIn three facilities, staff did not allow people to bathe regularly. A traditional healer in Abuja said: “When people are locked up … they don’t bathe sometimes for months until they feel better…. We just pour water with herbs on them without going very close to them.”\r\n\r\nHuman Rights Watch also found that people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities were denied food in some Christian healing centers. Akanni, the 22-year-old woman who had been detained in a church in Abeokuta for five months, said:\r\n\r\nWhen I first arrived here, I was tied with chains for three days straight so I could fast. For the three days I had no food or water. It wasn’t my choice, but the pastor said it was good for me. Sometimes if they say I should fast and I drink water or take food, they (staff in the church) put me on a chain. The chaining is punishment. I have been put on chain so many times I can’t count.\r\n\r\nAnother 27-year-old woman held in the same church said:\r\n\r\nWhen I came here, I started screaming. They took me to the prayer room, where I was chained and forced to fast for seven days. After the first seven days they released me for a little bit and then again chained me for seven days.\r\n\r\nStaff in the church and two other churches in the south confirmed the practice.\r\n\r\n<strong>Violence</strong>\r\n\r\nPeople in Islamic rehabilitation centers said that staff whipped them. Khalil, who was shackled for six months in such a center in northern Nigeria, showed researchers scars on his left arm that he said were from whipping.\r\n\r\nAn Islamic faith healer in northern Nigeria said:\r\n\r\nIf you are treating someone who is mentally unwell and he acts in a way that is causing disturbance, you will have to treat him. Some of them might be talking to themselves or suffer from lack of sleep…. For some of them, getting enough sleep will help. For others, we need to whip them – once, twice … up to seven times.\r\n\r\nA dozen people in that center showed researchers scars on their arms, chests, and backs that they said were from floggings by staff.\r\n\r\nAmina, who had a breakdown after her mother died and was taken to various Islamic healers and a psychiatric hospital, said she was tied with ropes, beaten, and spat on in one rehabilitation center in Kaduna, and then molested by a traditional healer in Abuja who came to her home: “He told me to undress, that it is the part of the healing process, and then he started touching my body,” Amina said. “Explain to me, how is that part of a healing process? How is that Islamic?” Staff in a psychiatric hospital in Abuja also tied Amina to a bed and forcibly injected her with medication. “I peed on myself. I was on my period and they just kept sedating me.”\r\n\r\nAkanni said that staff had slapped her.\r\n\r\nFaith-based and traditional healing centers might have the aim of caring for people who had nowhere else to go for support and help because of a mental health crisis or because they had been abandoned. Many traditional and faith-based healers interviewed seemed to genuinely care about the people in their centers. However, chaining strips people with mental health conditions of their most fundamental rights to dignity and humane treatment. Physical violence and sexual abuse further damages the physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and social well-being of an individual and can amount to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.\r\n\r\n<strong>Forced Treatment</strong>\r\n\r\nIn psychiatric hospitals and government-run rehabilitation centers, staff said that people are given oral and injectable medication without their consent. In two psychiatric hospitals visited, patients were given electroconvulsive therapy without their consent.\r\n\r\nIn many traditional and religious centers visited, healers forced herbal and other non-medical treatment on people with mental health conditions. One traditional healer in Ibadan said that four people would hold a person down so that he could administer herbs.\r\n\r\nAnother traditional healer in Ibadan said “We have to force them to take the herbs that will heal them. Sometimes we get strong people, strong boys, to hold them down so we can put the chains on them and give them herbs.”\r\n\r\nA Christian pastor in Ibadan described using chains as a threat to make people take herbs. In front of a traditional healer’s home in Abuja, researchers saw several women holding down a 12-year-old girl and making cuts on her back with a blade. They then smeared ground herbs into the cuts. The healer justified it by saying the girl had been stealing from her mother, and they had to let the evil blood come out of her.\r\n\r\n<strong>Recent Government Action</strong>\r\n\r\nOn June 17 and September 12, 2019, respectively, Human Rights Watch sent letters to the federal government in Abuja requesting to meet with officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development to discuss the findings but received no response. The two federal ministries have also not responded to an October 24 letter setting out concerns about chaining and abuse.\r\n\r\nSince <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hundreds-of-children-rescued-by-nigerian-police-fromtorture-schools-over-the-past-month/2019/10/21/8abe62ae-f402-11e9-829d-87b12c2f85dd_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Human Rights Watch began investigating chaining in Nigeria</a> in August 2018, several facilities have been closed. In September 2019, police closed an Islamic rehabilitation center in Kaduna that Human Rights Watch had visited in March. Another <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/hausa/labarai-50123563?fbclid=IwAR0xTeEVNYEY_u9MRL4NHBAmN2uRcS58fiswHtCqcfb1GLaQfYtMf315NR8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Islamic rehabilitation center in Kano was closed preventively</a> in October.\r\n\r\nWhile closing abusive facilities is a positive step, the government should ensure that it provides adequate psychosocial and mental health support in the community to people who have been freed. Otherwise, closing down these centers does nothing to address the desperate moves by families to look towards traditional and faith-based centers for loved ones with mental health conditions because of the lack of rights-respecting alternatives.\r\n\r\n<strong>Recommendations</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Nigerian government should:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Completely ban chaining</li>\r\n 	<li>Urgently investigate all state and private institutions where people with mental health conditions live in all 36 states and Federal Capital Territory with the goal of stopping chaining and ending abuses</li>\r\n 	<li>Ensure that people rescued have access to psychosocial support and social services, including child psychologists and specialist support services for children</li>\r\n 	<li>Train and sensitize government health workers, mental health professionals, and staff in faith-based and traditional healing centers to the rights and needs of people with mental health conditions</li>\r\n 	<li>Conduct a public information campaign to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the rights of people with disabilities, especially among alternative mental health service providers and the broader community, in partnership with people with lived experiences of mental health conditions, faith leaders, and media</li>\r\n 	<li>Progressively develop voluntary and accessible community-based mental health and support services, in consultation with people with lived experiences of mental health conditions and with the support of international donors and partners. This should include development of psychosocial support services and integration of mental health services in the primary healthcare system.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</header>\r\n<div class=\"article-utilities article-utilities--fixed clearfix is-attached\">\r\n<div class=\"article-print\"></div>\r\n</div>','Nigeria: People With Mental Health Conditions Chained, Abused','','inherit','closed','closed','','2106-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 00:24:09','2019-12-03 00:24:09','',2106,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2106-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2116,2,'2019-11-22 10:00:34','2019-11-22 10:00:34','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>Jos — Shehu Ibrahim Musa has been fixing electrical appliances since 1998 after he graduated from secondary school. Though a physically challenged resulting from poliomyelitis, Shehu is undeterred by his physical disability and social challenges. He works from his mud house in Mai Adiko area of Rayfield in Jos south and says fixing appliances is a gift he inherited from his father. \"I fix all electronics such as TV, fans, radios and other electric appliances but I don\'t fix phones,\" he told Benue/Plateau Trust.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"54\">\"After completing my education at Government College Zawan, in Jos South, I didn\'t go further. I started to fix appliances because it was something my father did. He did not get any formal training on the skill, he was a taxi driver by profession but had the gift of fixing things,\" he further stated.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"56\">Like his father, Shehu also has the gift and attracts customers from many parts of the city including Dilimi in Jos North. By watching his father, Shehu said, he started by fixing a small transistor radio. Though it was not something he took seriously at that time, he said the skill has now become his lifeline.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"27\">However, with the internet serving as the window to the world, Shehu told our correspondent that he was working towards modernising his skill by becoming technologically savvy.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"67\">\"I do a lot of research online to find ways of fixing modern appliances. That was how I learnt to fix LCD television sets. When I need to buy a particular sparepart, I sometimes go online to find what I\'m looking for and read about it while other times I work with other friends in the same line of business to find ways of solving a problem.\"</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"13\">The phone Shehu uses, however, is quite old and barely serves his purpose.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"46\">\"Sometimes I have to borrow a phone from someone to browse the internet because mine barely has the capacity for the kind of research I do. It would have been much easier if I had a computer but for now, I rely mostly on borrowed phones.\"</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"62\">So far, none of Shehu\'s seven children have shown interest in following in his footstep but he says it doesn\'t bother him as they have all been enrolled in school. He has, however, trained about four apprentices who now operate independently and have advanced to fixing electrical problems on heavy duty machines such as caterpillars while another has moved to fixing phones.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\" data-para-word-count=\"27\">The father of seven said the business has not been as lucrative as it once was and he fears that they may soon be out of business.</p>','Nigeria: I\'m Not Defined By Physical Disability - Crippled Electrician','\"Sometimes I have to borrow a phone from someone to browse the internet because mine barely has the capacity for the kind of research I do. It would have been much easier if I had a computer but for now, I rely mostly on borrowed phones.\"','publish','open','open','','nigeria-im-not-defined-by-physical-disability-crippled-electrician','','','2019-12-06 18:09:33','2019-12-06 18:09:33','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2116',12,'post','',0),(2451,2,'2019-12-06 18:06:10','2019-12-06 18:06:10','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong><strong>NIGERIA’s ineffective inclusive education policy, aggravated by widespread fraud and infrastructure dearth, is driving more of its blind population to beg for a living</strong></p>\nA quick fact-check: Presenting the 2019 budget proposal to the state House of Assembly in November 2018, governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, announced that his administration had spent a chunk of the N646.649bn budget for 2018 on training and resettlement of 20 visually impaired persons (the blind) in different skills at the Nigerian Farm Craft Centre, Lagos and subsequent empowerment for them to start up their businesses in the development trade they learnt.\n\nSuppose the governor did exactly as he had told his legislature, that would have been 20 persons lifted out of a life of penury and street begging for which Nigerians living with disabilities are known.\n\nSeveral SMS and Whatsapp messages sent to Charles Udoh, immediate-past Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, requesting for information on the details of the trainees and the amount of the budget invested on them did not receive a reply.\n\nTo verify the governor’s claim, the reporter contacted the principal of the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, Mohammed Shuaibu Afegbua, who made it known that no student attended the centre in 2018, not even in 2017.\n\n“This school has neither admitted nor trained a single visually challenged Nigerian since 2016, he stated, adding “the last set of students we admitted graduated in December 2016.\n\nAlso, it is not possible for a state to send twenty visually challenged persons to the NFCB at once in a given session, contrary to Emmanuel’s claim. This is because the centre is a federal institution that operates a quota system of admission.\n\nIn essence, only three visually impaired candidates from each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory may be admitted in a given academic session, the principal further disclosed.\n\n“But as I speak, virtually all the states have candidates waiting on standby from six years back.”\n\nConclusion: It is not true that Mr Udom Emmanuel spent part of the budget passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in 2018 to train 20 blind citizens of the state at the NFCB.\n\n<strong>In the throes of dakness</strong>\n\nThe casualties of this kind of official deception are much more than those shortchanged by Governor Emmanuel. No less than a million persons living with blindness across the country are in dire need of some form of urgent rehabilitation to enable them live a productive and independent life again.\n\nThat is an estimate from an old study though. For over a decade now, just one national blindness and visual impairment survey has been carried out across the country.\n\nThe survey, at the instance of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shows that well over four million Nigerians are visually impaired.\n\nVisual impairment among those who cannot read and write, according to the survey, also stands at 5.8 per cent nationwide. This is against 1.5 per cent among those who can.\n\nAhmed Pindiga is one of such sore statistics of unlettered blind Nigerians analyzed in the now obsolete eye health survey. Every Friday afternoon, he joins a phalanx of itinerant street beggars who prime themselves around the Ikotun Central mosque, East of Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State.\n\nThe beggars have not come to observe the Jumat prayers. Rather they would wait patiently for the worship to end, and the scramble for the day’s Zakat, the Islamic form of religious alms-giving and show of benevolence to the needy, would begin.\n\nHe was at the same spot on September 6 this year when the reporter had a chat with him. Suddenly, Ahmed’s right hand disappeared into his pocket and brought back an old mobile phone. Soon he began to fumble with the keypad on the device as the phone rang and vibrated endlessly to signal an incoming call.\n\nUnbeaten, he fiddled with the keypad, again and again, glowering at the same time, until his restive finger finally found and hit the green button after several unsuccessful attempts.\n\nIt’s not exactly unusual to see frustration written on his face and many like him each time they try to receive calls on their mobile phones, Babatunde Mohammed, a rehabilitation expert and Chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind in Lagos State, told the reporter.\n\n“It has to be so because the phone obviously is not designed to enable a visually impaired person receives calls or identify his callers,’ he explained.“\n\nThat aside, it is also apparent he has not been through a functional rehabilitation program necessary to enable him leverage assistive technology to be independent and enjoy his privacy as a blind.”\n\nFor an illiterate, non-speaker of the English Language who relies on a child guide to lead him around as he scrounges for a living amidst the bedlam of crazy traffic at the busy Ikotun intersection, functional rehabilitation, independence and privacy, as hinted by Mohammed, actually sound like some jargons from a Latin dictionary.\n\n“Ban jiba walahi,’ Ahmed responded in his native Hausa dialect to inform the reporter he didn’t understand what the rehabilitation expert meant by assistive technology.\n\nAhmed is not alone in the dark about the option of rehabilitation and assistive technology available to enable him live an independent life. So is Isaac Olayinka, a blind clergyman at the Christ Apostolic Church in Ibadan who also relies on others every day to enable him navigate the crowded Ibadan roads and elsewhere he goes to preach.\n\nLike Ahmed, Isaac has never learnt how to use a Braille machine or computer-assisted devices to enhance his duties as a preacher. The best he has done, he told the reporter, was to perfect a cumbersome method to enable him recall chapters and verses of the holy bible.\n\n“For a long time, I have mastered how to cram the bible on a daily basis, after people must have read any particular portion to me,” he told the reporter.\n\n“I have never heard that computer and phone can help one read the bible or other Christian books on one’s own as a blind. You are the first to tell me so.”\n\n<strong>Ignorance everywhere</strong>\n\nThat kind of widespread information poverty is not exactly unusual in Nigeria. Eye health crises and the exact rehabilitation needs of those worse affected by visual impairment have been worsened by an apparent scarcity of public health education and accurate data.\n\nThat is in addition to a combination of depressing geographical, financial, and personal hurdles which constantly stand between this vulnerable community and the rehabilitation they need to be independent.\n\nIn other climes where inclusive education and rehabilitation are at the front burner of policy discourse, community-based rehabilitation initiatives are already eliminating those obstacles impeding the likes of Ahmed and Isaac.\n\nFor one, the innovation is less cumbersome because it provides rehabilitation programs to persons with visual disabilities right in the communities where they live.\n\n“So they don’t have to travel a long distance from their communities to attend a rehabilitation school, or be huddled together in one outskirt of the town, as though disability is infectious,” Dr Sheu Bukola Adebayo, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities in Lagos, explained.\n\n“Unfortunately, Nigeria is yet to come to terms with this social model of rehabilitation. And that’s why the traditional model of rehabilitating the visually impaired continue to fail us.”\n\nBlessing is a casualty of that failure—the inability of governments at all levels to launch widespread and sustained public enlightenment campaigns about community-based rehabilitation options for the blind who scavenge for living in street corners and those locked up in different homes by their families.\n\nStruck with sudden blindness at age of three, Blessing was simply abandoned to rot away in her Delta State hometown—denied any formal education. She is 19 years old already, she told the reporter, after a Lagos-based television personality found out about her plight and offered to reform her.\n\nUsman Ojo, now registered at Omoyeni Home School for the Blind in Ibadan, Oyo State, also suffered the same cruel fate as Blessing. Blind at birth, the boy spent the next 12 years of his life in a dinghy room with his mother, without nursery and primary education.\n\nThe father, a tailor before coming to Lagos to work for a fashion outfit in Lekki, told the reporter he knew late about the possibility of a school for the blind.\n\n“He was born blind, so I didn’t know anything could be done to get him an education. But by the time I heard about Pacelli School for the Blind in Lagos, they were not willing to take him again,’ he told the reporter.\n\n“When I tried again the following year, and I couldn’t meet up with the financial obligations, I became frustrated,” he lamented.\n\nSad, but real, many visually challenged Nigerians may never learn to be productive or independent after all, worried Dr. Adebayo, if the government fails to systematically implement the National Policy on Inclusive Education currently gathering dust in the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.\n\n“We have a National Policy on Inclusive Education at the federal level, and about 15 states also have their own policies as well, but the problem has always been implementation,’ the JONAPWD chairman lamented.\n\nPart of the implementation problems is the scanty number of rehabilitation centres for the blind, compared to the population of persons living with visual disabilities across Nigeria, explained Nicholas Obot, Principal of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind in Oshodi, Lagos, and National Secretary of the Braille Advancement Organization of Nigeria.\n\nThe majority of these centres are mostly private initiatives and profit-driven too, the reporter discovered.\n\n<strong>Collapsed infrastructure</strong>\n\nDespite plunking down N25m in 2017 to revalidate the National Policy on Rehabilitation of Persons With Disabilities, only a few things would appear as normal for anyone visiting the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind in Lagos for the first time.\n\nEstablished in 1967, according to its Principal, Muhammed Shuaibu Afegbua, the centre bears the responsibility of rehabilitating visually impaired persons from across Nigeria—through developing their skills in mobility, Braille, computer/ICT, and craft as well as farming.\n\nNot many blind Nigerians and their families are aware the NFCB exists, however. This is because the centre is neither advertised in the media nor in public enlightenment and rural outreaches.\n\nAt any rate, for two sessions back to back, the centre, with all of the hope it brings to the blind, was left to rot away.\n\nNFCB did not admit or trained a single visually challenged Nigerian since 2016 until April 2019, the reporter who visited the centre in the guise of a blind person seeking rehabilitation found out.\n\nAnd according to Afegbua, that is because of certain challenges he would not disclose to the reporter during their chat.\n\nBut at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs headquarters in Abuja, sources told the reporter the disruption was due to funding and seething tussling between the federal ministries of Education and Women Affairs and Social development over which controls the NFCB.\n\n<strong>Corruption unlimited</strong>\n\nThe years of redundancy at the NFCB, however, did not stop civil servants in the centre from earning their monthly salaries and leave bonuses.\n\nIt also did not stop some corrupt officials at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, under which the NFCB is an agency, from creaming off a huge N40m from the 2017 approved budget, supposedly as upkeep for the trainees at the NFCB, even though no single person with visual disability was admitted into the centre that year.\n\nThe steady sleaze in the guise of rehabilitating the blind leaped through the 2018 budget as well, even though the gates of the NFCB remained shut to trainees. Another N150m was sneaked into the 2018 approved budget of the Women Affairs ministry, as “upkeep of the trainees and strengthening activities at the following social welfare, rehabilitation, and other welfare centres.”\n\nThe Rotary Club of Egbeda, trying to do good in marking its 15th anniversary, also visited the NFCB on Saturday, March 31, 2018. The visitors did not suspect the centre had neither admitted nor trained any blind Nigerian for two years. So, they donated clothings and other items, supposedly to keep the blind trainees comfortable.\n\n<strong>Double jeopardy</strong>\n\nWaiting endlessly on the queue is torture any prospective blind must endure before he is considered for admission at the NFCB, the reporter found out.\n<div class=\"htrnpsd htrnpsd-clearfix htrnpsd-post-middle htrnpsd-float-center htrnpsd-align-center htrnpsd-column-1\">\n<div id=\"htrnpsd-78432-2030468145\" class=\"htrnpsd-container htrnpsd-type-image \" data-adid=\"78432\" data-type=\"image\">\n<p class=\"htrnpsd-caption htrnpsd-caption-above\">Advertisement</p>\n<a class=\"htrnpsd-link\" href=\"https://www.accessbankplc.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><img class=\"htrnpsd-image jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled\" src=\"https://i1.wp.com/www.accessbankplc.com/img/signature.jpg?zoom=2.5&amp;w=1170&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Advertisement\" width=\"707\" height=\"106\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" /></a>\n\n</div>\n</div>\nThe centre can only admit three candidates from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in any particular session, disclosed its Principal. And that is just 111 lucky few every year. The less than fortunate candidates are then made to wait on the lists until another year when the jostle for admission would begin again.\n\n“Admission is competitive here because your state must have to recommend you to us for admission in any particular year,’ revealed Afegbua. ‘But as I speak, virtually all the states have candidates waiting on standby from six years back.”\n\nAssume that the population of blind Nigerians will remain at one million as indicated in the 1998 national eye health survey, and the NFCB will only admit 111 persons out of this cluster in any given year, it will invariably mean that Nigeria will need some 9,009 years to rehabilitate and make its blind citizens independent and productive again.\n\nBut if the entire population of the blind and visually impaired, estimated at a little over four million in the survey, is to scramble for space at the NFCB given the yearly admission benchmark, then Nigeria will require some 35,036 years or more before the entire visually challenged population would be fully rehabilitated.\n\nTo make matters worse, unlike in the past when trainees used to enjoy tuition-free rehabilitation, stipends, and boarding at the centre, a prospective student is now expected to pay a huge N120,000 upon admission.\n\nThe conspiracy against the blind, the reporter found out, was reached at the 10th National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development held between August 5-10, 2019 in Lagos, with all Commissioners for Women Affairs from across the states in attendance.\n\nThose who are not fortunate to be sponsored by their states, explained Afegbua, may then have to attend the school as self-sponsored students.\n\nThat financial burden is yielding a backlash already, the reporter found out.\n\nWhen the NFCB finally resumed academic session in April this year, only 48 visually challenged students from across 15 states of the federation were fortunate to take up their slots.\n\nBlessing didn’t get sponsorship from her Delta State of origin though, but she is one of the two self-sponsored trainees from the state currently at the NFCB. And to be in class, a good Samaritan had to squeeze out the compulsory tuition fees of N120,000.\n\n<strong>Failed states</strong>\n\nThe other 21 states, Afegbua said , simply would not invest N360,000 on three of their blind citizens at the cost of N120,000 each for the entire session “due to lack of funds”.\n\nMany of the defaulting states (Edo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross-Rivers, Taraba, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Plateau and the FCT) are from the North of Nigeria. This is followed by a few Southeastern states and then two states—Oyo and Ekiti—from the South-West.\n\nAkande O.M. of the Social Welfare Department at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Oyo State revealed as much. The devil that sabotaged the efforts of candidates from the state in filling up their quotas at the NFCB this current session was a combination of bureaucracy and insensitivity, he told the reporter, who presented himself as a blind citizen seeking sponsorship from the state.\n\n“We got the letter informing us of the new tuition fee at the NFCB late, but even after treating the request and sending it out for approval, the file never came back again because the government in power then was more concerned about the elections than anything else.\n\n“Even as I speak, the file is yet to come back to the ministry. But I am optimistic something positive will happen next session, and you may be one of the lucky candidates to be selected, especially now that we have an Executive Assistant on Disability in the Governor’s Office.”\n\nThe same reception of shock was awaiting the reporter when he arrived at the Blind Centre in Ogbomosho, also in Oyo State, the following day. The school has no facility in place to teach computer skills, or the technology needed to make the blind navigate a computer independently, the instructors explained.\n\n“We can’t teach you what you want to learn here, because there is no facility for that in school. But you can learn how to Braille and use the typewriter.\n\n“In fact, we don’t even admit older candidates like you, but because of the person that brought you, we may admit you into Primary 2, so you can learn any vocation that you like and still go-ahead to do common entrance later,” the headteacher assured the reporter out of pity.\n\nThe vocational training on offer at the school are as odd as the proposal made to the reporter. They include weaving, both of chairs and ropes for tethering livestock, as well as bead making.\n\nBut they are not too offensive to dissuade Ibukun Ogundijo from getting registered at the Blind Centre after all.\n\nOgundijo is one perfect example of the setback that inadequate infrastructure can cause in schools for the blind in Nigeria.\n\nNow 20,  the young man lost his sight while preparing to graduate into the junior secondary school in 2008. In search of a panacea, his family rushed him to the Blind Centre in Ogbomosho, after an initial desperate move to have his sight restored in hospitals and spiritual homes failed.\n\nAnother shocker was waiting for the blind lad instead. Ibukun was made to start all over again from Primary 1.\n\n“But when the school began to notice my performance, they offered me double promotion twice,’ he narrated to the reporter.\n\n<strong>All talk but slow inclusion in Lagos</strong>\n\nIn spite of the disability-friendly initiatives and inclusive education policy in Lagos State, blind students are not learning anything in those inclusive schools, Adebayo insists. “\n\nLagos is not implementing inclusive education yet, griped the JONAPWD chairman, adding, “so I can’t score the government high. In fact, it will be unfair on PLWDs living in Lagos to score the government 40 per cent for their effort so far.”\n\n“It is one thing to have an inclusive education policy, it is another thing entirely to make it work. And that’s why we continue to insist the government must design an operational guide for implementing inclusive education in Nigeria, in addition to supporting schools with the teachers, instructional materials and equipment needed to make disabled students learn.”\n\nThose who lost their sight as adults are not learning anything in Lagos either. There are only just four rehabilitation centers that can provide training and assistive devices for the crowd of visually impaired in the state for instance, and all of these institutions are either private initiatives or run by civil society organizations.\n\nThe only state-controlled institution, the Lagos State Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons With Disabilities in Owutu, Ikorodu“is anything but a rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities, if you compare it with international global best practice”, Adebayo told the reporter.\n\nHe is right after all. The centre merely exists in structure and not in equipment and devices needed to effectively address the special needs of blind students especially, the reporter found out on his visit.\n\n<strong>Expensive alternative</strong>\n\nFrom the schools for the blind in Lagos to Ibadan, down to Ogbomosho and back to Ijebu-Igbo where the reporter presented himself as a prospective student, the blind have an option though: to shun the empty and dysfunctional state-controlled special schools and patronize private institutions. That’s if they will ever be able to afford the cost.\n\nAccording to Obot of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, “it costs nothing less than N750,000 [about $2,100] to take a visually impaired through complete rehabilitation, and that includes rehabilitation fee, laptop and JAWS, typewriter, stylus and guide cane.”\n\nThe bargain is no less expensive at the Anglo-Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind [ANWAB], another rehabilitation centre for the blind in Yaba, Lagos, the reporter discovered.\n\nAccording to CajetanDuru, an instructor in the school, Job Access With Speech [JAWS], the software that enables a visually impaired navigate the computer and Internet, costs N300,000, while the market price of a new laptop computer varies between N180,000 and N250,000.\n\n“Other than that, you will need an Android phone which can help you do the same thing a JAWS will enable you do on the laptop, and that will cost at least N50,000. However, we can allow you pay your rehabilitation fee in installments since the training is in three phases, beginning with mobility and typing training,’ Duru explained.\n\nThe rich and willing visually impaired also have an option of patronizing private home bound rehabilitation services, revealed Sunday Badejo, a visually challenged expert in education for the blind. At a more expensive charge, though.\n\n“The least I charge is 100,000 and that is for a professional who suddenly lost his sight and requires an accelerated rehabilitation to go back to work in just six weeks, Badejo told the reporter, adding,“but my professional fee can be more than that, depending on a number of considerations such as location, distance and length of training required by the client.”\n\nBadejo has travelled across several states in Nigeria, including in Kano, Niger and Jigawa, providing home-bound rehabilitation services to visually challenged persons who can pay his bill, but “it’s alright if the person wants to come and meet me in Lagos,” he said.\n\n“I can help negotiate accommodation and factor the logistics into my final charges. That’s why I told you initially it depends on location, duration and such other factors,” the graduate of Federal College of Education [Special] in Oyo explained.\n\nOne scary consideration is the cost of the devices a visually impaired would have to procure to live a normal productive life again, he said. According to Badejo, aside from rehabilitation fees which can run into hundreds of thousand, students will be required to buy JAWS, Braille machine, Pearl scanner, typewriter, embosser, guide cane as well as stylus and mabourg.\n\n“Now, a JAWS software is around N500,000, Braille machine is N300,000, Pearl scanner is N469,000, a typewriter is N10,000, the least cane is N15,000 while stylus and slate cost N7000. So you are looking at well over one million naira as cost of devices needed to give you independence as a visually impaired person, aside from my own professional fee as a private instructor.”\n\nFor a disadvantaged community constantly frustrated by employment inequalities and other forms of negative stereotypes, raising no less than N1m to enable them go through coordinated rehabilitation programs has become a huge incentive for flushing on to the streets to beg for alms, lamented Mohammed.\n\n“You can call them names for causing a nuisance on the streets if you want,’\n\nMuhammed griped, ‘but the truth is that government institutions that should ordinarily rehabilitate them at little or no cost are dysfunctional, and that leaves them with no alternatives other than the few private rehabilitation centres which are expensive to attend already.”\n\n<strong>Gateway to inclusion, equality</strong>\n\nInside the Enabling Technology Room at the Southwest Resource Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a revolution similar to the community-based rehabilitation strategy recommended by the World Blind Union (WBU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking a steady foothold.\n\nSired in the twilight of the President Bill Clinton administration in 2004, narrated Emmanuel Akinola, the centre is an innovative ICT hub designed by the Americans to accelerate the globalization process in Nigeria through building the capacity of citizens in Information Communication Technology.\n\nAnd, to give that intervention a fillip, similar centres were erected in other geopolitical zones, including Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Ogun, and the FCT.\n\n“That was how we got the idea of including persons living with disabilities in the wider program,’ Akinola, also a blind lawyer, and Consultant instructor in Basic ICT Education for the blind explained.\n\nAttendance is tuition-free for the blind here, the reporter found out after registering and attending classes as a blind in need of rehabilitation at the centre.\n\n“That’s why this room is called the Enabling Technology Room because it is meant for PLWDs generally. The reason why only persons with visual disabilities are here now is that others can still see and read printed matter, unlike the blind who requires special skills in ICT to navigate the computer and internet,” said Akinola.\n\n<b>Again the crippling Nigerian factor</b>\n\nThat is some huge breather for inclusive education advocates like Adebayo and Mohammed really. But the excitement is not going to last long. For one, acceptance for blind trainees at the Southwest Resource Centre is difficult and low compared to the huge number of blind persons who need rehabilitation to enable them participate fully in public life again.\n\nBlame the sustained employment inequality and harsh economic condition that frustrate the bid of many of them who indeed registered their interest in the training but could not make it to Abeokuta in the end.\n\nThe three weeks course is free –written off by the Ogun State Government. But not transportation logistics, accommodation and feeding.\n\nGovernors of other southwest states deserve much of the flak afterall, groaned Akinola. “Even though the Southwest Resource Centre is designed to serve all the states in the region, these governors just carry on as if they are not concerned”, the blind lawyer and rehabilitation expert lamented.\n\nThe low attendance could not have been otherwise then. More so that public enlightenment about the centre, and deliberate mobilization of blind persons, are not on the priority list of the governors. And that’s a violation of Article 26 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) to which Nigeria is a signatory.\n\nThe law imposes obligations on state parties to take effective and appropriate measures to provide comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes, particularly in the areas of health, employment, education and social services for their citizens with disabilities.\n\nThe blind have little or no choice here really. Not even in a stranded economy where more than half of the population survive on less than $2 a day.\n\n<strong>* This report was done with the support of Ford Foundation and International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR</strong>','Why The Blind Beg in Nigeria','“Even as I speak, the file is yet to come back to the ministry. But I am optimistic something positive will happen next session, and you may be one of the lucky candidates to be selected, especially now that we have an Executive Assistant on Disability in the Governor’s Office.”','inherit','closed','closed','','2095-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:06:10','2019-12-06 18:06:10','',2095,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2095-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2127,2,'2019-12-03 00:45:13','2019-12-03 00:45:13','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Why The Blind Beg in Nigeria\r\n</strong><strong>Author: International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.icirnigeria.org/why-the-blind-beg-in-nigeria/\">International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>NIGERIA’s ineffective inclusive education policy, aggravated by widespread fraud and infrastructure dearth, is driving more of its blind population to beg for a living</strong>\r\n\r\nA quick fact-check: Presenting the 2019 budget proposal to the state House of Assembly in November 2018, governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, announced that his administration had spent a chunk of the N646.649bn budget for 2018 on training and resettlement of 20 visually impaired persons (the blind) in different skills at the Nigerian Farm Craft Centre, Lagos and subsequent empowerment for them to start up their businesses in the development trade they learnt.\r\n\r\nSuppose the governor did exactly as he had told his legislature, that would have been 20 persons lifted out of a life of penury and street begging for which Nigerians living with disabilities are known.\r\n\r\nSeveral SMS and Whatsapp messages sent to Charles Udoh, immediate-past Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, requesting for information on the details of the trainees and the amount of the budget invested on them did not receive a reply.\r\n\r\nTo verify the governor’s claim, the reporter contacted the principal of the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, Mohammed Shuaibu Afegbua, who made it known that no student attended the centre in 2018, not even in 2017.\r\n\r\n“This school has neither admitted nor trained a single visually challenged Nigerian since 2016, he stated, adding “the last set of students we admitted graduated in December 2016.\r\n\r\nAlso, it is not possible for a state to send twenty visually challenged persons to the NFCB at once in a given session, contrary to Emmanuel’s claim. This is because the centre is a federal institution that operates a quota system of admission.\r\n\r\nIn essence, only three visually impaired candidates from each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory may be admitted in a given academic session, the principal further disclosed.\r\n\r\n“But as I speak, virtually all the states have candidates waiting on standby from six years back.”\r\n\r\nConclusion: It is not true that Mr Udom Emmanuel spent part of the budget passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in 2018 to train 20 blind citizens of the state at the NFCB.\r\n\r\n<strong>In the throes of dakness</strong>\r\n\r\nThe casualties of this kind of official deception are much more than those shortchanged by Governor Emmanuel. No less than a million persons living with blindness across the country are in dire need of some form of urgent rehabilitation to enable them live a productive and independent life again.\r\n\r\nThat is an estimate from an old study though. For over a decade now, just one national blindness and visual impairment survey has been carried out across the country.\r\n\r\nThe survey, at the instance of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shows that well over four million Nigerians are visually impaired.\r\n\r\nVisual impairment among those who cannot read and write, according to the survey, also stands at 5.8 per cent nationwide. This is against 1.5 per cent among those who can.\r\n\r\nAhmed Pindiga is one of such sore statistics of unlettered blind Nigerians analyzed in the now obsolete eye health survey. Every Friday afternoon, he joins a phalanx of itinerant street beggars who prime themselves around the Ikotun Central mosque, East of Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State.\r\n\r\nThe beggars have not come to observe the Jumat prayers. Rather they would wait patiently for the worship to end, and the scramble for the day’s Zakat, the Islamic form of religious alms-giving and show of benevolence to the needy, would begin.\r\n\r\nHe was at the same spot on September 6 this year when the reporter had a chat with him. Suddenly, Ahmed’s right hand disappeared into his pocket and brought back an old mobile phone. Soon he began to fumble with the keypad on the device as the phone rang and vibrated endlessly to signal an incoming call.\r\n\r\nUnbeaten, he fiddled with the keypad, again and again, glowering at the same time, until his restive finger finally found and hit the green button after several unsuccessful attempts.\r\n\r\nIt’s not exactly unusual to see frustration written on his face and many like him each time they try to receive calls on their mobile phones, Babatunde Mohammed, a rehabilitation expert and Chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind in Lagos State, told the reporter.\r\n\r\n“It has to be so because the phone obviously is not designed to enable a visually impaired person receives calls or identify his callers,’ he explained.“\r\n\r\nThat aside, it is also apparent he has not been through a functional rehabilitation program necessary to enable him leverage assistive technology to be independent and enjoy his privacy as a blind.”\r\n\r\nFor an illiterate, non-speaker of the English Language who relies on a child guide to lead him around as he scrounges for a living amidst the bedlam of crazy traffic at the busy Ikotun intersection, functional rehabilitation, independence and privacy, as hinted by Mohammed, actually sound like some jargons from a Latin dictionary.\r\n\r\n“Ban jiba walahi,’ Ahmed responded in his native Hausa dialect to inform the reporter he didn’t understand what the rehabilitation expert meant by assistive technology.\r\n\r\nAhmed is not alone in the dark about the option of rehabilitation and assistive technology available to enable him live an independent life. So is Isaac Olayinka, a blind clergyman at the Christ Apostolic Church in Ibadan who also relies on others every day to enable him navigate the crowded Ibadan roads and elsewhere he goes to preach.\r\n\r\nLike Ahmed, Isaac has never learnt how to use a Braille machine or computer-assisted devices to enhance his duties as a preacher. The best he has done, he told the reporter, was to perfect a cumbersome method to enable him recall chapters and verses of the holy bible.\r\n\r\n“For a long time, I have mastered how to cram the bible on a daily basis, after people must have read any particular portion to me,” he told the reporter.\r\n\r\n“I have never heard that computer and phone can help one read the bible or other Christian books on one’s own as a blind. You are the first to tell me so.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Ignorance everywhere</strong>\r\n\r\nThat kind of widespread information poverty is not exactly unusual in Nigeria. Eye health crises and the exact rehabilitation needs of those worse affected by visual impairment have been worsened by an apparent scarcity of public health education and accurate data.\r\n\r\nThat is in addition to a combination of depressing geographical, financial, and personal hurdles which constantly stand between this vulnerable community and the rehabilitation they need to be independent.\r\n\r\nIn other climes where inclusive education and rehabilitation are at the front burner of policy discourse, community-based rehabilitation initiatives are already eliminating those obstacles impeding the likes of Ahmed and Isaac.\r\n\r\nFor one, the innovation is less cumbersome because it provides rehabilitation programs to persons with visual disabilities right in the communities where they live.\r\n\r\n“So they don’t have to travel a long distance from their communities to attend a rehabilitation school, or be huddled together in one outskirt of the town, as though disability is infectious,” Dr Sheu Bukola Adebayo, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities in Lagos, explained.\r\n\r\n“Unfortunately, Nigeria is yet to come to terms with this social model of rehabilitation. And that’s why the traditional model of rehabilitating the visually impaired continue to fail us.”\r\n\r\nBlessing is a casualty of that failure—the inability of governments at all levels to launch widespread and sustained public enlightenment campaigns about community-based rehabilitation options for the blind who scavenge for living in street corners and those locked up in different homes by their families.\r\n\r\nStruck with sudden blindness at age of three, Blessing was simply abandoned to rot away in her Delta State hometown—denied any formal education. She is 19 years old already, she told the reporter, after a Lagos-based television personality found out about her plight and offered to reform her.\r\n\r\nUsman Ojo, now registered at Omoyeni Home School for the Blind in Ibadan, Oyo State, also suffered the same cruel fate as Blessing. Blind at birth, the boy spent the next 12 years of his life in a dinghy room with his mother, without nursery and primary education.\r\n\r\nThe father, a tailor before coming to Lagos to work for a fashion outfit in Lekki, told the reporter he knew late about the possibility of a school for the blind.\r\n\r\n“He was born blind, so I didn’t know anything could be done to get him an education. But by the time I heard about Pacelli School for the Blind in Lagos, they were not willing to take him again,’ he told the reporter.\r\n\r\n“When I tried again the following year, and I couldn’t meet up with the financial obligations, I became frustrated,” he lamented.\r\n\r\nSad, but real, many visually challenged Nigerians may never learn to be productive or independent after all, worried Dr. Adebayo, if the government fails to systematically implement the National Policy on Inclusive Education currently gathering dust in the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.\r\n\r\n“We have a National Policy on Inclusive Education at the federal level, and about 15 states also have their own policies as well, but the problem has always been implementation,’ the JONAPWD chairman lamented.\r\n\r\nPart of the implementation problems is the scanty number of rehabilitation centres for the blind, compared to the population of persons living with visual disabilities across Nigeria, explained Nicholas Obot, Principal of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind in Oshodi, Lagos, and National Secretary of the Braille Advancement Organization of Nigeria.\r\n\r\nThe majority of these centres are mostly private initiatives and profit-driven too, the reporter discovered.\r\n\r\n<strong>Collapsed infrastructure</strong>\r\n\r\nDespite plunking down N25m in 2017 to revalidate the National Policy on Rehabilitation of Persons With Disabilities, only a few things would appear as normal for anyone visiting the Nigeria Farmcraft Centre for the Blind in Lagos for the first time.\r\n\r\nEstablished in 1967, according to its Principal, Muhammed Shuaibu Afegbua, the centre bears the responsibility of rehabilitating visually impaired persons from across Nigeria—through developing their skills in mobility, Braille, computer/ICT, and craft as well as farming.\r\n\r\nNot many blind Nigerians and their families are aware the NFCB exists, however. This is because the centre is neither advertised in the media nor in public enlightenment and rural outreaches.\r\n\r\nAt any rate, for two sessions back to back, the centre, with all of the hope it brings to the blind, was left to rot away.\r\n\r\nNFCB did not admit or trained a single visually challenged Nigerian since 2016 until April 2019, the reporter who visited the centre in the guise of a blind person seeking rehabilitation found out.\r\n\r\nAnd according to Afegbua, that is because of certain challenges he would not disclose to the reporter during their chat.\r\n\r\nBut at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs headquarters in Abuja, sources told the reporter the disruption was due to funding and seething tussling between the federal ministries of Education and Women Affairs and Social development over which controls the NFCB.\r\n\r\n<strong>Corruption unlimited</strong>\r\n\r\nThe years of redundancy at the NFCB, however, did not stop civil servants in the centre from earning their monthly salaries and leave bonuses.\r\n\r\nIt also did not stop some corrupt officials at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, under which the NFCB is an agency, from creaming off a huge N40m from the 2017 approved budget, supposedly as upkeep for the trainees at the NFCB, even though no single person with visual disability was admitted into the centre that year.\r\n\r\nThe steady sleaze in the guise of rehabilitating the blind leaped through the 2018 budget as well, even though the gates of the NFCB remained shut to trainees. Another N150m was sneaked into the 2018 approved budget of the Women Affairs ministry, as “upkeep of the trainees and strengthening activities at the following social welfare, rehabilitation, and other welfare centres.”\r\n\r\nThe Rotary Club of Egbeda, trying to do good in marking its 15th anniversary, also visited the NFCB on Saturday, March 31, 2018. The visitors did not suspect the centre had neither admitted nor trained any blind Nigerian for two years. So, they donated clothings and other items, supposedly to keep the blind trainees comfortable.\r\n\r\n<strong>Double jeopardy</strong>\r\n\r\nWaiting endlessly on the queue is torture any prospective blind must endure before he is considered for admission at the NFCB, the reporter found out.\r\n<div class=\"htrnpsd htrnpsd-clearfix htrnpsd-post-middle htrnpsd-float-center htrnpsd-align-center htrnpsd-column-1\">\r\n<div id=\"htrnpsd-78432-2030468145\" class=\"htrnpsd-container htrnpsd-type-image \" data-adid=\"78432\" data-type=\"image\">\r\n<p class=\"htrnpsd-caption htrnpsd-caption-above\">Advertisement</p>\r\n<a class=\"htrnpsd-link\" href=\"https://www.accessbankplc.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><img class=\"htrnpsd-image jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled\" src=\"https://i1.wp.com/www.accessbankplc.com/img/signature.jpg?zoom=2.5&amp;w=1170&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Advertisement\" width=\"707\" height=\"106\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" data-lazy-loaded=\"1\" /></a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\nThe centre can only admit three candidates from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in any particular session, disclosed its Principal. And that is just 111 lucky few every year. The less than fortunate candidates are then made to wait on the lists until another year when the jostle for admission would begin again.\r\n\r\n“Admission is competitive here because your state must have to recommend you to us for admission in any particular year,’ revealed Afegbua. ‘But as I speak, virtually all the states have candidates waiting on standby from six years back.”\r\n\r\nAssume that the population of blind Nigerians will remain at one million as indicated in the 1998 national eye health survey, and the NFCB will only admit 111 persons out of this cluster in any given year, it will invariably mean that Nigeria will need some 9,009 years to rehabilitate and make its blind citizens independent and productive again.\r\n\r\nBut if the entire population of the blind and visually impaired, estimated at a little over four million in the survey, is to scramble for space at the NFCB given the yearly admission benchmark, then Nigeria will require some 35,036 years or more before the entire visually challenged population would be fully rehabilitated.\r\n\r\nTo make matters worse, unlike in the past when trainees used to enjoy tuition-free rehabilitation, stipends, and boarding at the centre, a prospective student is now expected to pay a huge N120,000 upon admission.\r\n\r\nThe conspiracy against the blind, the reporter found out, was reached at the 10th National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development held between August 5-10, 2019 in Lagos, with all Commissioners for Women Affairs from across the states in attendance.\r\n\r\nThose who are not fortunate to be sponsored by their states, explained Afegbua, may then have to attend the school as self-sponsored students.\r\n\r\nThat financial burden is yielding a backlash already, the reporter found out.\r\n\r\nWhen the NFCB finally resumed academic session in April this year, only 48 visually challenged students from across 15 states of the federation were fortunate to take up their slots.\r\n\r\nBlessing didn’t get sponsorship from her Delta State of origin though, but she is one of the two self-sponsored trainees from the state currently at the NFCB. And to be in class, a good Samaritan had to squeeze out the compulsory tuition fees of N120,000.\r\n\r\n<strong>Failed states</strong>\r\n\r\nThe other 21 states, Afegbua said , simply would not invest N360,000 on three of their blind citizens at the cost of N120,000 each for the entire session “due to lack of funds”.\r\n\r\nMany of the defaulting states (Edo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross-Rivers, Taraba, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Plateau and the FCT) are from the North of Nigeria. This is followed by a few Southeastern states and then two states—Oyo and Ekiti—from the South-West.\r\n\r\nAkande O.M. of the Social Welfare Department at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Oyo State revealed as much. The devil that sabotaged the efforts of candidates from the state in filling up their quotas at the NFCB this current session was a combination of bureaucracy and insensitivity, he told the reporter, who presented himself as a blind citizen seeking sponsorship from the state.\r\n\r\n“We got the letter informing us of the new tuition fee at the NFCB late, but even after treating the request and sending it out for approval, the file never came back again because the government in power then was more concerned about the elections than anything else.\r\n\r\n“Even as I speak, the file is yet to come back to the ministry. But I am optimistic something positive will happen next session, and you may be one of the lucky candidates to be selected, especially now that we have an Executive Assistant on Disability in the Governor’s Office.”\r\n\r\nThe same reception of shock was awaiting the reporter when he arrived at the Blind Centre in Ogbomosho, also in Oyo State, the following day. The school has no facility in place to teach computer skills, or the technology needed to make the blind navigate a computer independently, the instructors explained.\r\n\r\n“We can’t teach you what you want to learn here, because there is no facility for that in school. But you can learn how to Braille and use the typewriter.\r\n\r\n“In fact, we don’t even admit older candidates like you, but because of the person that brought you, we may admit you into Primary 2, so you can learn any vocation that you like and still go-ahead to do common entrance later,” the headteacher assured the reporter out of pity.\r\n\r\nThe vocational training on offer at the school are as odd as the proposal made to the reporter. They include weaving, both of chairs and ropes for tethering livestock, as well as bead making.\r\n\r\nBut they are not too offensive to dissuade Ibukun Ogundijo from getting registered at the Blind Centre after all.\r\n\r\nOgundijo is one perfect example of the setback that inadequate infrastructure can cause in schools for the blind in Nigeria.\r\n\r\nNow 20,  the young man lost his sight while preparing to graduate into the junior secondary school in 2008. In search of a panacea, his family rushed him to the Blind Centre in Ogbomosho, after an initial desperate move to have his sight restored in hospitals and spiritual homes failed.\r\n\r\nAnother shocker was waiting for the blind lad instead. Ibukun was made to start all over again from Primary 1.\r\n\r\n“But when the school began to notice my performance, they offered me double promotion twice,’ he narrated to the reporter.\r\n\r\n<strong>All talk but slow inclusion in Lagos</strong>\r\n\r\nIn spite of the disability-friendly initiatives and inclusive education policy in Lagos State, blind students are not learning anything in those inclusive schools, Adebayo insists. “\r\n\r\nLagos is not implementing inclusive education yet, griped the JONAPWD chairman, adding, “so I can’t score the government high. In fact, it will be unfair on PLWDs living in Lagos to score the government 40 per cent for their effort so far.”\r\n\r\n“It is one thing to have an inclusive education policy, it is another thing entirely to make it work. And that’s why we continue to insist the government must design an operational guide for implementing inclusive education in Nigeria, in addition to supporting schools with the teachers, instructional materials and equipment needed to make disabled students learn.”\r\n\r\nThose who lost their sight as adults are not learning anything in Lagos either. There are only just four rehabilitation centers that can provide training and assistive devices for the crowd of visually impaired in the state for instance, and all of these institutions are either private initiatives or run by civil society organizations.\r\n\r\nThe only state-controlled institution, the Lagos State Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons With Disabilities in Owutu, Ikorodu“is anything but a rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities, if you compare it with international global best practice”, Adebayo told the reporter.\r\n\r\nHe is right after all. The centre merely exists in structure and not in equipment and devices needed to effectively address the special needs of blind students especially, the reporter found out on his visit.\r\n\r\n<strong>Expensive alternative</strong>\r\n\r\nFrom the schools for the blind in Lagos to Ibadan, down to Ogbomosho and back to Ijebu-Igbo where the reporter presented himself as a prospective student, the blind have an option though: to shun the empty and dysfunctional state-controlled special schools and patronize private institutions. That’s if they will ever be able to afford the cost.\r\n\r\nAccording to Obot of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, “it costs nothing less than N750,000 [about $2,100] to take a visually impaired through complete rehabilitation, and that includes rehabilitation fee, laptop and JAWS, typewriter, stylus and guide cane.”\r\n\r\nThe bargain is no less expensive at the Anglo-Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind [ANWAB], another rehabilitation centre for the blind in Yaba, Lagos, the reporter discovered.\r\n\r\nAccording to CajetanDuru, an instructor in the school, Job Access With Speech [JAWS], the software that enables a visually impaired navigate the computer and Internet, costs N300,000, while the market price of a new laptop computer varies between N180,000 and N250,000.\r\n\r\n“Other than that, you will need an Android phone which can help you do the same thing a JAWS will enable you do on the laptop, and that will cost at least N50,000. However, we can allow you pay your rehabilitation fee in installments since the training is in three phases, beginning with mobility and typing training,’ Duru explained.\r\n\r\nThe rich and willing visually impaired also have an option of patronizing private home bound rehabilitation services, revealed Sunday Badejo, a visually challenged expert in education for the blind. At a more expensive charge, though.\r\n\r\n“The least I charge is 100,000 and that is for a professional who suddenly lost his sight and requires an accelerated rehabilitation to go back to work in just six weeks, Badejo told the reporter, adding,“but my professional fee can be more than that, depending on a number of considerations such as location, distance and length of training required by the client.”\r\n\r\nBadejo has travelled across several states in Nigeria, including in Kano, Niger and Jigawa, providing home-bound rehabilitation services to visually challenged persons who can pay his bill, but “it’s alright if the person wants to come and meet me in Lagos,” he said.\r\n\r\n“I can help negotiate accommodation and factor the logistics into my final charges. That’s why I told you initially it depends on location, duration and such other factors,” the graduate of Federal College of Education [Special] in Oyo explained.\r\n\r\nOne scary consideration is the cost of the devices a visually impaired would have to procure to live a normal productive life again, he said. According to Badejo, aside from rehabilitation fees which can run into hundreds of thousand, students will be required to buy JAWS, Braille machine, Pearl scanner, typewriter, embosser, guide cane as well as stylus and mabourg.\r\n\r\n“Now, a JAWS software is around N500,000, Braille machine is N300,000, Pearl scanner is N469,000, a typewriter is N10,000, the least cane is N15,000 while stylus and slate cost N7000. So you are looking at well over one million naira as cost of devices needed to give you independence as a visually impaired person, aside from my own professional fee as a private instructor.”\r\n\r\nFor a disadvantaged community constantly frustrated by employment inequalities and other forms of negative stereotypes, raising no less than N1m to enable them go through coordinated rehabilitation programs has become a huge incentive for flushing on to the streets to beg for alms, lamented Mohammed.\r\n\r\n“You can call them names for causing a nuisance on the streets if you want,’\r\n\r\nMuhammed griped, ‘but the truth is that government institutions that should ordinarily rehabilitate them at little or no cost are dysfunctional, and that leaves them with no alternatives other than the few private rehabilitation centres which are expensive to attend already.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Gateway to inclusion, equality</strong>\r\n\r\nInside the Enabling Technology Room at the Southwest Resource Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a revolution similar to the community-based rehabilitation strategy recommended by the World Blind Union (WBU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking a steady foothold.\r\n\r\nSired in the twilight of the President Bill Clinton administration in 2004, narrated Emmanuel Akinola, the centre is an innovative ICT hub designed by the Americans to accelerate the globalization process in Nigeria through building the capacity of citizens in Information Communication Technology.\r\n\r\nAnd, to give that intervention a fillip, similar centres were erected in other geopolitical zones, including Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Ogun, and the FCT.\r\n\r\n“That was how we got the idea of including persons living with disabilities in the wider program,’ Akinola, also a blind lawyer, and Consultant instructor in Basic ICT Education for the blind explained.\r\n\r\nAttendance is tuition-free for the blind here, the reporter found out after registering and attending classes as a blind in need of rehabilitation at the centre.\r\n\r\n“That’s why this room is called the Enabling Technology Room because it is meant for PLWDs generally. The reason why only persons with visual disabilities are here now is that others can still see and read printed matter, unlike the blind who requires special skills in ICT to navigate the computer and internet,” said Akinola.\r\n\r\n<b>Again the crippling Nigerian factor</b>\r\n\r\nThat is some huge breather for inclusive education advocates like Adebayo and Mohammed really. But the excitement is not going to last long. For one, acceptance for blind trainees at the Southwest Resource Centre is difficult and low compared to the huge number of blind persons who need rehabilitation to enable them participate fully in public life again.\r\n\r\nBlame the sustained employment inequality and harsh economic condition that frustrate the bid of many of them who indeed registered their interest in the training but could not make it to Abeokuta in the end.\r\n\r\nThe three weeks course is free –written off by the Ogun State Government. But not transportation logistics, accommodation and feeding.\r\n\r\nGovernors of other southwest states deserve much of the flak afterall, groaned Akinola. “Even though the Southwest Resource Centre is designed to serve all the states in the region, these governors just carry on as if they are not concerned”, the blind lawyer and rehabilitation expert lamented.\r\n\r\nThe low attendance could not have been otherwise then. More so that public enlightenment about the centre, and deliberate mobilization of blind persons, are not on the priority list of the governors. And that’s a violation of Article 26 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) to which Nigeria is a signatory.\r\n\r\nThe law imposes obligations on state parties to take effective and appropriate measures to provide comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes, particularly in the areas of health, employment, education and social services for their citizens with disabilities.\r\n\r\nThe blind have little or no choice here really. Not even in a stranded economy where more than half of the population survive on less than $2 a day.\r\n\r\n<strong>* This report was done with the support of Ford Foundation and International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR</strong>','Why The Blind Beg in Nigeria','“Even as I speak, the file is yet to come back to the ministry. But I am optimistic something positive will happen next session, and you may be one of the lucky candidates to be selected, especially now that we have an Executive Assistant on Disability in the Governor’s Office.”','inherit','closed','closed','','2095-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 00:45:13','2019-12-03 00:45:13','',2095,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2095-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3563,2,'2021-04-20 22:35:13','2021-04-20 22:35:13','<h5>ICDA 2018 Conference Resources</h5>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h2>International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA) 2018 </h2>		\n		<p>The ICDA 2018 conference was organised by ISDS under the auspices of the School Director, Dr Precious N Sango. The conference brought together PwDs, academics, policy makers, care professionals and various stakeholders to develop and share ideas that would help improve research, policy and care practices for people with IDD in Africa. Keynote presentations were delivered by Professor Rachel Forrester-Jones (Director, Tizard Centre, University of Kent), Professor Mary Haggai (Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Jos), Hon. Idagbo Ochiglegor (Sponsor of the Nigerians with Disability Bill) and others.</p>		\n			<p>Thanks to our conference sponsors</p>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"399\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-300x150.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-768x383.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1536x766.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo.png 1940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n										<img width=\"599\" height=\"133\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png 599w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group-300x67.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />											\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"184\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-300x69.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-768x177.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1536x355.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo.png 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h5>Conference Programme</h5>		\n			<figure><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img width=\"495\" height=\"700\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png 495w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small-212x300.png 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" /></a></figure><h3><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click to Download</a></h3>		\n			<h5>Conference Report</h5>		\n			<h5>Conference Gallery</h5>		\n			<style id=\"bwg-style-343660448\">    #bwg_container1_343660448 #bwg_container2_343660448 .bwg-container-343660448.bwg-standard-thumbnails {      width: 1254px;              justify-content: center;        margin:0 auto !important;              background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00);            padding-left: 4px;      padding-top: 4px;      max-width: 100%;            }        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data-id=\"301\"                   data-width=\"\"                   data-height=\"\"                   data-original=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/thumb/DSC_8822.jpg\"                   src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/thumb/DSC_8822.jpg\"                   alt=\"DSC 8822\" />                                                                                                                                </a>                          <a  data-image-id=\"300\" href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/DSC_8825.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"no\" >                                                    <img                   data-id=\"300\"                   data-width=\"\"                   data-height=\"\"                   data-original=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/thumb/DSC_8825.jpg\"                   src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/thumb/DSC_8825.jpg\"                   alt=\"DSC 8825\" />                                                                                                                                </a>                          <a  data-image-id=\"299\" href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/DSC_8824.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"no\" >                                                    <img                   data-id=\"299\"                   data-width=\"\"                   data-height=\"\"                   data-original=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/thumb/DSC_8824.jpg\"                   src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/ICDA_2018/thumb/DSC_8824.jpg\"                   alt=\"DSC 8824\" />                                                                                                                                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  opacity: 1.00;      box-shadow: 0;      transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;      }      </style>                                                                      <a title=\"Go to the first page\" >«</a>              <a title=\"Go to the previous page\" >‹</a>                             									<input type=\"number\" name=\"bwg_current_page\" value=\"1\" data-url-info=\"page_number_343660448\" onkeypress=\"return bwg_change_page_343660448(event, this)\" min=\"1\" oninput=\"validity.valid||(value=\'\')\" />										of                                  26                                                             <a title=\"Go to the next page\" href=\"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?page_number_343660448=2\">›</a>                <a title=\"Go to the last page\" href=\"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?page_number_343660448=26\">»</a>                                                                <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"page_number_343660448\" 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22:35:13','',1004,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3563',0,'revision','',0),(2417,2,'2019-12-06 16:18:23','2019-12-06 16:18:23','a:7:{s:4:\"type\";s:3:\"url\";s:12:\"instructions\";s:70:\"Enter the URL (web link) of the source e.g \"https://www.guardian.com/\"\";s:8:\"required\";i:1;s:17:\"conditional_logic\";i:0;s:7:\"wrapper\";a:3:{s:5:\"width\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"class\";s:0:\"\";s:2:\"id\";s:0:\"\";}s:13:\"default_value\";s:0:\"\";s:11:\"placeholder\";s:31:\"e.g \"https://www.guardian.com/\"\";}','Source URL','source_url','publish','closed','closed','','field_5dea7f0317ce2','','','2019-12-06 16:18:23','2019-12-06 16:18:23','',2415,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?post_type=acf-field&p=2417',1,'acf-field','',0),(3567,2,'2021-04-20 22:36:51','2021-04-20 22:36:51','<h5>ICDA 2018 Conference Resources</h5>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h2>International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA) 2018 </h2>		\n		<p>The ICDA 2018 conference was organised by ISDS under the auspices of the School Director, Dr Precious N Sango. The conference brought together PwDs, academics, policy makers, care professionals and various stakeholders to develop and share ideas that would help improve research, policy and care practices for people with IDD in Africa. Keynote presentations were delivered by Professor Rachel Forrester-Jones (Director, Tizard Centre, University of Kent), Professor Mary Haggai (Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Jos), Hon. Idagbo Ochiglegor (Sponsor of the Nigerians with Disability Bill) and others.</p>		\n			<p>Thanks to our conference sponsors</p>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"399\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-300x150.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-768x383.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1536x766.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo.png 1940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n										<img width=\"599\" height=\"133\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png 599w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group-300x67.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />											\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"184\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-300x69.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-768x177.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1536x355.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo.png 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h5>Conference Programme</h5>		\n			<figure><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img width=\"495\" height=\"700\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png 495w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small-212x300.png 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" /></a></figure><h3><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click to Download</a></h3>		\n			<h5>Conference Report</h5>		\n			<h5>Conference Gallery</h5>		\n			<style id=\"bwg-style-1548196204\">    #bwg_container1_1548196204 #bwg_container2_1548196204 .bwg-container-1548196204.bwg-standard-thumbnails {      width: 1254px;              justify-content: center;        margin:0 auto !important;              background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00);            padding-left: 4px;      padding-top: 4px;      max-width: 100%;            }      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our next conference\n					</a>','ICDA 2018','','inherit','closed','closed','','1004-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 22:36:51','2021-04-20 22:36:51','',1004,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3567',0,'revision','',0),(2465,2,'2019-12-06 18:17:20','2019-12-06 18:17:20','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>Ahead of the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) under the aegis of Access Nigeria: Disability Votes Matter campaign met in Abuja at the fourth edition of the “Access Nigeria Quarterly Roundtable on Inclusive Elections in Nigeria” where they called for the immediate amendment of Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act as part of measures for better deals and inclusion in governance. The communiqué of the fourth Quarterly Roundtable on Inclusive Elections in Nigeria called for the immediate amendment of Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act.</p>\nAccording to the communiqué, it is important that Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act be amended by the National Assembly to make it mandatory for INEC to provide PWDs voting materials to ensure relevant PWD voting materials are institutionalized.\n\nIt was jointly signed by Grace Jerry, Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) and Convener, Access Nigeria campaign; Isiyaku Adamu, President, National Association of the Blind; Ekaete Umoh, Chair, Disabled Peoples International (DPI) African Region; Barr Melody Omosah, President, Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID); and Prof. James Apam, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Kogi State.\n\nOthers are Monday Udo Tom, REC, Bayelsa State; Dr. Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Outreach and Partnerships Committee (OPC); Hajiya Amina Zakari, INEC National Commissioner and Chair Health and Welfare Committee (Former Chair Operations) and Tijani Kayode Ismail, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters.\n\nThe forum organised by IFA, USAID, NDI, UKaid and Access Nigeria is part of campaigns to make Nigeria’s elections more accessible and inclusive for the country’s estimated 30 million PWDs. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, represented by Dr. Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, and Hajiya Amina Zakari, among other INEC officials, pledged commitment to ensuring better deals for the PWDs ahead of the elections. Participants however commended INEC for acting on the resolutions of the third edition of the stakeholder’s round table. In her welcome remarks, the Convener Access Nigeria, Mrs. Grace Jerry, said that for them, the last three years of this democracy have been the most fruitful in their democratic journey.\n\nAccording to her, within the last eight months, there had been historical landmarks; including the passage by the National Assembly and signing into law of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 23. “And on February 16, 2019, the braille ballot guides was deployed in the presidential elections for the first time in Nigeria’s history. We appreciate the president, National Assembly and INEC for all these. We also thank OPDs, and our allies in this campaign, as well as our partners for their ongoing technical and financial support, Jerry said. She said, “INEC ad-hoc staff must also be trained on PWD friendly aids and processes like the braille ballot guide, EC30 E PWD, EC40H, priority etc. to ensure reasonable accommodation and better interaction with PWDs in the 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections and other upcoming elections.” The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, represented by Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, said the commission is unrelenting in its commitment to promoting the access and participation of the marginalized groups, women, youths, PWDs and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).','Bayelsa, Kogi guber: Persons with disabilities want better deals','According to the communiqué, it is important that Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act be amended by the National Assembly to make it mandatory for INEC to provide PWDs voting materials to ensure relevant PWD voting materials are institutionalized.\r\n','inherit','closed','closed','','2140-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:17:20','2019-12-06 18:17:20','',2140,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2140-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2143,2,'2019-12-03 01:07:11','2019-12-03 01:07:11','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Bayelsa, Kogi guber: Persons with disabilities want better deals\r\nAuthor: Abbas Jimoh\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/bayelsa-kogi-guber-persons-with-disabilities-want-better-deals.html\">Daily Trust</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nAhead of the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) under the aegis of Access Nigeria: Disability Votes Matter campaign met in Abuja at the fourth edition of the “Access Nigeria Quarterly Roundtable on Inclusive Elections in Nigeria” where they called for the immediate amendment of Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act as part of measures for better deals and inclusion in governance. The communiqué of the fourth Quarterly Roundtable on Inclusive Elections in Nigeria called for the immediate amendment of Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act.\r\n\r\nAccording to the communiqué, it is important that Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act be amended by the National Assembly to make it mandatory for INEC to provide PWDs voting materials to ensure relevant PWD voting materials are institutionalized.\r\n\r\nIt was jointly signed by Grace Jerry, Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) and Convener, Access Nigeria campaign; Isiyaku Adamu, President, National Association of the Blind; Ekaete Umoh, Chair, Disabled Peoples International (DPI) African Region; Barr Melody Omosah, President, Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID); and Prof. James Apam, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Kogi State.\r\n\r\nOthers are Monday Udo Tom, REC, Bayelsa State; Dr. Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Outreach and Partnerships Committee (OPC); Hajiya Amina Zakari, INEC National Commissioner and Chair Health and Welfare Committee (Former Chair Operations) and Tijani Kayode Ismail, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters.\r\n\r\nThe forum organised by IFA, USAID, NDI, UKaid and Access Nigeria is part of campaigns to make Nigeria’s elections more accessible and inclusive for the country’s estimated 30 million PWDs. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, represented by Dr. Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, and Hajiya Amina Zakari, among other INEC officials, pledged commitment to ensuring better deals for the PWDs ahead of the elections. Participants however commended INEC for acting on the resolutions of the third edition of the stakeholder’s round table. In her welcome remarks, the Convener Access Nigeria, Mrs. Grace Jerry, said that for them, the last three years of this democracy have been the most fruitful in their democratic journey.\r\n\r\nAccording to her, within the last eight months, there had been historical landmarks; including the passage by the National Assembly and signing into law of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 23. “And on February 16, 2019, the braille ballot guides was deployed in the presidential elections for the first time in Nigeria’s history. We appreciate the president, National Assembly and INEC for all these. We also thank OPDs, and our allies in this campaign, as well as our partners for their ongoing technical and financial support, Jerry said. She said, “INEC ad-hoc staff must also be trained on PWD friendly aids and processes like the braille ballot guide, EC30 E PWD, EC40H, priority etc. to ensure reasonable accommodation and better interaction with PWDs in the 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections and other upcoming elections.” The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, represented by Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, said the commission is unrelenting in its commitment to promoting the access and participation of the marginalized groups, women, youths, PWDs and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).','Bayelsa, Kogi guber: Persons with disabilities want better deals','According to the communiqué, it is important that Section 56(2) of the Electoral Act be amended by the National Assembly to make it mandatory for INEC to provide PWDs voting materials to ensure relevant PWD voting materials are institutionalized.\r\n','inherit','closed','closed','','2140-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 01:07:11','2019-12-03 01:07:11','',2140,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2140-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2157,2,'2019-09-20 12:12:01','2019-09-20 12:12:01','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>ABUJA - Nigeria\'s paralympic athletes have outshined their able-bodied counterparts in world competitions year after year. Yet, these athletes face such challenges as lack of proper training facilities and inadequate funding.</p>\nAbdulazeez Ibrahim, who\'s known as Nigeria\'s para powerlifting champion, is training hard for the powerlifting competition at the Paralympic Games next year in Japan.\n\nIn 2016, he was part of the disabled team who won medals for Nigeria at the Rio Paralympic Games.\n\nDespite dominating world championships, Abdulazeez says the performances of Nigeria\'s paralympic athletes are a result of their personal sacrifices and fighting spirits.\n\n\"I\'m a champion, but when you see me along the road, I\'m not looking like a champion,\" he said. \"But go abroad, you see their champions. They\'re disabled, see their lives, see their cars. It\'s different. Every day, we always make Nigeria proud, and they don\'t make us proud. Why?\"\n\nNigerian paralympians say they are treated like second-class athletes and get less funding than their able-bodied counterparts, who win fewer medals.\n\nQueen Uboh, president of Nigeria\'s para powerlifting federation, agrees.\n\n\"If they can give 10% of the attention they give to soccer or football to para powerlifting or para sports, I think that\'s a good start,\" Uboh said.\n\nNigeria\'s paralympians lack proper training facilities, too.\n\nAt an underequipped facility in Abuja, para athletes like Abdulazeez say they\'re making do with what\'s available as they train for the Olympic Games.\n\nBut a new sports minister, Sunday Akin-Dare, who took over a few months ago, is promising to address their issues.\n\n\"I think what you do for this country in spite of the circumstances is very commendable. We invest so much in the able-bodied sports men and women. I think we should invest equally in the paralympics,\" Akin-Dare said.\n\nNigeria\'s paralympic team won all four gold medals in the powerlifting category at the Commonwealth Games, followed by Malaysia and India.\n\nWhile Abdulazeez and his fellow athletes don\'t have much to show for their wins, they\'re hanging on a hope that things will get better.','Nigeria\'s Disabled Athletes Face Surprising Challenges','\"I think what you do for this country in spite of the circumstances is very commendable. We invest so much in the able-bodied sports men and women. I think we should invest equally in the paralympics,\" Akin-Dare said.','publish','open','open','','nigerias-disabled-athletes-face-surprising-challenges','','','2019-12-06 18:18:07','2019-12-06 18:18:07','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2157',16,'post','',0),(2128,2,'2019-11-25 05:30:07','2019-11-25 05:30:07','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>A Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Centre for Disability Issues has commended the initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria in its effort at creating a Ministry for the Physically Challenged.</p>\nThe body said the move would no doubt help in the area of employment and as well create enabling environment for the physically challenged people, just as it appealed that the people should be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.\n\nThe Convener of the group, Comrade Kehinde Oshilaja, who made the pronouncements at a press briefing in Lagos at the weekend to commemorate the preparation of 2019 World Disability Day coming up on 2nd December, 2019, said physically challenged people are far from being catered for because of their circumstances, hence the need to call on Federal Government of Nigeria to include them in the National Health Insurance Scheme.\n\nHe maintained that the Centre for Disability Issues is a non-governmental organisation geared towards focusing mainly on welfare of the people living with disabilities.\n\n“We at the Centre for Disability Issues are totally in support of the Federal Government’s plan to create Ministry for the Physically challenged people and we want to passionately appeal that FG should as a matter of urgency include our members to the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.\n\n“The reason being that physically challenged people are far from being catered for because of their circumstances and we want government to cater for any bill incurred by any physically challenged people so that they would be able to live longer than expected”, Oshilaja said.\n\nThe Convener also commended the Lagos State Government for deeming it fit to create a special agency, LASODA, saddled with the responsibility of catering for the people with disabilities, but at the same time appealed to Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to look inwards at restructuring the agency, so that the aim and vision of the office could be realised especially considering those in the helms of the affairs to those  intended to serve\n\nIn his remark, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Remi Sofolahan, commended the group, especially their convener, Comrade Kehinde Oshilaja, who also is a blind person,  for acting as mouth piece of all the people living with disabilities.\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\">\n<div>\n<div></div>\n</div>\n</div>','Centre Okays FG’s Move to Create Disability Ministry','The reason being that physically challenged people are far from being catered for because of their circumstances and we want government to cater for any bill incurred by any physically challenged people so that they would be able to live longer than expected”, Oshilaja said.','publish','open','open','','centre-okays-fgs-move-to-create-disability-ministry','','','2019-12-06 18:08:37','2019-12-06 18:08:37','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2128',11,'post','',0),(2160,2,'2019-01-21 10:58:52','2019-01-21 10:58:52','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MioGyb_R0[/embedyt]</p>\nIn Nigeria, over 27 million disabled people live in obscurity, treated like second-class citizens, without access to public facilities. The Nigerian Disability Bill is meant to address these shortcomings. But, nearly two decades after it was initiated, the law has yet to be enacted.\n\nMusa Muazu, 31, became disabled as a teenager when he suffered a fall that left him paralyzed. He relies on a wheelchair to get around.\n\nMuazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life. But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.\n\n\"Public infrastructures in Nigeria is another... let me call it a hell to persons with disabilities ranging from the school, you can imagine as a person with disabilities you\'re going to lectures in a four-story building.. you can imagine you want to access probably a bank, hospital, places of worship, there\'s no provision for ramp for you to come in,\" he said.\n\nAccording to Nigeria’s Center for Citizens with Disabilities, 98 percent of public structures and facilities are not handicapped accessible.\n\nAt a community for the disabled in Abuja, thousands of handicapped Nigerians live virtually segregated from the rest of society.\n\nSince 1999, Nigeria’s disabled have been seeking a law ensuring access to public buildings, roads, and sidewalks and protection against discrimination.\n\nBut their efforts to push for the Disabled Bill have been met with resistance.\n\nNigeria’s disabled account for a third of the 87 million people living in extreme poverty. On the streets of Abuja, many are reduced to begging.\n\nThey accuse the government of willful neglect and exclusion - a charge authorities deny.\n\n\"The law of other people that are abled are being passed,\" noted Mohammed Dantani, secretary of the Disabled People’s Community. \"Are we not Nigerians? We\'re also citizens, our number 27 million reached the number that when we pass a motion, it\'s supposed to be listened to or heard.\"\n\nIn November, Nigeria’s disabled protested to the national assembly, demanding passage of the long-delayed bill.\n\nLawmakers responded in December by finally passing the bill - to President Muhammadu Buhari.\n\nIn 2014, then candidate Buhari promised to sign the bill if elected. But as Nigeria heads to elections once again in February, that promise has yet to be fulfilled.','Nigeria\'s 27M Disabled Wait Decades for Public Access','Muazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life. But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.','publish','open','open','','nigerias-27m-disabled-wait-decades-for-public-access','','','2019-12-06 18:20:32','2019-12-06 18:20:32','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2160',19,'post','',0),(2161,2,'2019-12-03 17:20:15','2019-12-03 17:20:15','','Capture','','inherit','open','closed','','capture-2','','','2019-12-03 17:20:15','2019-12-03 17:20:15','',2160,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Capture.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(2162,2,'2019-12-03 17:21:27','2019-12-03 17:21:27','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Nigeria\'s 27M Disabled Wait Decades for Public Access\r\nAuthor: VOA News\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.voanews.com/africa/nigerias-27m-disabled-wait-decades-public-access\">VOA News</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MioGyb_R0[/embedyt]\r\n\r\nIn Nigeria, over 27 million disabled people live in obscurity, treated like second-class citizens, without access to public facilities. The Nigerian Disability Bill is meant to address these shortcomings. But, nearly two decades after it was initiated, the law has yet to be enacted.\r\n\r\nMusa Muazu, 31, became disabled as a teenager when he suffered a fall that left him paralyzed. He relies on a wheelchair to get around.\r\n\r\nMuazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life. But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.\r\n\r\n\"Public infrastructures in Nigeria is another... let me call it a hell to persons with disabilities ranging from the school, you can imagine as a person with disabilities you\'re going to lectures in a four-story building.. you can imagine you want to access probably a bank, hospital, places of worship, there\'s no provision for ramp for you to come in,\" he said.\r\n\r\nAccording to Nigeria’s Center for Citizens with Disabilities, 98 percent of public structures and facilities are not handicapped accessible.\r\n\r\nAt a community for the disabled in Abuja, thousands of handicapped Nigerians live virtually segregated from the rest of society.\r\n\r\nSince 1999, Nigeria’s disabled have been seeking a law ensuring access to public buildings, roads, and sidewalks and protection against discrimination.\r\n\r\nBut their efforts to push for the Disabled Bill have been met with resistance.\r\n\r\nNigeria’s disabled account for a third of the 87 million people living in extreme poverty. On the streets of Abuja, many are reduced to begging.\r\n\r\nThey accuse the government of willful neglect and exclusion - a charge authorities deny.\r\n\r\n\"The law of other people that are abled are being passed,\" noted Mohammed Dantani, secretary of the Disabled People’s Community. \"Are we not Nigerians? We\'re also citizens, our number 27 million reached the number that when we pass a motion, it\'s supposed to be listened to or heard.\"\r\n\r\nIn November, Nigeria’s disabled protested to the national assembly, demanding passage of the long-delayed bill.\r\n\r\nLawmakers responded in December by finally passing the bill - to President Muhammadu Buhari.\r\n\r\nIn 2014, then candidate Buhari promised to sign the bill if elected. But as Nigeria heads to elections once again in February, that promise has yet to be fulfilled.','Nigeria\'s 27M Disabled Wait Decades for Public Access','Muazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life. But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.','inherit','closed','closed','','2160-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 17:21:27','2019-12-03 17:21:27','',2160,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2473,2,'2019-12-06 18:20:32','2019-12-06 18:20:32','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MioGyb_R0[/embedyt]</p>\nIn Nigeria, over 27 million disabled people live in obscurity, treated like second-class citizens, without access to public facilities. The Nigerian Disability Bill is meant to address these shortcomings. But, nearly two decades after it was initiated, the law has yet to be enacted.\n\nMusa Muazu, 31, became disabled as a teenager when he suffered a fall that left him paralyzed. He relies on a wheelchair to get around.\n\nMuazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life. But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.\n\n\"Public infrastructures in Nigeria is another... let me call it a hell to persons with disabilities ranging from the school, you can imagine as a person with disabilities you\'re going to lectures in a four-story building.. you can imagine you want to access probably a bank, hospital, places of worship, there\'s no provision for ramp for you to come in,\" he said.\n\nAccording to Nigeria’s Center for Citizens with Disabilities, 98 percent of public structures and facilities are not handicapped accessible.\n\nAt a community for the disabled in Abuja, thousands of handicapped Nigerians live virtually segregated from the rest of society.\n\nSince 1999, Nigeria’s disabled have been seeking a law ensuring access to public buildings, roads, and sidewalks and protection against discrimination.\n\nBut their efforts to push for the Disabled Bill have been met with resistance.\n\nNigeria’s disabled account for a third of the 87 million people living in extreme poverty. On the streets of Abuja, many are reduced to begging.\n\nThey accuse the government of willful neglect and exclusion - a charge authorities deny.\n\n\"The law of other people that are abled are being passed,\" noted Mohammed Dantani, secretary of the Disabled People’s Community. \"Are we not Nigerians? We\'re also citizens, our number 27 million reached the number that when we pass a motion, it\'s supposed to be listened to or heard.\"\n\nIn November, Nigeria’s disabled protested to the national assembly, demanding passage of the long-delayed bill.\n\nLawmakers responded in December by finally passing the bill - to President Muhammadu Buhari.\n\nIn 2014, then candidate Buhari promised to sign the bill if elected. But as Nigeria heads to elections once again in February, that promise has yet to be fulfilled.','Nigeria\'s 27M Disabled Wait Decades for Public Access','Muazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life. But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.','inherit','closed','closed','','2160-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:20:32','2019-12-06 18:20:32','',2160,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2164,2,'2019-11-01 10:00:10','2019-11-01 10:00:10','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>Forty-year-old Ann Ojugo lost her legs at the age of six after a wrong diagnosis and misapplied injection left her permanently crippled. When her parents enrolled her in a primary school, she said a teacher spoke about how the new pupil would soil herself and be a burden to her. It was an unforgettable experience.</p>\nSo when young men who recently tried to help her into a public taxi sexually harassed her, it struck a chord. She said the men made abusive comments about her hips and one groped her.\n\n“It is not just the nature of my legs that tells me I have a disability, it is the society, the environment around us,” Ms Ojugo said during an interview.\n\nMs Ojugo, who relies on crutches to move about, now leads the Edo State Chairperson of the Joint Association of Persons Living With Disabilities and is also the West Africa representative of the community-based rehabilitation outfit, Africa Network.\n<h5>Abuses Despite laws</h5>\nMs Ojugo’s case is not an isolated one. It is an example of what many people living with disabilities face in Africa’s most populated country, Nigeria.\n\nAdegoke Ayodele, whose 15-year-old son has a cognitive disability, told PREMIUM TIMES that the burden carried by families of people living with such disabilities in Nigeria ”is too weighty to be neglected by any responsible government”.\n\n“The major problem of most parents or relatives of people living with cognitive or intellectual disabilities is the welfare of their disabled relatives after their demise,” he said.\n\n“Intellectual disability is the worst form of disability. There is no other disability that has greater stress than that of a person with intellectual disability. Even doctors that attend to them do a bit of: — I don’t want to use the word — guesswork. But they (people with intellectual disabilities) are more like kids. They cannot say exactly what the situation is with them even when they are sick.\n\n“A child with any other kind of physical disability, maybe a visual disability, may be conscious. But when a child has cognitive disabilities, they are not conscious of anything. They are always dependent and may remain that way for the rest of their lives. So what happens when the person’s caregiver is gone. That is the greatest fear,” said Mr Ayodele who lamented the failure of the government to provide specially for such people whose numbers Mr Ayodele viewed as small enough to fall within the reach of a country like Nigeria.\n\n”The cost of educating one child with cognitive disability is equal to the cost of educating 10 children without a disability in good schools. This is to give you a hint of the burden we bear. Yet this country is more than able, if it wills, to specially attend to the needs of people with such disabilities, or even provide the structures to help their relatives do same safely and without much stress,” he said.\n<h5>Global statistics</h5>\nA report by <strong><a href=\"https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGIBH9a2CFsswpuZgaj_mvD-h5H4g\">the World Health Organisation and the World Bank in 2011,</a></strong> said 25 million people in Nigeria have one form of physical disability or the other. The figure accounts for at least 15 per cent of Nigeria’s current population of 200 million, according to the UN estimates.\n\nIn January, <strong><a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/307474-buhari-signs-law-banning-discrimination-against-persons-with-disability.html\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/307474-buhari-signs-law-banning-discrimination-against-persons-with-disability.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvsl7xfs_OdjA8vIb5lcMAuMI_YQ\">Nigeria signed into law</a></strong> the prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities bill, after over 20 years of advocacy by notable Nigerians including David Anyeale: a disability rights activist and Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).\n\nAccording to <a href=\"https://placng.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Discrimination-against-Persons-with-Disabilities-Prohibition-Bill-2018-Harmonised.pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://placng.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Discrimination-against-Persons-with-Disabilities-Prohibition-Bill-2018-Harmonised.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHlVE8Tjp0iWSyd1SkbX4gBEPYBCg\"><strong>section (1) of the law</strong>,</a> anyone found guilty of discriminating against a person with a disability would be liable to a fine N100,000 in the case of an individual or N1 million in the case of an institution or a term of six months in jail or both.\n\nThe law also provides for the Nigerian government to establish institutions that will enhance its implementation such as the commission for persons with disabilities.\n\nBefore the creation of that law, Nigeria had ratified the <strong><a href=\"https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH8hrEIEKIp-mxsqX35Vy2fG7gV2w\">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a></strong> on March 30, 2007 and its Optional Protocol on September 24, 2010, with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development charged with ensuring compliance with the laws and submitting the reports to the international bodies.\n\nArticle 5: paragraph 2 of the UNCRPD, states ”parties shall prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of disability and guarantee to persons with disabilities equal and effective legal protection against discrimination on all grounds.”\n\nBut even after the signing of the law, many Nigerians living with disabilities say the journey towards legal recognition and respect by Nigeria is still ahead. The government that approved a new law has literally helped violate it.\n\nFor example, while the law says at least five per cent of all public appointments must go to people with disabilities, governments at various levels have so far not complied. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed no person with disability into his 43-member cabinet in August.\n\nIn <strong><a href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229189/0492.pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229189/0492.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548391000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHaDjuzNBSQpeeGsu-6RESJh6yt8w\">a 2008 study conducted by the United Kingdom Department for International Development</a></strong> on Nigeria’s perspective about disabled people, the study found out that Nigeria’s ministry of women’s affairs “understood disability within a discourse of welfare and charity.” Such misconception, according to the UK department is contrary to the globally acknowledged emphasis on social adaptation, inclusion, and empowerment as advocated by the social model of disability.\n<h5>Zero prosecution</h5>\nBabatunde Fasiu, the legal officer for Lagos State office for disability affairs, said no one has been prosecuted for discriminating against people with disabilities.\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-6\"></div>\nMr Fasiu told PREMIUM TIMES that many people living with disabilities fail to report cases of alleged discrimination because of the challenges militating against them in that regard.\n\n“To start with, it is the duty of the police to investigate such cases. But many people with disabilities cannot go to the station because they lack access. If they struggle to get there, they are met with a brick wall because a deaf person that cannot afford an interpreter or a blind person may end up being misinterpreted at the station. There are no facilities to aid the communication needs of persons with disabilities.\n\n“Yet many people living with disabilities, especially women, are discriminated against daily in countless ways,” said Mr Fasiu.\n\nHe said for many years, until 2018, lawyers approaching the court in Lagos experienced untold difficulty while moving from the parking lot to the main court premises, until the immediate past Chief Judge of the State, Opeyemi Oke, ordered the creation of a parking lot for them close to the court entrance.\n\nAnother lawyer, Daniel Onwe, who is the National President, Association of Lawyers with Disabilities, said many affected Nigerians fail to report their cases for prosecution ”because the system has a different view of the problem from what it ought to be”.\n\n“The major challenge is that Nigerian courts and lawyers do not really appreciate disability jurisprudence. They wrongly approach it as a welfare matter to be governed by chapter 2 of the Constitution, rather than as a human rights issue governed by chapter 4 of the Constitution,” Mr Onwe said.\n\nHe added that the factors militating against easy access, as well as poverty, have also contributed to the factors militating against the prosecution of defaulters.\n<h5>More suggestions of the way forward</h5>\nFidelia Unigwe of the Catholic’s Daughters of Charity, which takes care of children with disability in Abuja, said there is still a lot of discrimination against persons with disabilities.\n\n“Some people still believe that persons with disabilities are carriers of bad omen,” she said. “The implementation of the laws discriminating disability is key. Recently the President nominated ministers. The act provides that five per cent of employments should be reserved for persons with disabilities. However, that nomination had no person with disabilities included in it.\n\n“There are very serious issues. The Nigerian society is not accessible to persons with disabilities. There are no walkways on the roads. Transport systems have no rams. People’s attitudes towards persons with disabilities requires a lot of work: all these are issues seeking urgent check,” she said.\n\n<em><strong>This report was supported by The Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ)</strong></em>','Despite New Law, Nigerians Living with Disabilities Lament Discrimination','“A child with any other kind of physical disability, maybe a visual disability, may be conscious. But when a child has cognitive disabilities, they are not conscious of anything. They are always dependent and may remain that way for the rest of their lives. So what happens when the person’s caregiver is gone. That is the greatest fear,”','publish','open','open','','despite-new-law-nigerians-living-with-disabilities-lament-discrimination','','','2019-12-06 18:16:05','2019-12-06 18:16:05','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2164',14,'post','',0),(2165,2,'2019-12-03 17:36:15','2019-12-03 17:36:15','','IMG-20191101-WA0004','','inherit','open','closed','','img-20191101-wa0004','','','2019-12-03 17:36:15','2019-12-03 17:36:15','',2164,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG-20191101-WA0004.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2166,2,'2019-12-03 17:38:28','2019-12-03 17:38:28','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Despite New Law, Nigerians Living with Disabilities Lament Discrimination\r\nAuthor: Evelyn Okakwu\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/features-and-interviews/360509-despite-new-law-nigerians-living-with-disabilities-lament-discrimination.html\">Premium Times</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nForty-year-old Ann Ojugo lost her legs at the age of six after a wrong diagnosis and misapplied injection left her permanently crippled. When her parents enrolled her in a primary school, she said a teacher spoke about how the new pupil would soil herself and be a burden to her. It was an unforgettable experience.\r\n\r\nSo when young men who recently tried to help her into a public taxi sexually harassed her, it struck a chord. She said the men made abusive comments about her hips and one groped her.\r\n\r\n“It is not just the nature of my legs that tells me I have a disability, it is the society, the environment around us,” Ms Ojugo said during an interview.\r\n\r\nMs Ojugo, who relies on crutches to move about, now leads the Edo State Chairperson of the Joint Association of Persons Living With Disabilities and is also the West Africa representative of the community-based rehabilitation outfit, Africa Network.\r\n<h5>Abuses Despite laws</h5>\r\nMs Ojugo’s case is not an isolated one. It is an example of what many people living with disabilities face in Africa’s most populated country, Nigeria.\r\n\r\nAdegoke Ayodele, whose 15-year-old son has a cognitive disability, told PREMIUM TIMES that the burden carried by families of people living with such disabilities in Nigeria ”is too weighty to be neglected by any responsible government”.\r\n\r\n“The major problem of most parents or relatives of people living with cognitive or intellectual disabilities is the welfare of their disabled relatives after their demise,” he said.\r\n\r\n“Intellectual disability is the worst form of disability. There is no other disability that has greater stress than that of a person with intellectual disability. Even doctors that attend to them do a bit of: — I don’t want to use the word — guesswork. But they (people with intellectual disabilities) are more like kids. They cannot say exactly what the situation is with them even when they are sick.\r\n\r\n“A child with any other kind of physical disability, maybe a visual disability, may be conscious. But when a child has cognitive disabilities, they are not conscious of anything. They are always dependent and may remain that way for the rest of their lives. So what happens when the person’s caregiver is gone. That is the greatest fear,” said Mr Ayodele who lamented the failure of the government to provide specially for such people whose numbers Mr Ayodele viewed as small enough to fall within the reach of a country like Nigeria.\r\n\r\n”The cost of educating one child with cognitive disability is equal to the cost of educating 10 children without a disability in good schools. This is to give you a hint of the burden we bear. Yet this country is more than able, if it wills, to specially attend to the needs of people with such disabilities, or even provide the structures to help their relatives do same safely and without much stress,” he said.\r\n<h5>Global statistics</h5>\r\nA report by <strong><a href=\"https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGIBH9a2CFsswpuZgaj_mvD-h5H4g\">the World Health Organisation and the World Bank in 2011,</a></strong> said 25 million people in Nigeria have one form of physical disability or the other. The figure accounts for at least 15 per cent of Nigeria’s current population of 200 million, according to the UN estimates.\r\n\r\nIn January, <strong><a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/307474-buhari-signs-law-banning-discrimination-against-persons-with-disability.html\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/307474-buhari-signs-law-banning-discrimination-against-persons-with-disability.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvsl7xfs_OdjA8vIb5lcMAuMI_YQ\">Nigeria signed into law</a></strong> the prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities bill, after over 20 years of advocacy by notable Nigerians including David Anyeale: a disability rights activist and Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).\r\n\r\nAccording to <a href=\"https://placng.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Discrimination-against-Persons-with-Disabilities-Prohibition-Bill-2018-Harmonised.pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://placng.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Discrimination-against-Persons-with-Disabilities-Prohibition-Bill-2018-Harmonised.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHlVE8Tjp0iWSyd1SkbX4gBEPYBCg\"><strong>section (1) of the law</strong>,</a> anyone found guilty of discriminating against a person with a disability would be liable to a fine N100,000 in the case of an individual or N1 million in the case of an institution or a term of six months in jail or both.\r\n\r\nThe law also provides for the Nigerian government to establish institutions that will enhance its implementation such as the commission for persons with disabilities.\r\n\r\nBefore the creation of that law, Nigeria had ratified the <strong><a href=\"https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548390000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH8hrEIEKIp-mxsqX35Vy2fG7gV2w\">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a></strong> on March 30, 2007 and its Optional Protocol on September 24, 2010, with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development charged with ensuring compliance with the laws and submitting the reports to the international bodies.\r\n\r\nArticle 5: paragraph 2 of the UNCRPD, states ”parties shall prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of disability and guarantee to persons with disabilities equal and effective legal protection against discrimination on all grounds.”\r\n\r\nBut even after the signing of the law, many Nigerians living with disabilities say the journey towards legal recognition and respect by Nigeria is still ahead. The government that approved a new law has literally helped violate it.\r\n\r\nFor example, while the law says at least five per cent of all public appointments must go to people with disabilities, governments at various levels have so far not complied. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed no person with disability into his 43-member cabinet in August.\r\n\r\nIn <strong><a href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229189/0492.pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229189/0492.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572642548391000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHaDjuzNBSQpeeGsu-6RESJh6yt8w\">a 2008 study conducted by the United Kingdom Department for International Development</a></strong> on Nigeria’s perspective about disabled people, the study found out that Nigeria’s ministry of women’s affairs “understood disability within a discourse of welfare and charity.” Such misconception, according to the UK department is contrary to the globally acknowledged emphasis on social adaptation, inclusion, and empowerment as advocated by the social model of disability.\r\n<h5>Zero prosecution</h5>\r\nBabatunde Fasiu, the legal officer for Lagos State office for disability affairs, said no one has been prosecuted for discriminating against people with disabilities.\r\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-6\"></div>\r\nMr Fasiu told PREMIUM TIMES that many people living with disabilities fail to report cases of alleged discrimination because of the challenges militating against them in that regard.\r\n\r\n“To start with, it is the duty of the police to investigate such cases. But many people with disabilities cannot go to the station because they lack access. If they struggle to get there, they are met with a brick wall because a deaf person that cannot afford an interpreter or a blind person may end up being misinterpreted at the station. There are no facilities to aid the communication needs of persons with disabilities.\r\n\r\n“Yet many people living with disabilities, especially women, are discriminated against daily in countless ways,” said Mr Fasiu.\r\n\r\nHe said for many years, until 2018, lawyers approaching the court in Lagos experienced untold difficulty while moving from the parking lot to the main court premises, until the immediate past Chief Judge of the State, Opeyemi Oke, ordered the creation of a parking lot for them close to the court entrance.\r\n\r\nAnother lawyer, Daniel Onwe, who is the National President, Association of Lawyers with Disabilities, said many affected Nigerians fail to report their cases for prosecution ”because the system has a different view of the problem from what it ought to be”.\r\n\r\n“The major challenge is that Nigerian courts and lawyers do not really appreciate disability jurisprudence. They wrongly approach it as a welfare matter to be governed by chapter 2 of the Constitution, rather than as a human rights issue governed by chapter 4 of the Constitution,” Mr Onwe said.\r\n\r\nHe added that the factors militating against easy access, as well as poverty, have also contributed to the factors militating against the prosecution of defaulters.\r\n<h5>More suggestions of the way forward</h5>\r\nFidelia Unigwe of the Catholic’s Daughters of Charity, which takes care of children with disability in Abuja, said there is still a lot of discrimination against persons with disabilities.\r\n\r\n“Some people still believe that persons with disabilities are carriers of bad omen,” she said. “The implementation of the laws discriminating disability is key. Recently the President nominated ministers. The act provides that five per cent of employments should be reserved for persons with disabilities. However, that nomination had no person with disabilities included in it.\r\n\r\n“There are very serious issues. The Nigerian society is not accessible to persons with disabilities. There are no walkways on the roads. Transport systems have no rams. People’s attitudes towards persons with disabilities requires a lot of work: all these are issues seeking urgent check,” she said.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>This report was supported by The Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ)</strong></em>','Despite New Law, Nigerians Living with Disabilities Lament Discrimination','“A child with any other kind of physical disability, maybe a visual disability, may be conscious. But when a child has cognitive disabilities, they are not conscious of anything. They are always dependent and may remain that way for the rest of their lives. So what happens when the person’s caregiver is gone. That is the greatest fear,”','inherit','closed','closed','','2164-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 17:38:28','2019-12-03 17:38:28','',2164,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2164-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2197,2,'2019-07-11 03:55:07','2019-07-11 03:55:07','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>The “Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act (2018) definitely was a milestone for those affected and probably for all the citizens. At least, the over 25 million persons that are living with disabilities in Nigeria are happy over the passage and signing of a law aimed at reintegrating them fully back into the society. This Act envisages the condition and limitations of persons living with disabilities and makes provision for their inclusion in the society at least as succour to mitigate their emotional and psychological trauma. If this law is implemented, it would alleviate the suffering of persons living with disabilities to a great extent and even curb the menace of using them as object of begging and also relief the relations of this category of Nigerians from bearing the entire burden of catering for them all alone. But it may not happen easily and this law might just become one of those laws that are just there without being implemented. For instance, the law that prohibits discrimination against persons living the HIV/AIDS is just there and not implemented. For instance, that law provided that all places of work must develop HIV/AIDS workplace policy as a way of ensuring that the employers would not maltreat employees because of their HIV status. Up till now, if at all, it’s rare to see any workplace that has such policy.</p>\nThe implementation of that law on prohibition of discrimination against persons living with HIV suffered serious setback because there was no push until recently that Lawyers Alert Nigeria, a nongovernmental organization took up the case of a man that was sacked by his employer because of his HIV status. Lawyers Alert dragged the employer to court and won the case and the man simply called Mr ‘X’ to protect his identity. He was handsomely compensated via court ruling so that that employer would serve as deterrent to other employers of labour that tend to behave in the same manner. Another law that was passed that also face implementation challenge is the ‘Not Too Young to Rule’. Despite the passage of this law, it was shocking that the percentage of the youth that were elected in the just concluded 2019 election did not commensurate with the expectation in a country with huge population of youths. Also, the Freedom of Information Act, up till now, has not been given the chance it deserves at implementation stage. There are several cases in court now on the application of the Freedom of Information Act. A human right activist and member of Ondo State Civil Society Organization, Martins Alo dragged Ondo State Government to court over issues around application of Freedom of Information Act and the case has been foot-dragging from High Court to Appeal Court and now at Supreme Court with its fate hanging in the balance.\n\nOne then begins to wonder why the passing and signing the laws since such laws would not be implemented. Then, what is the essence of the legislative arm of government that gulps huge resources from the nation to service the legislators. And what’s the essence of government without laws when the state exists due to the existence of the law. Why do we then have the judiciary if the laws would not function?\n\nThis disability act is a litmus test to really know the seriousness and sincerity of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who is a disciplined law enforcer, given his military background and who appears to be a man of principle. Also, having a lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a professor of Law, Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President makes it imperative for this nation to actualize the implementation of this and other laws of the land. At a recent strategy session facilitated by Department for International Development (DFID’s) Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) recently, the stakeholders from various clusters in the disabilities community in Nigeria dissected the law and identified priority areas that required immediate implementation. They demanded the immediate implementation of the Disability Law. The persons with disabilities including Professor Jubril Isah of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Member, Governing Board, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Mr. David Anyaele, Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr Daniel Onwe, President, Lawyers Living with Disabilities, Irene  Patrick, Executive Director, Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) and Sulaimon Abdulazeez, Chairman, Kaduna State chapter of Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disability (JONAPWD).\n\nThese stakeholders commended the national Assembly and the presidency for gazetting the law.\n\nThey unanimously agreed on key areas for immediate implementation of the law. They urged President Buahri to set up the national commission for disability without delay. They also appealed to the federal government to provide fund for the commission to be effective. They also emphasised the need by all stakeholders including the media to create more awareness of the law so that every citizen would be aware of the existence of the law and abide. The stakeholders charged all state governors to domesticate the disability law in their various states. In conclusion, the persons living with disabilities in Nigeria are citizens of this country who deserve to live and function unhindered, (within the ambit of the law) but they are at disadvantage in most cases and are often being denied of access and opportunities because of their condition. This necessitated the disability law to reintegrate them back fully into the society and give them sense of belonging. This law will promote love among the citizenry if well implemented. Therefore, President Buhari and all those concerned should please kindly take the Disability Law in Nigeria to the Next Level by ensuring the immediate implementation of the law.','Next Level for Disability Law in Nigeria','One then begins to wonder why the passing and signing the laws since such laws would not be implemented. Then, what is the essence of the legislative arm of government that gulps huge resources from the nation to service the legislators.','publish','open','open','','next-level-for-disability-law-in-nigeria','','','2019-12-06 18:03:21','2019-12-06 18:03:21','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2197',2,'post','',0),(2191,2,'2019-12-03 22:16:31','2019-12-03 22:16:31','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Life in the shadows: Living with disabilities in a conflict zone\r\nAuthor: Sam Mednick </strong><strong>\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/news/life-in-the-shadows-living-with-disabilities-in-a-conflict-zone-94146\">Devex</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nJUBA, South Sudan — It’s been more than five years since John Gatwang was abducted by South Sudan’s government soldiers. “If I had good legs, I don’t think I would have been captured,” he said.\r\n\r\nPlayfully smacking each of his prosthetic limbs with his cane, the 47-year-old mops beads of sweat from his forehead before lowering himself into a plastic chair in the civilian protection site — an internally displaced people’s camp run by the United Nations — in South Sudan’s capital, Juba. The former soldier lost both of his legs below the knees while fighting for independence from Sudan in 1990. It took 10 years before he was fitted with prosthetics and while he says they’ve changed his life, day-to-day living remains a challenge, especially in a fragile setting.\r\n\r\n“We found that there was still some challenges among humanitarian workers — they are not always sure how to work with people with disabilities or how to communicate with people with disabilities.” <small>— Kelly Thayer, emergency coordinator, Humanity &amp; Inclusion</small>\r\n\r\nBefore erupting into conflict in 2013, approximately 5 percent of South Sudan’s population was living with disabilities, as per a <a href=\"https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/22052018_dtm_hi_joint_assessment_bentiu_poc_dec2017.pdf\">2008 nationwide census</a>. Five years of fighting, however, have devastated the country, killing almost 400,000 people, displacing millions, and tripling the number of people estimated to be living with disabilities to 15 percent,<a href=\"https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/22052018_dtm_hi_joint_assessment_bentiu_poc_dec2017.pdf\"> according to a 2017 study</a> by <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/humanity-inclusion-handicap-international-20316\">Humanity &amp; Inclusion</a> — former Handicap International — and the U.N.’s <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/international-organization-for-migration-iom-45074\">International Organization for Migration</a>.\r\n\r\nApproximately<a href=\"https://www.light-for-the-world.org/crisis-south-sudan-persons-disabilities-excluded-humanitarian-response-efforts\"> 250,000 people living with disabilities</a> are currently in displacement camps across the country, according to the <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/world-health-organization-who-30562\">World Health Organization</a> and aid group <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/light-for-the-world-101683\">Light for the World</a>.\r\n\r\nMany people, like Gatwang, say they feel forgotten.\r\n\r\nLiving in the U.N. protected camp in Juba since 2013, Gatwang has been struggling to care for himself. He has no work, and his direct family lives across the country in Bentiu, in Unity State, and the rest of his relatives have been killed. Walking long distances under the scorching sun to get food and water is painful on his prosthetics; he needs a tricycle to carry his provisions, which isn’t always accessible and can easily break down on the camp’s unpaved gravel roads.\r\n\r\nLast year, <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/human-rights-watch-44535\">Human Rights Watch</a><a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/05/31/south-sudan-people-disabilities-older-people-face-danger\"> called on</a> the U.N. and aid organizations to do more in their response to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.\r\n\r\n“People with disabilities and older people are often left behind during attacks and find themselves at much greater risk of starvation or abuse,” said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at Human Rights Watch.\r\n\r\nShe said the problem is particularly acute in South Sudan, where decades of war have increased the number of people living with disabilities, and where armed forces on both sides target civilians with impunity. The organization documented numerous cases of elderly people and those with disabilities being shot, hacked to death or burned alive in their houses.\r\n<div class=\"adbutler\">\r\n<div id=\"placement_282414_0\"></div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h2>Challenging perceptions</h2>\r\nNot only are people with disabilities being marginalized within their communities, negative perceptions persist among humanitarians as well.\r\n\r\nThe 2017 Humanity &amp; Inclusion and IOM study<a href=\"https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/22052018_dtm_hi_joint_assessment_bentiu_poc_dec2017.pdf\"> found</a> that aid workers had poor attitudes toward people with disabilities. Several of the service providers interviewed said they assumed the number of people wasn’t high enough to adapt services to cater to their needs, while one person said that equal access of people living with disabilities wasn’t a priority in their group’s projects.\r\n\r\n“We found that there was still some challenges among humanitarian workers — they are not always sure how to work with people with disabilities or how to communicate with people with disabilities,” said Kelly Thayer, emergency coordinator for Humanity &amp; Inclusion. “Disabilities aren’t mainstreamed.”\r\n\r\nAs one of the only organizations in the country focusing specifically on people living with disabilities, Humanity &amp; Inclusion works in both development and emergency contexts, helping to foster a society that is more inclusive by training humanitarians on what they can do to be more comprehensive in their response.\r\n\r\nInclusive programming often isn’t on organizations’ radars, and those who do think about it don’t always have the proper knowledge or technical ability to implement it, said Thayer.\r\n\r\nFor example, structures assumed to be accessible often aren’t — a door that isn’t level with the floor, which automatically becomes inaccessible, or a latrine not wide enough to fit a wheelchair, or not equipped with ramps or handlebars.\r\n\r\nSouth Sudan is yet to ratify the <a href=\"https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html\">U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a>. According to initial research in the 2017 study, their needs aren’t prioritized in national plans, leaving them open to widespread discrimination and limiting their participation in community activities, which leads to less access to jobs and education.\r\n\r\nThe ministry of gender, child, and social welfare conducts occasional educational and vocational trainings for people with disabilities including journalism, photography, and drama courses. They also provide centers across the city where people can get their wheelchairs, bikes, canes, and prosthetics fixed.\r\n\r\nThe country’s economic crisis, however, has made it hard to purchase raw materials to repair people’s devices, let alone the ability to invest in new equipment. Less than $2,000 from the government budget is put toward initiatives for people with disabilities, said Rose Lisok Paulino, minister of gender, child, and social welfare in South Sudan. The money is not enough.\r\n\r\n“Because of the stigma and cultural norms these people are not seen as important … but if they’re given the chance they can be good citizens and contribute. But they have to be given the chance,” she said.\r\n\r\n10-15 percent of staff in her ministry are people living with disabilities, which is helping to reduce stigma and raise their profiles, Paulino added.\r\n<h2>Living in the shadows</h2>\r\nNevertheless, the pervasive lack of visibility for people with disabilities in the country is one of the greatest challenges to better serving them, especially when it comes to collecting data. Each organization Devex spoke to said that scant availability of information was one of the biggest impediments to increasing awareness and creating more inclusive programming.\r\n\r\n“All projects are evidence-based, so data is very important; you can’t really address the needs without the information,” said Wani Gabriel, acting country representative for <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/helpage-international-43511\">HelpAge International</a>, a United Kingdom-based charity that promotes the rights of older people.\r\n\r\n“The more data you have, the more numbers you have, and donors are more likely to want to fund a project serving more people.” For example, a proposal by <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/united-nations-children-s-fund-unicef-20131\">UNICEF</a> to help 10,000 children will get more attention from a donor than an initiative to help 5,000 elderly people, he added.\r\n\r\nScarce infrastructure and lack of accessibility makes gathering data in South Sudan challenging, especially when it comes to people with disabilities who can often become invisible. Conflict exacerbates the issue, as those who can’t easily escape when clashes erupt are often left behind, and humanitarians focus on the people who can seek out services at displacement camps and other locations where aid is available.\r\n\r\n“In many emergency situations, systems need to be set up very quickly, but these systems hardly take into account that there might be specific needs to deal with … this is something that has to be taken up in standard protocols,” said Johannes Trimmel, program director for disability-inclusive development for the NGO <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/sightsavers-37084\">Sightsavers</a>.\r\n\r\nTrimmel is spearheading a £30 million ($38 million) six-year program funded by the U.K.’s <a href=\"https://www.devex.com/organizations/department-for-international-development-dfid-44526\">Department for International Development</a>, tackling stigma and discrimination and finding approaches to ensure development efforts reach people with disabilities so they have access to education, and employment opportunities. The project is being implemented in Jordan, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Nepal, and while still in its initial phase, Trimmel has noted a few key takeaways.\r\n\r\nAccess to information helps provide clarity in terms of the realities that people are facing, rather than building programs on “vague assumptions,” he said. Additionally, partners are working within the system to support existing health, education, and employment systems, becoming more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.\r\n\r\nThey are also ensuring that people have the opportunity to have stable livelihoods. This includes empowering people with disabilities through a multifaceted approach, strengthening their self-confidence, and training institutions and employers to bolster access to education and skills training. It is also about addressing exclusion barriers, especially with regard to perceptions and attitudes.\r\n\r\nAs many people with disabilities in Juba say they lack job prospects, especially those living in the civilian protection site, linkages with potential employment opportunities offered by such programs are needed.\r\n<h2>Narrowing the gap</h2>\r\nDisability experts such as Trimmel believe that in order for things to change, NGOs need to start asking questions such as whether their programs are adaptive to people with disabilities and if there are inherent barriers that need to be removed. This could include mandatory requirements from donors to ensure organizations’ activities can positively impact everyone. He supports the idea of having a disability focal point in every organization but cautions that it will only be effective if it’s part of a larger organizational mandate.\r\n\r\nUltimately, for genuine change to occur, there needs to be a shift in attitudes and primary concepts, Trimmel noted, similar to what took place with women and children more than two decades ago. “If you think back 25 years in programs in development and cooperation and humanitarian aid, few people would think about the need to give extra thought so that women could equally participate as men in our programs.”\r\n\r\n“With women and children it’s changed tremendously,” he said. “With disabilities, we’re not there yet.”','Life in the shadows: Living with disabilities in a conflict zone','“We found that there was still some challenges among humanitarian workers — they are not always sure how to work with people with disabilities or how to communicate with people with disabilities.” — Kelly Thayer, emergency coordinator, Humanity & Inclusion','inherit','closed','closed','','2183-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 22:16:31','2019-12-03 22:16:31','',2183,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2183-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2195,2,'2019-12-03 22:23:58','2019-12-03 22:23:58','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Five Months After, Disability Act Yet To Be Implemented\r\nAuthor: SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK</strong><strong>\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"http://saharareporters.com/2019/06/24/five-months-after-disability-act-yet-be-implemented\">SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n<p class=\"first\">Five months after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Disability Act into law in January 2019, its implementation has yet to begin.</p>\r\nThe lack of action by the government is at the fore of a petition for an equal world for individuals living with some form of disability, to be launched on Monday by SightSavers, an organization that advocates for the rights of persons with a disability.\r\n\r\nThe petition, which aims to get member countries of the United Nations to uphold the rights of PWD’s, is seeking signatures around the globe.\r\n\r\nThe signed appeals will be handed over to the global body and governments of member states at the UN General Assembly in New York, USA, in September.\r\n\r\n“In Nigeria and around the world, people with disabilities are denied the rights to go to school, find a job, access health care and take part in political processes. This discrimination is an injustice on over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities,” Sunday Isiyaku, Country Director of SightSavers said in a release Monday.\r\n\r\nThis class of persons has been largely underdeveloped, leading to lost economic opportunities in countries where prejudice and a lack of growth among PWD’s is rife.\r\n\r\nTessa Murphy, Campaign manager for the Equal World petition, said the organization hopes to show the UN that there is a rising intolerance for the continued ignorance of the rights of PWD’s.\r\n\r\n“We want to show the widespread support for disability rights here and around the world. We want every government and the UN to know that people everywhere are no longer prepared to tolerate the rights of 15 percent of the world’s population being denied.”\r\n\r\nApart from the global call to the UN, the Equal World petition has specific calls to action targeting the governments of Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda.\r\n\r\nThe petition can be signed at www.sightsavers.org/equalworld.\r\n\r\nSightSavers has campaigned for the rights of PWD’s since 2013. Within that span, it has made concerns around disability a priority among international organizations and several national governments.','Five Months After, Disability Act Yet To Be Implemented','“In Nigeria and around the world, people with disabilities are denied the rights to go to school, find a job, access health care and take part in political processes. This discrimination is an injustice on over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities,”','inherit','closed','closed','','2193-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 22:23:58','2019-12-03 22:23:58','',2193,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2193-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2199,2,'2019-12-03 22:42:00','2019-12-03 22:42:00','','Conference second image','','inherit','open','closed','','conference-second-image','','','2019-12-03 22:42:00','2019-12-03 22:42:00','',2170,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Conference-second-image.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(2200,2,'2019-12-03 22:42:14','2019-12-03 22:42:14','','zMqGeXahOjdaofCToubuihVQJcjitMPaQmhm6u9zVZTXp6_Osp1gDy94IbrIIYvuGaNpnfH2WzcNy2pUQisCWPlJIBnklz2dliv04UlVaYk26XBxR3QI_Oq3JgOGAdrUEQ','','inherit','open','closed','','zmqgexahojdaofctoubuihvqjcjitmpaqmhm6u9zvztxp6_osp1gdy94ibriiyvuganpnfh2wzcny2puqiscwpljibnklz2dliv04ulvayk26xbxr3qi_oq3jgogadrueq-3','','','2019-12-03 22:42:14','2019-12-03 22:42:14','',2197,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/zMqGeXahOjdaofCToubuihVQJcjitMPaQmhm6u9zVZTXp6_Osp1gDy94IbrIIYvuGaNpnfH2WzcNy2pUQisCWPlJIBnklz2dliv04UlVaYk26XBxR3QI_Oq3JgOGAdrUEQ-2.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2447,2,'2019-12-06 18:03:19','2019-12-06 18:03:19','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>The “Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act (2018) definitely was a milestone for those affected and probably for all the citizens. At least, the over 25 million persons that are living with disabilities in Nigeria are happy over the passage and signing of a law aimed at reintegrating them fully back into the society. This Act envisages the condition and limitations of persons living with disabilities and makes provision for their inclusion in the society at least as succour to mitigate their emotional and psychological trauma. If this law is implemented, it would alleviate the suffering of persons living with disabilities to a great extent and even curb the menace of using them as object of begging and also relief the relations of this category of Nigerians from bearing the entire burden of catering for them all alone. But it may not happen easily and this law might just become one of those laws that are just there without being implemented. For instance, the law that prohibits discrimination against persons living the HIV/AIDS is just there and not implemented. For instance, that law provided that all places of work must develop HIV/AIDS workplace policy as a way of ensuring that the employers would not maltreat employees because of their HIV status. Up till now, if at all, it’s rare to see any workplace that has such policy.</p>\nThe implementation of that law on prohibition of discrimination against persons living with HIV suffered serious setback because there was no push until recently that Lawyers Alert Nigeria, a nongovernmental organization took up the case of a man that was sacked by his employer because of his HIV status. Lawyers Alert dragged the employer to court and won the case and the man simply called Mr ‘X’ to protect his identity. He was handsomely compensated via court ruling so that that employer would serve as deterrent to other employers of labour that tend to behave in the same manner. Another law that was passed that also face implementation challenge is the ‘Not Too Young to Rule’. Despite the passage of this law, it was shocking that the percentage of the youth that were elected in the just concluded 2019 election did not commensurate with the expectation in a country with huge population of youths. Also, the Freedom of Information Act, up till now, has not been given the chance it deserves at implementation stage. There are several cases in court now on the application of the Freedom of Information Act. A human right activist and member of Ondo State Civil Society Organization, Martins Alo dragged Ondo State Government to court over issues around application of Freedom of Information Act and the case has been foot-dragging from High Court to Appeal Court and now at Supreme Court with its fate hanging in the balance.\n\nOne then begins to wonder why the passing and signing the laws since such laws would not be implemented. Then, what is the essence of the legislative arm of government that gulps huge resources from the nation to service the legislators. And what’s the essence of government without laws when the state exists due to the existence of the law. Why do we then have the judiciary if the laws would not function?\n\nThis disability act is a litmus test to really know the seriousness and sincerity of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who is a disciplined law enforcer, given his military background and who appears to be a man of principle. Also, having a lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a professor of Law, Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President makes it imperative for this nation to actualize the implementation of this and other laws of the land. At a recent strategy session facilitated by Department for International Development (DFID’s) Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) recently, the stakeholders from various clusters in the disabilities community in Nigeria dissected the law and identified priority areas that required immediate implementation. They demanded the immediate implementation of the Disability Law. The persons with disabilities including Professor Jubril Isah of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Member, Governing Board, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Mr. David Anyaele, Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr Daniel Onwe, President, Lawyers Living with Disabilities, Irene  Patrick, Executive Director, Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) and Sulaimon Abdulazeez, Chairman, Kaduna State chapter of Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disability (JONAPWD).\n\nThese stakeholders commended the national Assembly and the presidency for gazetting the law.\n\nThey unanimously agreed on key areas for immediate implementation of the law. They urged President Buahri to set up the national commission for disability without delay. They also appealed to the federal government to provide fund for the commission to be effective. They also emphasised the need by all stakeholders including the media to create more awareness of the law so that every citizen would be aware of the existence of the law and abide. The stakeholders charged all state governors to domesticate the disability law in their various states. In conclusion, the persons living with disabilities in Nigeria are citizens of this country who deserve to live and function unhindered, (within the ambit of the law) but they are at disadvantage in most cases and are often being denied of access and opportunities because of their condition. This necessitated the disability law to reintegrate them back fully into the society and give them sense of belonging. This law will promote love among the citizenry if well implemented. Therefore, President Buhari and all those concerned should please kindly take the Disability Law in Nigeria to the Next Level by ensuring the immediate implementation of the law.','Next Level for Disability Law in Nigeria','One then begins to wonder why the passing and signing the laws since such laws would not be implemented. Then, what is the essence of the legislative arm of government that gulps huge resources from the nation to service the legislators.','inherit','closed','closed','','2197-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:03:19','2019-12-06 18:03:19','',2197,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2197-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2201,2,'2019-12-03 22:42:57','2019-12-03 22:42:57','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Next Level for Disability Law in Nigeria\r\nAuthor: Hameed Oyegbade\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://guardian.ng/opinion/next-level-for-disability-law-in-nigeria/\">TheGurdian</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nThe “Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act (2018) definitely was a milestone for those affected and probably for all the citizens. At least, the over 25 million persons that are living with disabilities in Nigeria are happy over the passage and signing of a law aimed at reintegrating them fully back into the society. This Act envisages the condition and limitations of persons living with disabilities and makes provision for their inclusion in the society at least as succour to mitigate their emotional and psychological trauma. If this law is implemented, it would alleviate the suffering of persons living with disabilities to a great extent and even curb the menace of using them as object of begging and also relief the relations of this category of Nigerians from bearing the entire burden of catering for them all alone. But it may not happen easily and this law might just become one of those laws that are just there without being implemented. For instance, the law that prohibits discrimination against persons living the HIV/AIDS is just there and not implemented. For instance, that law provided that all places of work must develop HIV/AIDS workplace policy as a way of ensuring that the employers would not maltreat employees because of their HIV status. Up till now, if at all, it’s rare to see any workplace that has such policy.\r\n\r\nThe implementation of that law on prohibition of discrimination against persons living with HIV suffered serious setback because there was no push until recently that Lawyers Alert Nigeria, a nongovernmental organization took up the case of a man that was sacked by his employer because of his HIV status. Lawyers Alert dragged the employer to court and won the case and the man simply called Mr ‘X’ to protect his identity. He was handsomely compensated via court ruling so that that employer would serve as deterrent to other employers of labour that tend to behave in the same manner. Another law that was passed that also face implementation challenge is the ‘Not Too Young to Rule’. Despite the passage of this law, it was shocking that the percentage of the youth that were elected in the just concluded 2019 election did not commensurate with the expectation in a country with huge population of youths. Also, the Freedom of Information Act, up till now, has not been given the chance it deserves at implementation stage. There are several cases in court now on the application of the Freedom of Information Act. A human right activist and member of Ondo State Civil Society Organization, Martins Alo dragged Ondo State Government to court over issues around application of Freedom of Information Act and the case has been foot-dragging from High Court to Appeal Court and now at Supreme Court with its fate hanging in the balance.\r\n\r\nOne then begins to wonder why the passing and signing the laws since such laws would not be implemented. Then, what is the essence of the legislative arm of government that gulps huge resources from the nation to service the legislators. And what’s the essence of government without laws when the state exists due to the existence of the law. Why do we then have the judiciary if the laws would not function?\r\n\r\nThis disability act is a litmus test to really know the seriousness and sincerity of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who is a disciplined law enforcer, given his military background and who appears to be a man of principle. Also, having a lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a professor of Law, Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President makes it imperative for this nation to actualize the implementation of this and other laws of the land. At a recent strategy session facilitated by Department for International Development (DFID’s) Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) recently, the stakeholders from various clusters in the disabilities community in Nigeria dissected the law and identified priority areas that required immediate implementation. They demanded the immediate implementation of the Disability Law. The persons with disabilities including Professor Jubril Isah of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Member, Governing Board, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Mr. David Anyaele, Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr Daniel Onwe, President, Lawyers Living with Disabilities, Irene  Patrick, Executive Director, Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) and Sulaimon Abdulazeez, Chairman, Kaduna State chapter of Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disability (JONAPWD).\r\n\r\nThese stakeholders commended the national Assembly and the presidency for gazetting the law.\r\n\r\nThey unanimously agreed on key areas for immediate implementation of the law. They urged President Buahri to set up the national commission for disability without delay. They also appealed to the federal government to provide fund for the commission to be effective. They also emphasised the need by all stakeholders including the media to create more awareness of the law so that every citizen would be aware of the existence of the law and abide. The stakeholders charged all state governors to domesticate the disability law in their various states. In conclusion, the persons living with disabilities in Nigeria are citizens of this country who deserve to live and function unhindered, (within the ambit of the law) but they are at disadvantage in most cases and are often being denied of access and opportunities because of their condition. This necessitated the disability law to reintegrate them back fully into the society and give them sense of belonging. This law will promote love among the citizenry if well implemented. Therefore, President Buhari and all those concerned should please kindly take the Disability Law in Nigeria to the Next Level by ensuring the immediate implementation of the law.','Next Level for Disability Law in Nigeria','One then begins to wonder why the passing and signing the laws since such laws would not be implemented. Then, what is the essence of the legislative arm of government that gulps huge resources from the nation to service the legislators.','inherit','closed','closed','','2197-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 22:42:57','2019-12-03 22:42:57','',2197,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2197-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2202,2,'2019-06-25 10:00:06','2019-06-25 10:00:06','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>An international group, <strong><a href=\"http://www.sightsavers.org/%E2%80%8E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sight Savers Nigeria</a></strong>, has organised an online petition aimed at canvassing massive support for the implementation of the Nigerian Disability Act, signed in January.</p>\nThe group, with its headquarters In the United Kingdom, says its petition is part of a core goal to ensure the recognition of the rights of disabled people.\n\nIn a press briefing on Tuesday by its country director, Sunday Isiyaku, the group said it was introducing the online petition as part of a global “equal world” campaign intended to ensure that physically challenged people or persons living with disabilities are recognized as provided by the act.\n\n“When the Nigerian disability act is implemented, Children with disabilities will have access to school through the implementation of inclusive education system, youth and women with disabilities will have equal rights and opportunities to formal employment, participate and enjoy economic, social and political opportunities in the country.”\n\nCiting the United Nations estimate of people living with disabilities across the world, Mr Isiyaku said 15 per cent of the world’s population have one form of disability or the other.\n\n“The charity’s equal world campaign is to change the fact that in many countries, people with disabilities experience high levels of discrimination that prevent them from taking part in society.\n\n“This discrimination is an injustice on over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities,” Mr Isiyaku said.\n\nHe added that the proposed petition has two goals: namely, “that the United Nations ensures that its recently published disability strategy is implemented effectively. And that the federal government ensures the full implementation of the recently signed law.”\n\nIn its additional statement, the association’s campaign director, Tessa Murphy said the program is aimed at informing governments all over the world that the long-standing disregard for the rights of people with disabilities will not be condoled further.\n\nAs part of the online campaign, the group said the program is targeted at the following countries: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/298843-world-international-disabilities-day-groups-beg-nass-to-send-bill-to-buhari-for-assent.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria</a>, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.\n\nAccording to Mr Isiyaku, the petition’s signatures will be collected between June and September.\n\nHe added that the petition will later be handed over to the UN to coincide with the UN General assembly to be held in September.\n\nSigned in January, the Act prohibits all forms of discrimination against persons with disability. If an individual is found violating this law, he/she will pay a fine of N100, 000 or a term of six months imprisonment.\n\nThe law also imposes a fine of one million naira on corporate bodies, among others.','Group Launches Global Petition on Disability Rights','The charity’s equal world campaign is to change the fact that in many countries, people with disabilities experience high levels of discrimination that prevent them from taking part in society.','publish','open','open','','group-launches-global-petition-on-disability-rights','','','2019-12-06 18:04:29','2019-12-06 18:04:29','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2202',3,'post','',0),(2204,2,'2019-12-03 22:50:47','2019-12-03 22:50:47','','images-17','','inherit','open','closed','','images-17','','','2019-12-03 22:50:47','2019-12-03 22:50:47','',2202,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/images-17.jpeg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2205,2,'2019-12-03 22:51:02','2019-12-03 22:51:02','','bukka-restaurant','','inherit','open','closed','','bukka-restaurant','','','2019-12-03 22:51:02','2019-12-03 22:51:02','',2170,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/bukka-restaurant.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2449,2,'2019-12-06 18:04:26','2019-12-06 18:04:26','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>An international group, <strong><a href=\"http://www.sightsavers.org/%E2%80%8E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sight Savers Nigeria</a></strong>, has organised an online petition aimed at canvassing massive support for the implementation of the Nigerian Disability Act, signed in January.</p>\nThe group, with its headquarters In the United Kingdom, says its petition is part of a core goal to ensure the recognition of the rights of disabled people.\n\nIn a press briefing on Tuesday by its country director, Sunday Isiyaku, the group said it was introducing the online petition as part of a global “equal world” campaign intended to ensure that physically challenged people or persons living with disabilities are recognized as provided by the act.\n\n“When the Nigerian disability act is implemented, Children with disabilities will have access to school through the implementation of inclusive education system, youth and women with disabilities will have equal rights and opportunities to formal employment, participate and enjoy economic, social and political opportunities in the country.”\n\nCiting the United Nations estimate of people living with disabilities across the world, Mr Isiyaku said 15 per cent of the world’s population have one form of disability or the other.\n\n“The charity’s equal world campaign is to change the fact that in many countries, people with disabilities experience high levels of discrimination that prevent them from taking part in society.\n\n“This discrimination is an injustice on over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities,” Mr Isiyaku said.\n\nHe added that the proposed petition has two goals: namely, “that the United Nations ensures that its recently published disability strategy is implemented effectively. And that the federal government ensures the full implementation of the recently signed law.”\n\nIn its additional statement, the association’s campaign director, Tessa Murphy said the program is aimed at informing governments all over the world that the long-standing disregard for the rights of people with disabilities will not be condoled further.\n\nAs part of the online campaign, the group said the program is targeted at the following countries: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/298843-world-international-disabilities-day-groups-beg-nass-to-send-bill-to-buhari-for-assent.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria</a>, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.\n\nAccording to Mr Isiyaku, the petition’s signatures will be collected between June and September.\n\nHe added that the petition will later be handed over to the UN to coincide with the UN General assembly to be held in September.\n\nSigned in January, the Act prohibits all forms of discrimination against persons with disability. If an individual is found violating this law, he/she will pay a fine of N100, 000 or a term of six months imprisonment.\n\nThe law also imposes a fine of one million naira on corporate bodies, among others.','Group Launches Global Petition on Disability Rights','The charity’s equal world campaign is to change the fact that in many countries, people with disabilities experience high levels of discrimination that prevent them from taking part in society.','inherit','closed','closed','','2202-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:04:26','2019-12-06 18:04:26','',2202,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2202-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2206,2,'2019-12-03 22:51:22','2019-12-03 22:51:22','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Group Launches Global Petition on Disability Rights\r\nAuthor: Evelyn Okakwu\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/336958-group-launches-global-petition-on-disability-rights.html\">PremiumTimes</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nAn international group, <strong><a href=\"http://www.sightsavers.org/%E2%80%8E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sight Savers Nigeria</a></strong>, has organised an online petition aimed at canvassing massive support for the implementation of the Nigerian Disability Act, signed in January.\r\n\r\nThe group, with its headquarters In the United Kingdom, says its petition is part of a core goal to ensure the recognition of the rights of disabled people.\r\n\r\nIn a press briefing on Tuesday by its country director, Sunday Isiyaku, the group said it was introducing the online petition as part of a global “equal world” campaign intended to ensure that physically challenged people or persons living with disabilities are recognized as provided by the act.\r\n\r\n“When the Nigerian disability act is implemented, Children with disabilities will have access to school through the implementation of inclusive education system, youth and women with disabilities will have equal rights and opportunities to formal employment, participate and enjoy economic, social and political opportunities in the country.”\r\n\r\nCiting the United Nations estimate of people living with disabilities across the world, Mr Isiyaku said 15 per cent of the world’s population have one form of disability or the other.\r\n\r\n“The charity’s equal world campaign is to change the fact that in many countries, people with disabilities experience high levels of discrimination that prevent them from taking part in society.\r\n\r\n“This discrimination is an injustice on over 20 million Nigerians with disabilities,” Mr Isiyaku said.\r\n\r\nHe added that the proposed petition has two goals: namely, “that the United Nations ensures that its recently published disability strategy is implemented effectively. And that the federal government ensures the full implementation of the recently signed law.”\r\n\r\nIn its additional statement, the association’s campaign director, Tessa Murphy said the program is aimed at informing governments all over the world that the long-standing disregard for the rights of people with disabilities will not be condoled further.\r\n\r\nAs part of the online campaign, the group said the program is targeted at the following countries: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/298843-world-international-disabilities-day-groups-beg-nass-to-send-bill-to-buhari-for-assent.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nigeria</a>, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.\r\n\r\nAccording to Mr Isiyaku, the petition’s signatures will be collected between June and September.\r\n\r\nHe added that the petition will later be handed over to the UN to coincide with the UN General assembly to be held in September.\r\n\r\nSigned in January, the Act prohibits all forms of discrimination against persons with disability. If an individual is found violating this law, he/she will pay a fine of N100, 000 or a term of six months imprisonment.\r\n\r\nThe law also imposes a fine of one million naira on corporate bodies, among others.','Group Launches Global Petition on Disability Rights','The charity’s equal world campaign is to change the fact that in many countries, people with disabilities experience high levels of discrimination that prevent them from taking part in society.','inherit','closed','closed','','2202-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 22:51:22','2019-12-03 22:51:22','',2202,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2202-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2210,2,'2019-12-03 23:02:54','2019-12-03 23:02:54','','zMqGeXahOjdaofCToubuihVQJcjitMPaQmhm6u9zVZTXp6_Osp1gDy94IbrIIYvuGaNpnfH2WzcNy2pUQisCWPlJIBnklz2dliv04UlVaYk26XBxR3QI_Oq3JgOGAdrUEQ','','inherit','open','closed','','zmqgexahojdaofctoubuihvqjcjitmpaqmhm6u9zvztxp6_osp1gdy94ibriiyvuganpnfh2wzcny2puqiscwpljibnklz2dliv04ulvayk26xbxr3qi_oq3jgogadrueq-4','','','2019-12-03 23:02:54','2019-12-03 23:02:54','',2208,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/zMqGeXahOjdaofCToubuihVQJcjitMPaQmhm6u9zVZTXp6_Osp1gDy94IbrIIYvuGaNpnfH2WzcNy2pUQisCWPlJIBnklz2dliv04UlVaYk26XBxR3QI_Oq3JgOGAdrUEQ-3.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2211,2,'2019-12-03 23:03:54','2019-12-03 23:03:54','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>SDG: Making a Case for People Living with Disabilities\r\nAuthor: Gbenga Ogundare\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/02/sdg-making-a-case-for-people-living-with-disabilities/\">ThisDay</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nGbenga Ogundare writes that Nigeria’s slack tax system poses a threat to the attainment of the eighth Sustainable Development Goals, which covers minorities like People Living With Disabilities and seeks to ‘promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’\r\n\r\nNigeria, with no fewer than 20 million people damaged one way or the other, has yet to fully include this minority in its public spending—how much less floating a special tax regime to raise fund for their welfare.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, in climes where inclusion matters in governance, tax credits to fund the welfare of Persons Living With Disabilities(PLWDs) are being proposed, and policy makers are taking a long hard look at them.\r\n\r\nNorth America first: Canada, years ago, introduced the Disability Tax Credit to shore up its disability welfare fund—for its 500,000 PLWDs—to above a billion dollars. Even if it seemed a political move of the government at that time, Australia, too, proposed a disability tax in 2013. The policy meant to kick in by 2014 was expected to raise over $3 billion (Au)by increasing a compulsory health insurance levy from 1.5 per cent of personal income to two percent. The country has around 410,000 PLWDs.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Nigerian Situation</strong>\r\n\r\nBut Nigeria, with no fewer than 20 million people damaged one way or the other, has yet to fully include this minority in its public spending—how much less floating a special tax regime to raise funds for their welfare.\r\n\r\nFunding has always been the excuse. And the government will sing it out louder in these trying times as Nigeria’s oil fortunes dwindle, and its economic handlers flounder in uncertainty.\r\n\r\nThe world’s sixth largest oil exporter earned N207 billion from crude oil and gas export in the first half of 2018. This fell short of the N661.4 billion the federal government targeted.\r\n\r\nThese disappearing revenues threaten a lot of things, the most important being the eighth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which covers minorities like the PLWDs, and seeks to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Funding</strong>\r\n\r\nTax revenue thus remains one of the sources to look to—in order to tide the nation’s 200 million plus citizens over the storm.\r\n\r\nGoal 17 of the SDG addresses this: Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. The first clause specifies the means: Strengthening domestic resource mobilisation, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection.\r\n\r\nAcross all development, economic, and financial institutions working to save the world’s poor, taxation has been identified as one reliable means to oil the wheel of the global development agenda.\r\n\r\n“Funding the SDGs is an economic and ethical imperative with major implications for taxation. Countries themselves need to raise more revenue in an equitable way,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said during the February 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) meeting in New York.\r\n\r\n“And the entire international community needs to eradicate tax evasion and tax avoidance.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Avoidance and Evasion</strong>\r\n\r\nTax avoidance and evasion plague developing economies where their tax-GDP ratio is low—compared to the developed economies.\r\n\r\nIn Nigeria, the ratio is 6.1 per cent, lower than Ghana’s and Egypt’s at 16 per cent, Morocco’s at 22 per cent and South Africa’s at 27 per cent. Norway’s, one of the OECD members, however, stands at 54 per cent.\r\n\r\nIn 2016, global consulting firm PwC said in theJune edition of its Tax Watch that Nigeria earned N5.5 trillion ($27 billion) from taxation in 2015.“South Africa with a smaller economy and only about one-third the Nigeria’s population collected twice as much R808 billion (about US$57 bn) in taxes alone,” the report stated.\r\n\r\nThe difference is clear: 40 million, out of the 70million active citizens in Nigeria, said former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, pay taxes. And the 30 million tax dodgers cut across the rich and the poor. This shenanigan mirrors the tax situation in Africa, a situation not exactly bad, some international tax watchers say.\r\n\r\n“Governments committed to expanding revenue collection, including through income taxes, have sometimes seen large gains,” researchers from the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) stated.\r\n\r\nThey cited the Rwanda and Ethiopia success stories. “In individual cases, governments have been able to mobilisepopular support for new taxation by linking it more explicitly to benefits, for example in Sierra Leone and Nigeria.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Nigerian Reality</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Nigerian authorities won’t celebrate this research finding, though. The reality is starkly different. As at December 2017, only 943 Nigerians paid self-assessed taxes of less than N1 million, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo while addressing a gathering of members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in Nigeria recently.\r\n\r\nA partner with Deloitte &amp; Touche Nigeria, Oluseye Arowolo, also revealed that of the 14 million registered personal income taxpayers, just 214 Nigerians pay up to N20 million as annual tax; 914 people pay up to N10 million. And according to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), there are just 2.5 million tax-registered corporates out of the 30 million on the CAC list.\r\n\r\nWorse, the 214 in the tax upper crust live in Lagos where just five million of the taxable nine million pay taxes, the state internal revenue service said. Ninety per cent of the tax payers are from the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and public servants while 10 per cent are from the informal sector in the state. The Joint Tax Board stated that Lagos raked in 40 per cent of the N684 billion the 36 states of the federation took in in 2015.\r\n\r\nAt least 46 per cent of Nigeria’s 10-million registered personal-income taxpayers, said the National Bureau of Statistics, lived in the state.\r\n\r\nBut this is not in praise of the Lagos elite. They could have done more, and declared higher than N20 million each, annually, considering the sheer number of the rich cocooned in the most populated city on the continent.\r\n\r\n<strong>Lagos also ranks the fourth wealthiest in Africa.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn a report by AfrAsia Bank and New World Wealth in 2017, Lagos warehouses$120 billion of Africa’s wealth. No fewer than four dollar-rich billionaires, 360 multi-millionaires, and 6,800 millionaires live in the city. Yet just over 200 of these moneybags remit about N20 million each, yearly, and just over 900 pay N1 million each every year.\r\n\r\n<strong>Injustice against the Poor</strong>\r\n\r\nIt has actually been discovered the tax system is rigged against the poor in developing countries, thanks to the games the elite play in shaping politics of tax and its collection.\r\n\r\nIn Africa, the ICTD says, taxation of the wealthy remains ineffective. “The overall collection of income and property taxes is a fraction of levies on the OECD countries,” the group’s findings reveal.\r\n\r\n“Taxation of professional incomes and capital gains are often almost negligible; corporations benefit from poorly monitored tax exemptions, and so on.”\r\n\r\nIn Nigeria in particular, the wealthy declare just single sources of income, when they have streams of multiple incomes hidden from the tax man.\r\n\r\n“They are only taxed through the PAYE,” said Adeosun. “Yet, they earn so much from part-time jobs, and extra businesses.” These artful dodgers include the nerds in online businesses, entrepreneurs, Nollywood’s big earners, and others.\r\n\r\nIn the enforcement, the injustice is also obvious. “There is growing evidence that much of the cost of poor enforcement of taxes on the rich falls on the poor,” the ICTD says.\r\n\r\nThat happens through fragmented subnational taxes, formal and informal user fees, reliance on community associations for services, and the broad reach of informal taxation—all borne by the have-nots, including the PLWDs.\r\n\r\n<strong>PLWDs Stand</strong>\r\n\r\nThe PLWDs are not grumbling about paying taxes, anyway. “There’s nothing wrong in paying taxes as disabled persons,” said Tunde Muhammed, chairman of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, Lagos.\r\n\r\n“It helps any disabled person paying his tax to stand up and insist on exercising his rights.”\r\n\r\nMuhammed’s only worry is what he sees as the fundamental problem in government approach to disability in Nigeria. And he believes this approach makes the minority objectives of the SDG a tall dream—tax or no tax.\r\n\r\n“Local laws that should promote and protect the PLWD’s right to inclusive development are not there in the first place,” he said.\r\n\r\nDavid Anyaele, Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, also pays his tax, though he thinks the PLWDs should be shielded from tax because the government has no plan for their welfare. But he agrees with Muhammed on one point: The problem goes beyond tax justice.\r\n\r\n“It is about deliberate state policy to include and ensure no one is left behind in development,” he said.\r\n\r\nLack of good tax policies actually spawns the problem of the rich gaming the tax system at the expense of the poor. And that laxity permits just any smart alec, including multinationals, to also bend the tax rule, says Adewale Adeduntan, Social Mobilisation Manager at Actionaid Nigeria.\r\n\r\nAdeduntan isn’t exactly wrong. Between 2005 and 2015, capital gains tax unremitted by some oil giants that bought the federal government assets stood at $270 million, according to a report.\r\n\r\nThe Impact of non-payment of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and other Levies in the Oil and Gas Sector on the Socio-Economic Development of the Country, a report by the Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), reveals that this failure has bogged Nigerians deeper into poverty and under-development.\r\n\r\nThis perceived injustice is not without its effect. The informal sector, which the Central Bank of Nigeria says contributes 48 per cent of Nigeria’s over $500 billion GDP, has no trust in the tax system. And the 36 million mom-and pops, (out of the 37 million businesses in Nigeria) employing over 60 million people, will do everything to blow off tax collectors.\r\n\r\nAnd according to Adeduntan of the Actionaid Nigeria, it’s a loss that must be stopped in the effort to fund development.\r\n\r\nThe race for the SDG medals is actually spurring on responsible governments. No doubt, funds will determine how far a nation will go. But with shrinking government revenues in resource-dependent economies like Nigeria where oil generates 61 per cent of government revenues, attention has to shift to taxation.\r\n\r\nAnd the administration of revenue so gleaned, just and equitable, will only create responsible taxpayers engaging an accountable government for an inclusive society.','SDG: Making a Case for People Living with Disabilities','Nigeria, with no fewer than 20 million people damaged one way or the other, has yet to fully include this minority in its public spending—how much less floating a special tax regime to raise fund for their welfare','inherit','closed','closed','','2208-revision-v1','','','2019-12-03 23:03:54','2019-12-03 23:03:54','',2208,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/03/2208-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2212,2,'2019-10-03 23:04:39','2019-10-03 23:04:39','<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Association of Lawyers with Disability in Nigeria (ALDIN) on Thursday called for the inauguration of a National Commission for Persons with Disability (PWDs) in Nigeria.</p>\nThe group said the commission would improve the living standards of PWDs and foster the creation of an all-inclusive society which would be accessible by all.\n\nIn a statement signed by the President and Secretary of ALDIN, Daniel Onwe and Gaius Ogan, respectively, the association said it believed that the “web” of discrimination will be better curbed if such commission was inaugurated.\n\nThe statement commended President Muhammadu Buhari for giving assent to the “Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, 2018” on January 23.\n\nMr Onwe, the ALDIN president, said the new law, which was long-awaited, was a welcome development, adding that the country was on the right path to creating an all-inclusive society.\n\nHe, however, underscored the importance of inaugurating a commission for disabled persons, which he said, would serve as the driver to give effect to the new law.\n\n“The leadership and members of ALDIN appreciate the assent to the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2018.\n\n“Past administrations had failed to assent to similar bills, and this seemed insensitive to the challenges and pains that the average person living with disability in Nigeria experiences on a daily basis.\n\n“By the passage of this new law, Nigeria is on the path to creating an inclusive society accessible to all, and we remain grateful to Mr President.\n\n“However, assenting to the Bill cannot in itself put paid to the tragedy of the discriminations suffered by persons with disabilities.\n\n“The inauguration of a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is very pivotal to the potency and success story of the disability statute.\n\n“Hence, our clarion call on the executive is for the inauguration of the National Commission on Persons with Disabilities as soon as possible,” he said.\n\nHe reiterated the need for Nigeria to become a society with equal opportunity and standing for all.','Lawyers with disabilities seek inauguration of Commission for Disabled Persons','“Past administrations had failed to assent to similar bills, and this seemed insensitive to the challenges and pains that the average person living with disability in Nigeria experiences on a daily basis.','publish','open','open','','lawyers-with-disabilities-seek-inauguration-of-commission-for-disabled-persons','','','2019-12-06 17:31:30','2019-12-06 17:31:30','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2212',1,'post','',0),(2367,2,'2021-04-20 09:38:41','2019-12-05 17:45:02',' ','','','publish','closed','closed','','2367','','','2021-04-20 09:38:41','2021-04-20 09:38:41','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2367',3,'nav_menu_item','',0),(2369,2,'2019-12-06 13:03:45','2019-12-06 13:03:45','<h3>ARTICLES</h3>','Articles','','publish','closed','closed','','articles','','','2021-04-20 21:57:00','2021-04-20 21:57:00','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?page_id=2369',0,'page','',0),(3518,2,'2021-04-20 21:57:00','2021-04-20 21:57:00','<h3>ARTICLES</h3>','Articles','','inherit','closed','closed','','2369-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 21:57:00','2021-04-20 21:57:00','',2369,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3518',0,'revision','',0),(2445,2,'2019-12-06 17:31:27','2019-12-06 17:31:27','<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Association of Lawyers with Disability in Nigeria (ALDIN) on Thursday called for the inauguration of a National Commission for Persons with Disability (PWDs) in Nigeria.</p>\nThe group said the commission would improve the living standards of PWDs and foster the creation of an all-inclusive society which would be accessible by all.\n\nIn a statement signed by the President and Secretary of ALDIN, Daniel Onwe and Gaius Ogan, respectively, the association said it believed that the “web” of discrimination will be better curbed if such commission was inaugurated.\n\nThe statement commended President Muhammadu Buhari for giving assent to the “Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, 2018” on January 23.\n\nMr Onwe, the ALDIN president, said the new law, which was long-awaited, was a welcome development, adding that the country was on the right path to creating an all-inclusive society.\n\nHe, however, underscored the importance of inaugurating a commission for disabled persons, which he said, would serve as the driver to give effect to the new law.\n\n“The leadership and members of ALDIN appreciate the assent to the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2018.\n\n“Past administrations had failed to assent to similar bills, and this seemed insensitive to the challenges and pains that the average person living with disability in Nigeria experiences on a daily basis.\n\n“By the passage of this new law, Nigeria is on the path to creating an inclusive society accessible to all, and we remain grateful to Mr President.\n\n“However, assenting to the Bill cannot in itself put paid to the tragedy of the discriminations suffered by persons with disabilities.\n\n“The inauguration of a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is very pivotal to the potency and success story of the disability statute.\n\n“Hence, our clarion call on the executive is for the inauguration of the National Commission on Persons with Disabilities as soon as possible,” he said.\n\nHe reiterated the need for Nigeria to become a society with equal opportunity and standing for all.','Lawyers with disabilities seek inauguration of Commission for Disabled Persons','“Past administrations had failed to assent to similar bills, and this seemed insensitive to the challenges and pains that the average person living with disability in Nigeria experiences on a daily basis.','inherit','closed','closed','','2212-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 17:31:27','2019-12-06 17:31:27','',2212,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2212-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2216,2,'2019-12-03 23:11:10','2019-12-03 23:11:10','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Lawyers with disabilities seek inauguration of Commission for Disabled Persons\r\nAuthor: Agency Report\r\n</strong><strong>Originally published by <a href=\"https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/355819-lawyers-with-disabilities-seek-inauguration-of-commission-for-disabled-persons.html\">PremiumTimes</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nThe Association of Lawyers with Disability in Nigeria (ALDIN) on Thursday called for the inauguration of a National Commission for Persons with Disability (PWDs) in Nigeria.\r\n\r\nThe group said the commission would improve the living standards of PWDs and foster the creation of an all-inclusive society which would be accessible by all.\r\n\r\nIn a statement signed by the President and Secretary of ALDIN, Daniel Onwe and Gaius Ogan, respectively, the association said it believed that the “web” of discrimination will be better curbed if such commission was inaugurated.\r\n\r\nThe statement commended President Muhammadu Buhari for giving assent to the “Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, 2018” on January 23.\r\n\r\nMr Onwe, the ALDIN president, said the new law, which was long-awaited, was a welcome development, adding that the country was on the right path to creating an all-inclusive society.\r\n\r\nHe, however, underscored the importance of inaugurating a commission for disabled persons, which he said, would serve as the driver to give effect to the new law.\r\n\r\n“The leadership and members of ALDIN appreciate the assent to the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2018.\r\n\r\n“Past administrations had failed to assent to similar bills, and this seemed insensitive to the challenges and pains that the average person living with disability in Nigeria experiences on a daily basis.\r\n\r\n“By the passage of this new law, Nigeria is on the path to creating an inclusive society accessible to all, and we remain grateful to Mr President.\r\n\r\n“However, assenting to the Bill cannot in itself put paid to the tragedy of the discriminations suffered by persons with disabilities.\r\n\r\n“The inauguration of a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is very pivotal to the potency and success story of the disability statute.\r\n\r\n“Hence, our clarion call on the executive is for the inauguration of the National Commission on Persons with Disabilities as soon as possible,” he said.\r\n\r\nHe reiterated the need for Nigeria to become a society with equal opportunity and standing for all.','Lawyers with disabilities seek inauguration of Commission for Disabled Persons','“Past administrations had failed to assent to similar bills, and this seemed insensitive to the challenges and pains that the average person living with disability in Nigeria 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16:18:23','a:10:{s:4:\"type\";s:4:\"text\";s:12:\"instructions\";s:47:\"Enter the name of the source e.g \"The Guardian\"\";s:8:\"required\";i:1;s:17:\"conditional_logic\";i:0;s:7:\"wrapper\";a:3:{s:5:\"width\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"class\";s:0:\"\";s:2:\"id\";s:0:\"\";}s:13:\"default_value\";s:0:\"\";s:11:\"placeholder\";s:47:\"Enter the name of the source e.g \"The Guardian\"\";s:7:\"prepend\";s:0:\"\";s:6:\"append\";s:0:\"\";s:9:\"maxlength\";s:0:\"\";}','Source Name','source_name','publish','closed','closed','','field_5dea7ecc17ce1','','','2019-12-06 16:18:23','2019-12-06 16:18:23','',2415,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?post_type=acf-field&p=2416',0,'acf-field','',0),(2428,2,'2019-12-06 17:00:59','2019-12-06 17:00:59','<h3>SEARCH RESULTS</h3>		\n			<h5>View all articles</h5>','SEARCH RESULTS','','publish','closed','closed','','search-results','','','2019-12-06 17:02:02','2019-12-06 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22:40:50','',2434,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Roy-Deveau.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2432,2,'2019-12-06 17:02:02','2019-12-06 17:02:02','<h3>SEARCH RESULTS</h3>		\n			<h5>View all articles</h5>','SEARCH RESULTS','','inherit','closed','closed','','2428-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 17:02:02','2019-12-06 17:02:02','',2428,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2428-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2433,2,'2019-12-06 17:02:02','2019-12-06 17:02:02','<h3>SEARCH RESULTS</h3>		\n			<h5>View all articles</h5>','SEARCH RESULTS','','inherit','closed','closed','','2428-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 17:02:02','2019-12-06 17:02:02','',2428,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2428-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2434,2,'2019-12-06 17:05:07','2019-12-06 17:05:07','<figure><img width=\"531\" height=\"531\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" /></figure><h3>About</h3><p>International School of Disability Studies (ISDS) is a centre for learning in Nigeria that provides academic training and research opportunities for people interested in disabilities including but not limited to intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health conditions. ISDS was founded in 2014 by Dr Precious Nonye Sango to act as a research and learning centre for students, researchers, policy makers, health and social care professionals and anyone interested in disabilities. ISDS is currently working to set up a Library in Abuja which will hold the most extensive collection of books, journals and resources on disabilities and related disciplines such as Psychology, Sociology and Research Methods in Nigeria. The School’s faculty  and consultants deliver world class teaching, supervision and research to its workshop participants and project clients.</p>		\n												<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/About-Front-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/About-Front-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/About-Front-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/About-Front-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/About-Front.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />														\n			<h4>The Context</h4>		\n									<figure>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Flora-Ugwunwa-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Flora-Ugwunwa-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Flora-Ugwunwa-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Flora-Ugwunwa-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Flora-Ugwunwa.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											<figcaption>Nigerian Paralympian Flora Ugwunwa set another world record, winning gold at the Rio Paralympics.</figcaption>\n										</figure>\n			<h3>Disability in Nigeria</h3>		\n		<p>Nigeria is estimated to have a population of over 180 million. Whilst no reliable official statistics of the number of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Nigeria exist, estimates by the 2011 World Report on Disability, suggest that approximately <strong>25 million Nigerians</strong> have a disability. 3.5 million of these have significant difficulties in social and physical functioning. These disabilities include physical, intellectual and developmental conditions. According to the American Psychiatric Association people with intellectual disabilities (ID) have cognitive impairment such as an IQ of less than 70, and/or significant impairments in adaptive behaviour. Such conditions are diagnosed before age 18. </p>		\n			<h4>The Challenges</h4>		\n			<h3>Visible but invisible</h3>		\n		<p>Despite the large number of people with disabilities in Nigeria, little support is given to individuals living with disabilities. These individuals are often excluded from social, economic and political affairs in society. The most common avenue of social aid for people with disabilities is usually through families, non-governmental organisations and religious communities. Although charities and families take on the responsibility for the social support of people with ID, these support systems are limited or non-existent due to the stigma attached to disability within the society. Individuals with ID are often seen as a disgrace to their families by neighbours and relatives. As a result people with disabilities are subject to neglect and isolation. In extreme cases, these individuals are abandoned to become homeless, living on the streets and begging or family members keep them indoors away from public view.</p>		\n									<figure>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"480\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/LD-1024x614.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/LD-1024x614.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/LD-300x180.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/LD-768x460.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/LD.png 1043w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											<figcaption>James (not real name) attends a school in Northern Nigeria that has no books, computers or trained staff to help with his Special Educational Needs.</figcaption>\n										</figure>\n			<h4>The Solutions</h4>		\n									<figure>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Press-release-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Press-release-1024x768.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Press-release-300x225.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Press-release-768x576.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Press-release-600x450.png 600w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Press-release.png 1478w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											<figcaption>Delegates including policy makers, international academics and health care professionals convene at the first International Confrence on Disabilities in Africa, hosted in Abuja by ISDS</figcaption>\n										</figure>\n			<h3>Focus on research and training at ISDS</h3>		\n		<p>Although a few non-governmental organisations are working to care for PWDs, there needs to be more programmes to raise awareness about the causes, symptoms and care of learning and physical disabilities in order to improve the attitudes of people towards the disabled in Nigeria and Africa. As such, the International School of Disability Studies was established as the first specialized institution in Nigeria for learning disability research, teaching and learning. By delivering quality education and training to anyone interested in disabilities including but not limited to IDD (students, academics, researchers, families of people with disabilities, carers, health workers and service providers), we aim to improve care standards and public attitudes towards people with disabilities, reducing stigma and enhancing their quality of life. You are welcome to study or partner with ISDS.</p>		\n			<h4>Faculty</h4>		\n		<p>ISDS faculty and associate members deliver training workshops, conferences and research supervision to organisations, students, carers, health care professionals and social workers in order to improve the quality of care and treatment available to people with disabilities including but not limited to intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illness in Nigeria.</p>		\n												<img width=\"612\" height=\"611\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Precious-profile.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Precious-profile.png 612w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Precious-profile-300x300.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Precious-profile-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" />														\n			<h5>Dr Precious Nonye Sango</h5>		\n			<p>Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Studies</p>		\n			<p>BSc, MA, PhD, PGCHE, Senior Fellow (HEA), ADOS-2 & ADI-R Certified</p>		\n			<p>School Director</p>		\n												<img width=\"268\" height=\"268\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rachel-profile.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rachel-profile.jpg 268w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rachel-profile-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 268px) 100vw, 268px\" />														\n			<h5>Prof Rachel Forrester-Jones</h5>		\n			<p>Professor of Social Policy</p>		\n			<p>BSc, PDip, PhD, PGCHE, LLB</p>		\n			<p>Faculty Consultant</p>		\n												<img width=\"700\" height=\"700\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Eziafakaku-profile.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Eziafakaku-profile.jpg 700w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Eziafakaku-profile-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Eziafakaku-profile-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" />														\n			<h5>Mrs Eziafakaku Nwokolo</h5>		\n			<p>Board Certified Behaviour Analyst</p>		\n			<p>BCBA, ADOS-2 & ADI-R Certified, MSc</p>		\n			<p>Faculty Consultant</p>		\n												<img width=\"700\" height=\"700\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chidi-profile.jpeg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chidi-profile.jpeg 700w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chidi-profile-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chidi-profile-150x150.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" />														\n			<h5>Dr Chidiebere Uwadoka MD</h5>		\n			<p>Consultant Psychiatrists</p>		\n			<p>MSc, MSc, MD</p>		\n			<p>Faculty Consultant</p>		\n												<img width=\"620\" height=\"620\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Roy-Deveau.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Roy-Deveau.jpg 620w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Roy-Deveau-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Roy-Deveau-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" />														\n			<h5>Mr Roy Deveau</h5>		\n			<p>Care Management Consultant</p>		\n			<p>MA, MSc, RMN, RGN</p>		\n			<p>Faculty Consultant</p>		\n												<img width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Placeholder.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Placeholder.png 512w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Placeholder-300x300.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Placeholder-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" />														\n			<h5>Ms Julia Biermann</h5>		\n			<p>Lecturer in Disability Studies</p>		\n			<p>Dipl.-Soz., Dipl.-Päd.</p>		\n			<p>Faculty Consultant</p>		\n												<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Staff-profile-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Staff-profile-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Staff-profile-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Staff-profile-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Staff-profile.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />														\n			<h5>Contact Us</h5>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Send us a message here\n					</a>','About','','publish','closed','closed','','about','','','2021-09-10 07:19:36','2021-09-10 07:19:36','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?page_id=2434',0,'page','',0),(2436,2,'2019-12-06 17:08:26','2019-12-06 17:08:26','<h3>ARTICLES</h3>		\n			<h3>Source</h3>		\n			<h3>Originally published by:</h3>		\n								Share on facebook\n								Share on google\n								Share on twitter\n								Share on linkedin\n			<h3>Comments</h3>','ARTICLE TEMPLATE','','inherit','closed','closed','','2396-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 17:08:26','2019-12-06 17:08:26','',2396,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2396-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2336,2,'2019-12-05 16:11:58','2019-12-05 16:11:58','','Research front','','inherit','open','closed','','research-front','','','2019-12-05 16:11:58','2019-12-05 16:11:58','',2334,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Research-front.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2348,2,'2019-12-05 16:57:18','2019-12-05 16:57:18','','IMG_20190912_162056-1024x576','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20190912_162056-1024x576','','','2019-12-05 16:57:18','2019-12-05 16:57:18','',2334,'https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_20190912_162056-1024x576.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3043,2,'2021-04-20 12:24:00','2021-04-20 12:24:00','<img width=\"1120\" height=\"500\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1.png 1120w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-300x134.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-1024x457.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-768x343.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" />											\n		<p>International School of Disability Studies (ISDS) is a research and training centre in Nigeria that offers training and research expertise on disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health conditions.</p>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						LEARN MORE\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						CONFERENCE\n					</a>\n			<h4>Registration Now Open for ICDA 2021</h4>		\n		<p>The 2nd International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA 2021) will be taking place on the 31st of July 2021 online via video presentations due to COVID-19. Register to attend now or submit an abstract if you intend to present. <b>The theme of the ICDA 2021 conference is: “Global Perspectives on Empowerment for Disabled People”. </b>Discussions and conference submissions should focus on various theories, forms and applications of empowerment in the field of disability studies globally and possible implications for disabled people within the African context.</p>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Register Online\n					</a>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						TRAINING WORKSHOPS\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals. </p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Inclusion and Participation of Disabled People in Education and Society (ISDS902)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Spiritual, Cultural and Scientific Perspectives on Mental Health Conditions (ISDS903)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Leadership and Management of Care Services for Disabled People (ISDS904)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This online course is intended for people working, or interested, in any aspect of the disability field in African countries who want to advance their knowledge and understanding of the role of leadership and management in promoting the interests and support for people with disabilities in Africa.  The number of participants per workshop will not exceed thirty</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Introduction to Social Research Methods - 2 Days Training and Research Project (ISDS905)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding of the principles of social research and related philosophical debates; people who take this workshop will also develop basic skills in the use of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques and begin to judge what methods and techniques are appropriate to specific research problems/questions.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										1,500 word essay report\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY\n					</a>\n		<p>At ISDS, we have an experienced and strategic international coalition of disability and social inclusion academics, clinicians, psychiatrists, who collaboratively or individually work on different disability related projects in line with the School’s objectives. We have currently established teams of researchers according to the following research themes: </p>		\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Special Educational Needs\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Mental Health Conditions\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Stigma and Social Inclusion\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Social Policy and Inclusive Development (SPID)\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Spirituality and Quality of Life (SQL)\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Care Management and Leadership (CML)\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Contact Our Experts\n					</a>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"603\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy.png 950w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy-300x226.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy-768x579.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n		<p>ISDS has worked on research and consultancy projects for several organisations including:</p>		\n											<a href=\"https://www.lawclinic.org.uk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"264\" height=\"230\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-Logo-only.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" />								</a>\n											<a href=\"http://www.propcommaikarfi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"200\" height=\"178\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" />								</a>\n											<a href=\"http://www.thepalladiumgroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"800\" height=\"320\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG.png 945w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG-300x120.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG-768x307.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />								</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						ARTICLES\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						MORE ARTICLES\n					</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','1920-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 12:24:00','2021-04-20 12:24:00','',1920,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3043',0,'revision','',0),(2245,2,'2021-04-20 09:38:41','2019-12-04 01:10:32',' ','','','publish','closed','closed','','2245','','','2021-04-20 09:38:41','2021-04-20 09:38:41','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=2245',1,'nav_menu_item','',0),(3569,2,'2021-04-20 23:09:28','2021-04-20 23:09:28','<img width=\"1120\" height=\"500\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1.png 1120w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-300x134.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-1024x457.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-768x343.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" />											\n		<p>International School of Disability Studies (ISDS) is a research and training centre in Nigeria that offers training and research expertise on disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health conditions.</p>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						LEARN MORE\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						CONFERENCE\n					</a>\n			<h4>Registration Now Open for ICDA 2021</h4>		\n		<p>The 2nd International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA 2021) will be taking place on the 31st of July 2021 online via video presentations due to COVID-19. Register to attend now or submit an abstract if you intend to present. <b>The theme of the ICDA 2021 conference is: “Global Perspectives on Empowerment for Disabled People”. </b>Discussions and conference submissions should focus on various theories, forms and applications of empowerment in the field of disability studies globally and possible implications for disabled people within the African context.</p>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Register Online\n					</a>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						TRAINING WORKSHOPS\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals. </p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Inclusion and Participation of Disabled People in Education and Society (ISDS902)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Spiritual, Cultural and Scientific Perspectives on Mental Health Conditions (ISDS903)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Leadership and Management of Care Services for Disabled People (ISDS904)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This online course is intended for people working, or interested, in any aspect of the disability field in African countries who want to advance their knowledge and understanding of the role of leadership and management in promoting the interests and support for people with disabilities in Africa.  The number of participants per workshop will not exceed thirty</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Introduction to Social Research Methods - 2 Days Training and Research Project (ISDS905)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding of the principles of social research and related philosophical debates; people who take this workshop will also develop basic skills in the use of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques and begin to judge what methods and techniques are appropriate to specific research problems/questions.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										1,500 word essay report\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY\n					</a>\n		<p>At ISDS, we have an experienced and strategic international coalition of disability and social inclusion academics, clinicians, psychiatrists, who collaboratively or individually work on different disability related projects in line with the School’s objectives. We have currently established teams of researchers according to the following research themes: </p>		\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Special Educational Needs\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Mental Health Conditions\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Stigma and Social Inclusion\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Social Policy and Inclusive Development (SPID)\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Spirituality and Quality of Life (SQL)\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Care Management and Leadership (CML)\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Contact Our Experts\n					</a>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"603\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy.png 950w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy-300x226.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy-768x579.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n		<p>ISDS has worked on research and consultancy projects for several organisations including:</p>		\n											<a href=\"https://www.lawclinic.org.uk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"264\" height=\"230\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-Logo-only.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" />								</a>\n											<a href=\"http://www.propcommaikarfi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"200\" height=\"178\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" />								</a>\n											<a href=\"http://www.thepalladiumgroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"800\" height=\"320\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG.png 945w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG-300x120.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG-768x307.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />								</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						ARTICLES\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						MORE ARTICLES\n					</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','1920-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 23:09:28','2021-04-20 23:09:28','',1920,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3569',0,'revision','',0),(3590,2,'2021-07-01 09:28:16','2021-07-01 09:28:16','<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Author: <a href=\"https://dailypost.ng/2021/07/01/persons-with-disabilities-suffer-too-much-in-nigeria-our-laws-ineffective-jonapwd/\">Musliudeen Adebayo</a><br>Originally published by <a href=\"https://dailypost.ng/2021/07/01/persons-with-disabilities-suffer-too-much-in-nigeria-our-laws-ineffective-jonapwd/\">Daily Post</a></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), the umbrella body of persons with disabilities in Nigeria has said the law which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities is not effective in the country.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>National Assistant Secretary-General of the association, Mr. Yusuff Olatunji Raheem made this disclosure while speaking with DAILY POST in Ibadan.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>DAILY POST recalls that President Muhamadu Buhari had in January 2019 signed the Discrimination against persons with disabilities (prohibition) act 2018.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The bill which&nbsp;<a href=\"https://dailypost.ng/2019/01/24/buhari-signs-new-bill/\">was jointly passed</a>&nbsp;by both the Senate and House of Representatives was signed into law on 23rd January 2019 by Buhari.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>DAILY POST gathered that the law prohibits all forms of discrimination on grounds of disability and imposes a fine of N1, 000, 000 for corporate bodies and N100, 000 for individuals or a term of six months imprisonment for violation concurrently.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>But the National Assistant Secretary-General of JONAPWD, Mr. Yusuff Olatunji Raheem in a chat with DAILY POST on Thursday, noted that some public buildings are not still accessible to persons with disabilities especially people in wheelchairs.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Raheem who noted that the law provides that people with disabilities should have access to public buildings such as health facilities, schools, financial institutions and recreation facilities without any hindrances, lamented that many of the people with disabilities find it difficult to access public buildings especially banks, health facilities and educational institutions.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>He added that people with disabilities should be allowed to enjoy basic amenities like their counterparts as guaranteed by the law.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Raheem urged Buhari to prevail on all other organs of government to ensure effective implementation of the law.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“When you have a disability in Nigeria, it is a very challenging thing for you because of so many misconceptions. The worse part of it is that discrimination about disabilities. Stereotyping. When you have disabilities in Nigeria, it makes your life so difficult.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“The way public buildings are constructed, majority of them are not disability friendly. They are not humane for us, which makes it difficult for us to enjoy our country. The majority of public buildings are not accessible to us. Banks, all these private institutions, if you go there you will hardly see anyone that is accessible to people with disabilities. So, that makes life very difficult for us.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“If you go to banks, you want to activate your ATM or token, you are being deprived because they do not have ramps. But, if you look at the government of the day, President Muhamadu Buhari assented to the discrimination against persons with disabilities act in 2019 and one of the provisions in that bill is that all public buildings must be accessible to persons with disabilities.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“But, the law is not effective, it is yet to be implemented after two years of passage. Accessibility to all public buildings must be provided for people with disabilities according to the law.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“All public buildings, schools, event centres, banks, health facilities even failure to do that would attract fine. The law provides that people with disabilities also have equal rights with others in society. It stated that we should not discriminate against persons with disabilities but the law is not effective.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“The law says that employees should reserve five per cent of job opportunities for persons with disabilities, but I know that even two per cent are not employed.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“Discrimination against persons with disabilities law is a very good thing if the government makes it effective. So, the life of over 30 million Nigerians with disabilities should be priotised by the government.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Persons with disabilities suffer too much in Nigeria, our laws ineffective – JONAPWD','“But, the law is not effective, it is yet to be implemented after two years of passage. Accessibility to all public buildings must be provided for people with disabilities according to the law...\"','publish','open','open','','persons-with-disabilities-suffer-too-much-in-nigeria-our-laws-ineffective-jonapwd','','','2021-07-09 08:31:59','2021-07-09 08:31:59','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3590',0,'post','',1),(3591,2,'2021-07-09 08:17:15','2021-07-09 08:17:15','','Persons with disabilities suffer too much in Nigeria, our laws ineffective – JONAPWD','','inherit','closed','closed','','3590-revision-v1','','','2021-07-09 08:17:15','2021-07-09 08:17:15','',3590,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3591',0,'revision','',0),(3592,2,'2021-07-09 08:17:16','2021-07-09 08:17:16','','Persons with disabilities suffer too much in Nigeria, our laws ineffective – JONAPWD','','inherit','closed','closed','','3590-revision-v1','','','2021-07-09 08:17:16','2021-07-09 08:17:16','',3590,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3592',0,'revision','',0),(2419,2,'2019-12-06 16:19:31','2019-12-06 16:19:31','The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Kaduna Chapter has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the organised labour and well-meaning individuals to help in eradicating street begging in the state.\n\nIts Chairman, Malam Suleiman Abdulazez, made the call at a news conference on Monday, to mark the 2019 International Day for Person with Disabilities.\n\nAbdulazeez said CSOs, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have a major role to play in ending street begging.\n\nAbdulazez appreciated the positive efforts toward the passage of Kaduna State Disabilities Bill but drew the attention of government, religious bodies, the media and others to the numerous problems being faced by persons with disabilities.\n\n“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\n\n“In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,\n\n“There are no sunscreen lotions for albinos and enough dermatologists to assist the albinos as current climate condition is directly affecting their skin, ” he said.\n\nHe commended the State Government for allocating N500, 000 to the six clusters of PWDs in the state.\n\nMeanwhile, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, has called for the quick passage of the disability bill in the state.\n\nAccording to him, the CCD has been partnering with Kaduna State for over 10 years and with JONAPWD in advocacy and fighting for the rights of people with disabilities.\n\nHe said that CCD would continue to remain committed to working with disability organisations in Kaduna State to ensure that no one was left behind in democratic governance.','PWDs Tell CSOs, Others To End Street Begging','“We note with dismay that all the numerous structures springing up in Kaduna left and right, mostly are not accessible by PWDs.\" “In our hospitals, there are no sign language interpreters to assist our hearing impaired members,','inherit','closed','closed','','2103-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 16:19:31','2019-12-06 16:19:31','',2103,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/2103-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3367,2,'2021-04-20 18:04:54','2021-04-20 18:04:54','This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals.','Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)','','publish','closed','closed','','understanding-intellectual-disabilities-and-learning-difficulties-isds901','','','2021-04-20 18:20:51','2021-04-20 18:20:51','',0,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?post_type=tribe_events&#038;p=3367',-1,'tribe_events','',0),(3232,2,'2021-04-20 15:55:36','2021-04-20 15:55:36','<h2>\n						ICDA 2018 Conference Resources Now Available					</h2>\n						Official conference report, videos of presentations and panel discussions and photographs now available online.					\n					<a>\n						View ICDA 2018 Resources					</a>\n				NOW AVAILABLE\n										<img width=\"531\" height=\"531\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png 531w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-300x300.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 531px) 100vw, 531px\" />											\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Contact Us\n					</a>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n					<a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/isds.com.ng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">						\n											</a>\n									</li>\n								<li>\n					<a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF9_VM_MYqLwDYDoF-3wOQg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">						\n											</a>\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n		<p style=\"text-align: center;\">ISDS is a registered company in Nigeria, RC No 1421249 <br /><strong>© International School of Disability Studies</strong></p>','NEW SITE FOOTER','','inherit','closed','closed','','2066-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 15:55:36','2021-04-20 15:55:36','',2066,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3232',0,'revision','',0),(3055,2,'2021-04-20 12:51:54','2021-04-20 12:51:54','<img width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE.png 512w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-300x300.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-150x150.png 150w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-270x270.png 270w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-192x192.png 192w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-180x180.png 180w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-ISDS-new-logo-SQUARE-WHITE-32x32.png 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" />','CONTACT POPUP','','inherit','closed','closed','','2316-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 12:51:54','2021-04-20 12:51:54','',2316,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3055',0,'revision','',0),(3566,2,'2021-04-20 22:36:50','2021-04-20 22:36:50','<h5>ICDA 2018 Conference Resources</h5>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h2>International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA) 2018 </h2>		\n		<p>The ICDA 2018 conference was organised by ISDS under the auspices of the School Director, Dr Precious N Sango. The conference brought together PwDs, academics, policy makers, care professionals and various stakeholders to develop and share ideas that would help improve research, policy and care practices for people with IDD in Africa. Keynote presentations were delivered by Professor Rachel Forrester-Jones (Director, Tizard Centre, University of Kent), Professor Mary Haggai (Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Jos), Hon. Idagbo Ochiglegor (Sponsor of the Nigerians with Disability Bill) and others.</p>		\n			<p>Thanks to our conference sponsors</p>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"399\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-300x150.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-768x383.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1536x766.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo.png 1940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n										<img width=\"599\" height=\"133\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png 599w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group-300x67.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />											\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"184\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-300x69.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-768x177.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1536x355.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo.png 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h5>Conference Programme</h5>		\n			<figure><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img width=\"495\" height=\"700\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png 495w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small-212x300.png 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" /></a></figure><h3><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click to Download</a></h3>		\n			<h5>Conference Report</h5>		\n			<h5>Conference Gallery</h5>		\n			<style id=\"bwg-style-1994243368\">    #bwg_container1_1994243368 #bwg_container2_1994243368 .bwg-container-1994243368.bwg-standard-thumbnails {      width: 1254px;              justify-content: center;        margin:0 auto !important;              background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00);            padding-left: 4px;      padding-top: 4px;      max-width: 100%;            }      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our next conference\n					</a>','ICDA 2018','','inherit','closed','closed','','1004-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 22:36:50','2021-04-20 22:36:50','',1004,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3566',0,'revision','',0),(2475,2,'2019-12-06 18:21:52','2019-12-06 18:21:52','President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that will henceforth criminalise common discriminations against persons with disabilities.\n\nThe Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act would see corporate entities and individuals face excruciating sanctions if found guilty of discriminating against persons with impairments, according to Ita Enang, the president’s National Assembly liaison who announced the assent on Wednesday night.\n\n“This Act prohibits all forms of discrimination on ground of disability and imposes fine of N1, 000, 000 for corporate bodies and N100, 000 for individuals or a term of six months imprisonment for violation concurrently,” Mr Enang said.\n\n“It guarantees right to maintain civil action for damage by the person injured against any defaulter.\n\n“It provides for a five-year transitional period within which public buildings, structures or automobile are to be modified to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including those on wheelchairs,” the official added.\n\nOther key elements of the new law are:\n\n‘’Before erecting any public structure, its plan shall be scrutinised by the relevant authority to ensure that the plan conforms with the building code.\n\n“A government or government agency, body or individual responsible for the approval of building plans shall not approve the plan of a public building if the plan does not make provision for accessibility facilities in line with the building code.\n\n“An officer who approves or directs the approval of a building plan that contravenes the building code, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of at least N1, 000, 000 or a term of imprisonment of two years or both.’’\n\n“Discrimination is prohibited in public transportation facilities and service providers are to make provision for the physically, visually and hearing impaired and all persons howsoever challenged. This applies to Seaports, Railways and Airport facilities.\n\n“The rights and privileges include education, healthcare, priority in accommodation and emergencies.\nFurthermore, all public organisations are to reserve at least 5 % of employment opportunities for these persons.\nThe National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is also established in Section 31 with Executive Secretary as the head”\n\nThe signing comes days after Mr Buhari accused lawmakers of not passing the bill during a town hall appearance with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.\n\nBut lawmakers rejected the claim, saying they passed the law since 2018 and submitted it to the president for assent. A document later circulated on social media showing that the State House acknowledged receipt of the bill.\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"></div>\nThe law brought a major relieve to anti-defamation campaigners, who accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to protect citizens with disabilities.\n\n“President Buhari has written his name in gold by assenting to this bill,” Razak Adekoya, a development and disability inclusion expert, told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday night.\n\n“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to sign the law when National Assembly passed it under him, saying it would have serious cost implications for the country,” Mr Adekoya said.” Former President Goodluck Jonathan also raised some objections about the bill when lawmakers again passed it under him.”\n\n“We are grateful now that those with some forms of disabilities now have a sense of belonging going forward,” Mr Adekoya added.','Buhari signs law banning discrimination against persons with disability','President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that will henceforth criminalise common discriminations against persons with disabilities.','inherit','closed','closed','','1816-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:21:52','2019-12-06 18:21:52','',1816,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/1816-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2478,2,'2019-12-06 18:23:55','2019-12-06 18:23:55','<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\n</strong>Lydia Njoki\'s youngest child Samwell, who has epilepsy and physical disabilities, would not be here if some of her family had their way.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Her own grandmother went as far as suggesting how she could kill her baby.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"She told me to insert needles into Samwell\'s veins - that they would kill him slowly and no-one would know what had happened,\" she said.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The 56-year-old mother-of-four lives in Narok County, Kenya.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"People said I was cursed, that\'s why I got a child with a disability,\" Ms Njoki said.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Many a night, she cried herself to sleep: \"I hated myself and asked God, why me?\"</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Florence Kipchumba faced similar pressure - her family told her that her baby should be sacrificed.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"As an infant, Meshack used to cry a lot, and when my family couldn\'t take it any more, I was kicked out of home,\" she said.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">A friend then took her in, only to also suggest she kill the baby a month later. \"She asked me to put acid in his food so that he could die, but I refused to do so and left her house.\"</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The decision to resist the pressure to kill has had lifelong consequences for Ms Kipchumba. She was forced to flee her community, and now lives with her son in a tin shack, doing odd jobs to survive.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">When Meshack was younger, his backbone was weak and he had no head control. \"I would dig a hole in the ground, lay him in it and use the soil to form a cushion around him,\" his mother said.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">She tells me she doesn\'t regret her decision to keep her child for a moment. The boy is now eight years old and can sit and walk short distances, albeit with some difficulty.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Ms Njoki and Ms Kipchumba are not alone. A new study in Kenya has found that 45% of mothers interviewed by a leading charity faced pressure to kill their babies born with disabilities.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The survey found that the situation was worse in rural areas - where the figure could be as high as two in every three mothers.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Cultural roots</p>\nMost of the women interviewed by Disability Rights International said their children were considered \"cursed, bewitched and possessed\" and that a belief prevailed that the mothers were being punished for their sins, including being \"unfaithful to their husbands\".\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Infanticide is rooted in old traditions and beliefs. An elderly traditional birth attendant in Narok - south-west of the capital Nairobi - told the BBC that according to her culture, babies with disabilities were killed out of love.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"What used to push people to do that was the helplessness,\" said Timpiyan enole Koipa, seated inside her mud-walled one-roomed house dressed in a bright chequered red and white shawl and rows of traditional beaded necklaces.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"The child would otherwise suffer if it was allowed to live,\" she adds.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">While infanticide was the most shocking part of the Disability Rights International\'s report, it is not its only finding. The researchers initially set out to assess conditions in orphanages and care homes, where nearly 3,500 children in Kenya live.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The author of the report, Priscila Rodriguez, told the BBC: \"What is outrageous is that the government is passing the responsibility for these children to orphanages... Out of sight, out of mind; the government does not need to care for them any more, does not need to provide for them, does not need to ensure the supports they need are there.\"</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">They took us to see one, Compassionate Hands for the Disabled, in Nairobi. The story of the home, and its owner, in some ways encapsulates the problems this society has with disability.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Anne Njeri was born disabled and decided to start a day-care centre for children with mental and physical conditions. She never intended it to be a residential home.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"But in a week, we had 11 abandoned children, and in a month we had 30,\" she said.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">She tried to look for the parents who had abandoned the children, but to no avail - they dropped the children off in the morning and simply never picked them up again.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">She now has 86 children in her care. Watching her interact with them, it\'s clear they love her, and are loved in return, but she admits the home needs to do more. Researchers agree, and told us the way they are looked after, kept indoors and often restrained, will make their conditions worse.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Government criticism</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">But it is the government of Kenya they are most critical of.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Kenyan government did not respond to our request for a response, although it is understood they admit more needs to be done.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">While the idea that half of women with disabled children faced pressure to kill them as babies is truly shocking, it only reflects those whose babies made it to childhood. We have no idea how many others gave in to that terrible pressure.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Infanticide of children with disabilities is not unique to Kenya, but data is hard to come by across the world.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Studies recognise that it has history back to ancient times, remaining a significant problem during the 20th and 21st Centuries.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44679396_Infanticide_and_Neonaticide_A_Review_of_40_Years_of_Research_Literature_on_Incidence_and_Causes\">Research says children under one are at four times greater risk of being murdered</a> than any other age group.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Cases often go unrecorded or combined with other offences, and most countries lack institutions that track such deaths, so the true magnitude of infanticide remains unknown across the world.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"They are done underground,\" says Veronica Sialo, a mother of a child with cerebral palsy and a community leader in Narok.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"Because any child can die at birth or when they go home [from hospital] you just hear the child has died. But when you follow the background, that child was disabled and that\'s why the family killed that child,\" she adds.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"Some of us in our culture believe it\'s a curse, that you\'ve been bewitched, so you\'re not wanted in the community.\"</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Her views correspond to the findings of a report titled <a href=\"https://www.unicef.org/wcaro/wcaro_children-accused-of-witchcraft-in-Africa.pdf\">Children accused of Witchcraft, by the UN Children\'s Agency, Unicef</a>.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The report, which focused on the African continent, says \"abnormal births\" would often led to the killing or abandonment of babies.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">But in some countries, practices and beliefs changed because of the influence of colonial missionaries. Other communities have seen the introduction of alternative practices such as paying fines in the form of dances and ceremonies instead of sentencing the child to death, helping to erase suspicions.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">New laws and the actions of organisations defending children\'s rights have also seen cases of infanticide reduce.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Back in Narok, Veronica is doing her best to improve the lives of mothers like her and their children. She has formed a support group that now has 43 members, including Florence Chebet and Lydia Njoki.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">These mothers say they have found solace in knowing others like them. They want their children to be accepted by society. They meet once a month to share experiences and to encourage one another. Veronica\'s mission is to see her community overcome one of the oldest and most cruel beliefs.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\"We need to do awareness so that they know that these are children like any other,\" she concludes</p>','Infanticide in Kenya: \'I was told to kill my disabled baby\'','Her own grandmother went as far as suggesting how she could kill her baby. \"She told me to insert needles into Samwell\'s veins - that they would kill him slowly and no-one would know what had happened,\" she said.','inherit','closed','closed','','1778-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:23:55','2019-12-06 18:23:55','',1778,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/1778-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2483,2,'2019-12-06 18:28:27','2019-12-06 18:28:27','<p class=\"post_title\">Experts have said that children with special needs must be correctly diagnosed, treated and integrated into the society.</p>\nThey also decried the activities of general practitioners in medical practice who masquerade as specialists, saying that such doctors are not equipped to serve the needs of the concerned category of patients.\n\nSpeaking at the 2017 Annual Scientific Conference/Workshop, with the theme, <em>“Challenges and care of children with special needs,” </em>the experts emphasise the need to correctly identify children with disability, with a view to according them the needed support and treatment.\n\nIn his presentation at the event which held at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, Consultant Paediatrician/Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Afolabi Lesi, said there are currently over 600 million persons with disabilities throughout the world, of whom 400 million live in developing countries and 80 million in Africa.\n<div class=\"inserted_ad\"></div>\n“The World Health Organisation maintains that about 40 per cent of Africa’s population consists of people with disabilities, including 10-15 per cent of school-age children. This percentage would translate into about 300 million people with disabilities in Africa,” Lesi proferred.\n\nBeyond the damning statistics, though, Lesi says, ‘special needs’ refers to “any condition of various difficulties, such as physical, emotional, behavioural, or learning disability or impairment that causes an individual to require additional or specialised services or accommodations.\n\nZeroing down on cerebral palsy, he said it is a group of disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occur in the developing or infant brain.\n\n“It is reported to be the most common cause of motor deficiency in childhood both in developing and developed countries,” Lesi noted; adding that causes include severe perinatal asphyxia (difficulty in establishing breathing at birth), Kernicterus (excessively high bilirubin/jaundice), infections, metabolic problems like hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), and infections like meningitis.\n\nLesi said the problem in Nigeria was compounded by the shortage of professionals to correctly diagnose cerebral palsy and offer appropriate counsel and medical attention to patients.\n\nIn his delivery, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Ganiyu Sopeyin, said there was the need for the integration of children with special needs, especially those living with cerebral palsy.\n\n“Inclusion is when children with special needs are provided equal opportunity to participate in the same types of programmes and activities as children without disabilities or special needs.\n\n“Inclusion means serving children who are developing in a typical way. Previous words used to describe these opportunities have included mainstreaming, reverse mainstreaming, integration and integration programmes. All of these opportunities could be described as inclusive,” Sopeyin said.\n\nHe added that certain acts of the federal legislation took cognizance of the need to include children with special needs in every area of national life.\n\n“Two acts of federal legislation mandate the inclusion of young children with disabilities and other special needs in community services such as early child education programmes,” Sopeyin noted.\n\nDecrying society’s attitude towards children with special needs, Lesi warned that it could lead to the denial of the affected child who may not be counted as an individual with a unique identity, leading to denial of basic rights, including education.','Children with special needs must be correctly diagnosed – Experts','Speaking at the 2017 Annual Scientific Conference/Workshop, with the theme, “Challenges and care of children with special needs,” the experts emphasise the need to correctly identify children with disability, with a view to according them the needed support and treatment.','inherit','closed','closed','','1221-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:28:27','2019-12-06 18:28:27','',1221,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/1221-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2485,2,'2019-12-06 18:29:56','2019-12-06 18:29:56','Mr Matthew Agada, a livestock trader, sits silently on the couch in his living room in a posture of serene calm, yet his surface calm is unable to mask his deep unease. His furrowed brow is visibly etched with a frown, as his left hand on his chin betrays the vestiges of worry that trouble his mind.  The father of six children finds himself at the heart of a problem confronting the future of Stephen, his fifth child.\n\n“You don’t want to be serious with your future,” he said, pointing sternly at Stephen who looks to the ground.\n\n“If you want to become a wheelbarrow pusher, tell me, so I can stop wasting my money since you don’t want to learn,” he said, throwing away a copy of his son’s result sheet for the last term, as he laments his grades.\n\n11-year-old Stephen, a grade-five pupil of Police Children School, a public primary school managed by the Nigerian Police Force in Makurdi,  Benue State, is always at the receiving end of scathing humiliating taunts from his classmates at school because of his consistent declining grades. He barely escapes coming bottom of his class on a few occasions. There’s also the thinly veiled threats and physical injuries from beatings he has received from his teachers at school for being unable to grasp what is taught in class at a speedy rate. Whenever books are mentioned, Stephen’s vivacious side recedes into a shell. Despite coming bottom from his class two years in a row, his biggest challenge yet is his inability to read. It is compounded by difficulties he experiences when linking letters to form words and “sounding words in his head” because the letter “dangles” and “dances” in his eyes whenever he attempts to read.\n\nEfforts made by his older siblings to complement the work of his teachers at school by taking turns to give him extra lessons at home have yielded little results. Their philosophy of using the cane to “flog” knowledge into him simply inspired fear in him. His mother, Grace, sought to lend help to the situation by taking him to a spiritualist’s home to get a solution to a problem that has humanly defied all solutions.\n\nAfter paying the compulsory N500 tagged as the consultation fee, the spiritualist granted them audience and demanded that he should be subjected to intense prayers to break the evil spell cast on his memory. After subjecting Stephen to swirls of incense amid prayers for over two hours, the spiritualist assured them that the evil spell had been broken. Two months later, Stephen has not made any remarkable progress in reading.\n\nAfter watching a movie whose theme centred on dyslexia, Stephen self-diagnosed himself as being dyslexic. This announcement to his family elicited strong rebuke from them, especially his father who felt he was looking for excuses to cover up his reluctance to face his studies squarely. According to him, there is no apparent brain impairment or mental condition that runs in his family.\n\nSpeaking to the reporter, Stephen confirmed his fears about his perceived problem.  “I have Ishaan’s problem…..everything that happened to him in that movie happens to me”, he explained.  There is something instructive in his analogy of Ishaan’s problem. It pictures the certainty of someone who has discovered the hidden treasure. (Ishaan was the eight who had dyslexia in the Indian thriller, Like Star on Earth).\n\nHow can Stephen’s condition be managed to prevent him from losing interest in learning, so as not to drive him from school into an unstable and uncertain future without education?\n\n<strong>A paediatrician’s perspective</strong>\n\n“Stephen’s claim that he has dyslexia is a strong possibility because the traits he exhibits are those of someone who is dyslexic. Dyslexia cannot be cured, but managed to reduce its symptoms. The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for reading, and accurate word identification in reading depends on the amount of activity in the left hemisphere posterior system. In dyslexic people, there is low activity in the left hemisphere of their brain, so to compensate for this, they rely on the inferior frontal and right hemisphere regions,” said Dr Vincent Mamfea, resident paediatrician with Benue State University Teaching Hospital.\n\nHe said further that Stephen’s case should be quickly handled to prevent it from degenerating into a long term disorder.\n\n“Persons with dyslexia should present their cases before health experts early for observation, so that treatment can be administered by proffering strategies that would make reading more comfortable and may allow reading for longer periods. Stephen needs the support of his friends, teachers and family members for his self-esteem to be preserved,” Dr Mamfea explained.\n\nHe also spoke on the challenges facing dyslexic children in Nigeria. “Most parents do not think dyslexia is a medical condition that demands conventional approach. They think it’s the problem of not being good enough to study hard and improve. Throughout the whole year, there have not been any case of dyslexia reported or brought to my notice,” he said.\n\n<strong>A cause for concern</strong>\n\nDyslexia is the impaired ability of a child to learn to read with normal proficiency despite conventional instruction, proper motivation and normal intelligence. This learning disability is associated with the inconsistency they display as children. They appear intelligent and articulate, but unable to read or spell. They might have high IQ levels, yet may not have it easy when it comes to the written word. The physical development of children with dyslexia has contributed to the under-diagnosis and possible neglect of the disorder. It is estimated that 20 per cent of children around the world have learning disorder, according to a study carried out by the American Academy of Pediatricians.\n\nWith the United Nations projecting a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to ensure inclusive, equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunity for all by 2030, it is imperative that priority should be given to children with learning disorders to make this goal attainable in Nigeria. It is stipulated that over 65 million Nigerians lack basic literacy skills pegging its illiteracy level at 50 per cent, according to a survey carried out by the UNESCO regional office, Abuja last year.\n\nWith a declining budget allocation to the education sector and educators’ indifference to people with dyslexia, is there a strand of hope that they would ever read again?  Professor Bola Adelabu, a linguist and lecturer at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, pointed out that positive attitude towards reading is only chance of dyslexic children.\n\n“In our modern world, if you cannot read, you are bound to have problems. A person with a learning disorder has to identify the problem for it to be tackled effectively. Reading is a process. You can’t begin to read an entire text when you have not mastered the basics of reading because it is a skill that is acquired. Teachers have to take their time to expose them (dyslectic children) to these rudiments and monitor their progress,” she added.\n\nA looming reality that poses a serious challenge to the management and control of dyslexia in the country amongst children is the absence of current statistics to keep track of the rate of dyslexic occurrences.  In a telephone chat with Ben Arikpo, the chairman, Board of Trustees of Dyslexia Foundation, Nigeria, made this disclosure to this reporter.\n\n“There is no statistics to assess the increasing or decreasing rate of dyslexia in the country. Though some researchers have estimated that 1 in 6 children in Nigeria is dyslexic, but the scope of this research has been subjected to certain demographic factors that make its validity not all-inclusive. Next year, we intend to embark on a full scale campaign to catalogue dyslexic cases in the country,” he said.\n\n<strong>Twin minds, different approaches</strong>\n\nReading is a passage rite into the world of knowledge and learning for every civilisation. For Rachel Adazze, aged 12, the initiation process into the world of people who can read is a tasking and less enticing venture to her. The JSS2 student of Livingstone Academy, Otukpo, is dyslexic. The hopelessness she feels has destroyed her psychology and inflicted her with a jaded view that her average brain capacity is not good enough. One year earlier, Rachel nurtured the dream of being an investment banker, but her poor grades in class, inability to read and comprehend the “mystery” behind the written word on the chalkboard conspired to rob her of that dream she once cherished. She revealed a new path she could likely take as an option.\n\n“I must not be a banker because I might eventually want to get married and have children,” she said with uncertainty. How does a 12-year-old think of marriage as a priority at that age? A stroll through Rachel’s mind reveals weariness as the source and solution to her condition seems elusive.\n\nHer mother does not think her daughter’s problem is medically inclined.\n\nShe said: “My daughter is not made for school. Some people are good at academics and some are not. I’ve seen people without education succeed in life and even people with the so-called certificates don’t excel. After all, when she gets married, what will be the use of the certificate? ,”she asked.\n\n<strong>Ignorance is no bliss</strong>\n\nWith limited funds available to numerous state-run schools within the country and private schools complaining about the astronomical costs of running a school system, the prospects of attending to children with varying degrees of learning disorders appear dimmed.\n\nA visit to many secondary schools in Makurdi revealed the myopic views of most educators to the plight of children with learning disorders. Shehu Salau, a guidance counsellor with Goodnews Secondary School, North Bank, argued that children with special needs can only be helped, if they help themselves.\n\n“You can only help them to help themselves because the best place suited for them is a special school which is costly, and the manpower to run it is really huge.”\n\nGhulam Ioron, a rights activist with the Samuel Ioron Foundation (SIF), an NGO based in Makurdi, lamented the level of awareness on learning disorders.\n\nWith many parents living in denial by clinging to the notion of childhood laxity of their wards towards academics, there is no gainsaying the fact that timely and accurate interventions may not be feasible.\n\nAs it stands, there is no better time for NGOs and governments to educate parents on the necessity of monitoring their wards in order to prevent the likes of many more of Stephen dying in the system.','Living in Denial','Stephen’s claim that he has dyslexia is a strong possibility because the traits he exhibits are those of someone who is dyslexic. Dyslexia cannot be cured, but managed to reduce its symptoms. ','inherit','closed','closed','','857-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:29:56','2019-12-06 18:29:56','',857,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/857-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2489,2,'2019-12-06 18:36:21','2019-12-06 18:36:21','More reasons have emerged on why there is rise in intellectual disabilities in Nigerian children. According to the latest fact sheet on Lead poisoning and health by the World Health Organisation (WHO), lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children.\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Childhood lead exposure is estimated to contribute to about 600 000 new cases of children developing intellectual disabilities every year.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer profound and permanent adverse health effects, particularly affecting the development of the brain and nervous system. Lead also causes long-term harm in adults, including increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. Exposure of pregnant women to high levels of lead can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight, as well as minor malformations.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Lead has had serious consequences for the health of children. At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with mental retardation and behavioural disruption. At lower levels of exposure that cause no obvious symptoms, and that previously were considered safe, lead is now known to produce a spectrum of injury across multiple body systems.</p>\n\n<div> In particular lead affects children’s brain development resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as shortening of attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment. Lead exposure also causes anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immune-toxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible.</div>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">There is no known safe blood lead concentration. But it is known that, as lead exposure increases, the range and severity of symptoms and effects also increases. Even blood lead concentrations as low as 5 µg/dl, once thought to be a “safe level”, may result in decreased intelligence in children, behavioural difficulties and learning problems.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Encouragingly, the successful phasing out of leaded gasoline in most countries has resulted in a significant decline in population-level blood lead concentrations. There are now only six countries that continue to use leaded fuel.</p>\n\n<div> Lead exposure is estimated to account for 143 000 deaths per year with the highest burden in developing regions.</div>\n<div id=\"in-article-p-mid\"></div>\n<div>Lead exposure is estimated to account for four per cent of the global burden of ischaemic heart disease and five per cent of the global burden of stroke.</div>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">About one-half of the burden of disease from lead occurs in the WHO South-East Asia Region, with about one-fifth each in the WHO Western Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean Regions.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Lead in the body is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it accumulates over time. Human exposure is usually assessed through the measurement of lead in blood.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">There is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe but lead poisoning is entirely preventable.</p>\n\n<div>Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust. Its widespread use has resulted in extensive environmental contamination, human exposure and significant public health problems in many parts of the world.</div>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Important sources of environmental contamination include mining, smelting, manufacturing and recycling activities, and, in some countries, the continued use of leaded paint and leaded gasoline.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">More than three-quarters of global lead consumption is for the manufacture of lead-acid batteries for motor vehicles.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Lead is, however, also used in many other products, for example, pigments, paints, solder, stained glass, crystal vessels, ammunition, ceramic glazes, jewellery, toys and in some cosmetics and traditional medicines. Drinking water delivered through lead pipes or pipes joined with lead solder may contain lead. Much of the lead in global commerce is now obtained from recycling.</p>','Lead Poisoning Associated With Intellectual Disabilities in Children','According to the latest fact sheet on Lead poisoning and health by the World Health Organisation (WHO), lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children.','inherit','closed','closed','','843-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:36:21','2019-12-06 18:36:21','',843,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/843-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2491,2,'2019-12-06 18:37:19','2019-12-06 18:37:19','“He is very good in handling electronic gadgets. He memorises everything he hears. He sings too”. Halima Usman (Not real name) highlighting the talents Mohammed, her son with autism, has.\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Usman discovered Mohammed had autism when he was two years old. Being her first child, she did not notice anything wrong with him, but a family member saw him and said he should be taken to the hospital for check up. They did some tests, and the doctors said the child had autism. And so she went online to read more about it.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Usman says it has not been easy taking care of Mohammed, who is now nine years old. “When we go out with him, he throws tantrums, and people will be asking, what is going on, why is he behaving this way? This could be embarrassing. But we have accepted him the way he is, and even the extended family too have accepted him,” Usman explained.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Dr Monisola Ogunsanya, Family Physician, MD, Childcare and Wellness Clinics, Abuja explains what autism is.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“It’s a problem of a child’s development because that is where it starts. They have difficulty interacting with other people, and difficulty in communicating. They tend to have individually specific repetitive action that they carry out. It’s diagnosed in children between 18 months and five years,” Ogunsanya explained.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">The following will give a signal that the child has autism. A child not making eye contact, hardly communicates, does not interact with other children, most times they don’t talk, they have gestures, they have repetitive behaviour or a routine they want to stick to.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Ogunsanya says the cause of autism is a leaning towards genetic disposition.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">However another mum whose child has autism explains how the child became autistic.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“My child had jaundice at birth which was not detected on time because he was very fair, he was like oyibo. We knew on the fifth day when it was very severe. They did an exchange blood transfusion. When he recovered, they said possibilities were that he was going to have delayed milestone. And indeed he did. We registered him at the neuro clinic at LUTH were it was confirmed he had autism,” Azeezat Yunusa explains.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">From research, giving the child behavioural and speech therapy helps the child grow into a better adult.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“One step we took was to take him to a special school, the Zamarr Institute Abuja. They have speech and behavioural therapists who help these children to learn the basic things of life. He is nine years old now and he is attending a normal school because of the early interventions he had,” Yunusa said.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">A behavioural therapist, Mrs Ajuma Ibrahim says it takes a lot of patience to work with children with autism. “Seriously, it takes a lot of patience especially when they throw tantrums. With a typical child you know how it is to manage them, talk less of children with special needs. So, you have to be extremely patient. But seriously, they are beautiful,” she said delightfully.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">For Mrs Banke Popoola, another teacher at Famaks School, Abuja, it’s fun dealing with children with special needs. “Its fun dealing with these children because you get to see the personality of the child and you get to help the child, academically, socially, and in other areas. Unfortunately, we are in a society where children with learning challenges/disability are seen to have a brain problem and asked to learn handwork or some craft , “Popoola said.</p>\n\n<div>At a training workshop organised by Mrs Khadeejah Oluronke Katagum, Founder/CEO The Zamarr Institute Centre for Children with Special Needs to mark April, the month for creating awareness about autism, she said the society should create an enabling environment for people with autism.</div>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“The society should create an enabling environment for them. It should provide services like early interventions; create centres for early diagnosis, because this will help these children a great deal,” Katagum said.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Mrs Beatrice Dandison-Njah, Behavioural Therapist and Social worker working with children with additional needs in the UK ,and trainer at the workshop speaks further.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“In the UK, children have developmental assessment at the age of two years. At that time, a child should begin to talk and potty train. Also, a child should be able to draw one line. If a child is not able to do that at the age of two, you should begin to think, is this child okay? You should not take it for granted and say the child is a slow child,” Njah said.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">She debunked the myths in some quarters that autism is associated with witchcraft.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“Autism is not witch craft and there is no vampire anywhere. It’s a genetic disorder and they are yet to identify the specific gene that causes it. What causes it in one child may be different from what causes it in another,” Njah explains.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">One way to help these children is through early interventions. “When you seek out early intervention, you may be able to help that child. They learn a coping strategy that will sustain them through adulthood,” Njah said.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">In Nigeria, many people who have autism are seen to have psychiatric problems and locked up in the house, because their families are largely stigmatised.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Azeezat Yunusa, says it’s not easy being a mother to a child with autism. “It is we the mothers that are really affected except when you are lucky to have a husband who understands. I have seen a woman whose child had cerebral palsy and then the child became abnormal and the husband left her. That was her only child,” Yunasa said pathetically.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">Experts say there is no cure for autism yet. “Right now there is no cure ,but there are ways of managing it. Children that have been identified usually have a therapist that teaches them how to interact with people, so they can function well in the society,” Ogunsanya said.</p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text\">“But all hope is not lost,” Ogunsanya encouraged. “Like I said, it’s a spectrum. There are people with a mild form of autism,and there are people with a severe form. Some grow and function in society like great adults and if they don’t tell you, you will not know they have that condition. Those with severe forms will need help even as adults. There is no treatment but early interventions help a great deal,” she said emphatically.</p>','Autism – With Early Intervention, There’s Hope for Sufferers- Expert','Usman discovered Mohammed had autism when he was two years old. Being her first child, she did not notice anything wrong with him, but a family member saw him and said he should be taken to the hospital for check up. They did some tests, and the doctors said the child had autism. ','inherit','closed','closed','','837-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:37:19','2019-12-06 18:37:19','',837,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/837-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(2493,2,'2019-12-06 18:38:14','2019-12-06 18:38:14','When schools reopened for the second term, Milicent Akinyi also began her weekly empowerment programme. However, unlike normal students who are in school as boarders or day scholars, Akinyi waits to be taught the basics of daily living at home.\n\nAt 26, Akinyi can neither wash her hands nor feed herself, which means she can’t enrol in regular schools. And to ensure she continues learning, her teachers, Maureen Nyela and Pamela Onyango, visit her regularly at her home in Kochogo village in Nyando Sub County, Kisumu County.\n\nHer lessons start by washing of hands followed by feeding.\n\n“Feeding and washing of hands may appear simple tasks to a normal person, but to Akinyi, these are complex tasks she has had to learn for over two years — and she’s yet to fully master any,” explains Pamela, the principal of Ombaka Special School.\n\nOther activities on her learning list include toilet training, bathing, dressing and physiotherapy.\n\nLike Akinyi, many children have been locked out of regular schools due to disability and other medical conditions.\n\nAkinyi’s mother, Monica Onyango, says her daughter developed her current condition after a measles attack when she was just five years old. Visits to various hospitals could not save her. Not long after, she lost her speech — it’s been close to 20 years and most of that time has been spent lying on her back as seating is a problem.\n\n“Her teachers have done a wonderful job, taking her through her lessons. The physiotherapy programme has helped her and now she can sit well,” says an optimistic mother in reference to the Community Based Education (CBE) sponsored by Sense International East Africa to help children with severe disabilities like Akinyi.\n\nYasin Bakari from Chirimani, Kwale County, had problems sitting, poor vision and distorted speech, but after being taken through the CBE programme, “he’s started improving. He’s also started to understand when you talk to him,” explains his mother, Hadija Kazungu.\n\nJoyce Ngara, a special needs teacher visits Yasin for lessons on mobility and other activities of daily living, which is part of his inclusive education.\n\nThe programme “is proving that children living with severe disabilities, and who cannot fit in schools can be empowered,” says Edwin Osundwa of Sense International East Africa, which started the programme in 2014.\n\nSense now collaborates with Education Assessment Research Centre (EARC) to link children with special needs to teachers from the nearest public schools. These teachers have been trained in the provision of home-based education.\n\nThe programme, which started in 2014 already has 400 children in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kwale, Kericho and Bomet counties, from an initial target of 300 beneficiaries.\n\n“This programme is proving fruitful. We however don’t have enough teachers. There is also the problem of inadequate learning materials and clear structures. Currently, teachers only visit during their free time, or as an extra activity,” says Owen Orinda, the EARC’s Education Assessment Coordinator for Nyando, Nyakach and Muhoroni areas.\n\nSpecial needs teachers who visit homes told The Nairobian that their main challenge was balancing between school and special needs duties. In their various schools, they are assigned duties like the rest of teachers, and only given a lesson in the afternoon for visits.\n\n“Afternoon lessons are very short because these children need a lot of time. You have to explain a concept like washing for months before they understand. Some live several kilometres away and you need to use a vehicle,” says Michael Obiero, a teacher at Abwao Small Home.\n\nMaureen laments that they have to spend a lot because “we are not facilitated and use our own money on transport. Matters are made worse because we’re yet start receiving special duty allowance.” The costs are compounded because one has to “have a proper and continuous rapport to identify what excites the child. We buy sweets, toys, fruits, drinks and other foods they like. I have to use my money to buy all these items,” adds Maureen.\n\nObiero adds that some of the children have severally rejected him until he learned how to interest them with toys and foodstuff before striking a relationship that requires one to be passionate, patient and kind-hearted.\n\nKonerwa Juma, the coordinator EARC in Kwale County cites poverty as a major problem facing parents of children with disabilities as “they cannot afford proper shelter, clothing and food.” Sense International has had to donate mattresses, wheelchairs as well as hearing, sitting and walking aids.\n\nStigma is another challenge as children with disabilities are viewed as cursed or haunted by spirits and are avoided, which calls for community empowerment campaigns. Akinyi’s mother was one discouraged parent, but interaction with other parents has moved her out of denial.','My child cannot sit, stand, walk or talk back – Expert','When schools reopened for the second term, Milicent Akinyi also began her weekly empowerment programme. However, unlike normal students who are in school as boarders or day scholars, Akinyi waits to be taught the basics of daily living at home.','inherit','closed','closed','','833-revision-v1','','','2019-12-06 18:38:14','2019-12-06 18:38:14','',833,'https://www.isds.com.ng/2019/12/06/833-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3030,2,'2021-04-20 12:10:16','2021-04-20 12:10:16','<ul>\n							<li>\n										Contact us\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"333\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-1024x426.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-1024x426.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-300x125.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo-768x319.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ISDS-new-logo.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />','NEW SITE HEADER','','inherit','closed','closed','','1911-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 12:10:16','2021-04-20 12:10:16','',1911,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3030',0,'revision','',0),(3044,2,'2021-04-20 12:24:00','2021-04-20 12:24:00','<img width=\"1120\" height=\"500\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1.png 1120w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-300x134.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-1024x457.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Front-Slide-1-768x343.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" />											\n		<p>International School of Disability Studies (ISDS) is a research and training centre in Nigeria that offers training and research expertise on disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health conditions.</p>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						LEARN MORE\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						CONFERENCE\n					</a>\n			<h4>Registration Now Open for ICDA 2021</h4>		\n		<p>The 2nd International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA 2021) will be taking place on the 31st of July 2021 online via video presentations due to COVID-19. Register to attend now or submit an abstract if you intend to present. <b>The theme of the ICDA 2021 conference is: “Global Perspectives on Empowerment for Disabled People”. </b>Discussions and conference submissions should focus on various theories, forms and applications of empowerment in the field of disability studies globally and possible implications for disabled people within the African context.</p>		\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Register Online\n					</a>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Register.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						TRAINING WORKSHOPS\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Difficulties (ISDS901)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding, knowledge and perception of intellectual and (neuro) developmental disabilities; exploring the basic facts about the causes of disabilities, including historical and contemporary concepts and models of disability, implications of terminologies such as the use of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and learning difficulties and ways to support individuals. </p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Inclusion and Participation of Disabled People in Education and Society (ISDS902)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Spiritual, Cultural and Scientific Perspectives on Mental Health Conditions (ISDS903)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to explore factors and processes that lead to social and educational exclusion of disabled people in our society; exploring legislations/policies in relation to disability and their practical and cultural implications for disabled people, reflecting on ways in which the lives of disabled people might be improved in the ways they are supported.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										1 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£50 (₦35,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Leadership and Management of Care Services for Disabled People (ISDS904)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This online course is intended for people working, or interested, in any aspect of the disability field in African countries who want to advance their knowledge and understanding of the role of leadership and management in promoting the interests and support for people with disabilities in Africa.  The number of participants per workshop will not exceed thirty</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n				<h3>\n					Introduction to Social Research Methods - 2 Days Training and Research Project (ISDS905)\n				</h3>\n								<p>This workshop aims to develop people’s understanding of the principles of social research and related philosophical debates; people who take this workshop will also develop basic skills in the use of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques and begin to judge what methods and techniques are appropriate to specific research problems/questions.</p>\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										2 day online workshop\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										1,500 word essay report\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										£100 (₦70,000) registration\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Learn More\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY\n					</a>\n		<p>At ISDS, we have an experienced and strategic international coalition of disability and social inclusion academics, clinicians, psychiatrists, who collaboratively or individually work on different disability related projects in line with the School’s objectives. We have currently established teams of researchers according to the following research themes: </p>		\n					<ul>\n							<li>\n										Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Special Educational Needs\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Mental Health Conditions\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Stigma and Social Inclusion\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Social Policy and Inclusive Development (SPID)\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Spirituality and Quality of Life (SQL)\n									</li>\n								<li>\n										Care Management and Leadership (CML)\n									</li>\n						</ul>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						Contact Our Experts\n					</a>\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"603\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy.png 950w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy-300x226.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Consultancy-768x579.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n		<p>ISDS has worked on research and consultancy projects for several organisations including:</p>		\n											<a href=\"https://www.lawclinic.org.uk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"264\" height=\"230\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-Logo-only.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" />								</a>\n											<a href=\"http://www.propcommaikarfi.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"200\" height=\"178\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" />								</a>\n											<a href=\"http://www.thepalladiumgroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n							<img width=\"800\" height=\"320\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG.png 945w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG-300x120.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Palladium-Logo-Black-Text-transparent-PNG-768x307.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />								</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						ARTICLES\n					</a>\n			<a role=\"button\">\n						MORE ARTICLES\n					</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','1920-revision-v1','','','2021-04-20 12:24:00','2021-04-20 12:24:00','',1920,'https://www.isds.com.ng/?p=3044',0,'revision','',0),(3565,2,'2021-04-20 22:36:50','2021-04-20 22:36:50','<h5>ICDA 2018 Conference Resources</h5>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-confrence-resources.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h2>International Conference on Disabilities in Africa (ICDA) 2018 </h2>		\n		<p>The ICDA 2018 conference was organised by ISDS under the auspices of the School Director, Dr Precious N Sango. The conference brought together PwDs, academics, policy makers, care professionals and various stakeholders to develop and share ideas that would help improve research, policy and care practices for people with IDD in Africa. Keynote presentations were delivered by Professor Rachel Forrester-Jones (Director, Tizard Centre, University of Kent), Professor Mary Haggai (Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Jos), Hon. Idagbo Ochiglegor (Sponsor of the Nigerians with Disability Bill) and others.</p>		\n			<p>Thanks to our conference sponsors</p>		\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"399\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1024x511.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-300x150.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-768x383.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo-1536x766.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Beds-logo.png 1940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n										<img width=\"599\" height=\"133\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group.png 599w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ninety_group-300x67.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />											\n										<img width=\"800\" height=\"184\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1024x236.png 1024w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-300x69.png 300w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-768x177.png 768w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo-1536x355.png 1536w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/B2A-3.0-logo.png 1932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" />											\n			<h5>Conference Programme</h5>		\n			<figure><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img width=\"495\" height=\"700\" src=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small.png 495w, https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final-small-212x300.png 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" /></a></figure><h3><a href=\"https://www.isds.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICDA-2018-Programme-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click to Download</a></h3>		\n			<h5>Conference Report</h5>		\n			<h5>Conference Gallery</h5>		\n			<style id=\"bwg-style-1994243368\">    #bwg_container1_1994243368 #bwg_container2_1994243368 .bwg-container-1994243368.bwg-standard-thumbnails {      width: 1254px;              justify-content: center;        margin:0 auto !important;              background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00);            padding-left: 4px;      padding-top: 4px;      max-width: 100%;            }      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