Person with disabilities (PWDs) have called for full implementation of provisions of the extant national and Abia State laws on PWDs. They also urged relevant stakeholders to enact more policies that would improve their welfare.
The chairmen of both Abia State chapters of Persons with Physical Disabilities and Spinal Cord Injuries, Iroabuchi Alozie and David Onuoha, made the call during a two-day workshop in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The workshop, held at the Aguiyi Ironsi Conference Centre, was tagged ‘Capacity Building of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs ) and Public Institutions on disability-inclusive programmes and practices’.
It was organised by the Centre for Citizens With Disabilities (CCD), in collaboration with Project Enable Africa, with support from the US-Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund.
The Abia State government, through the Senior Special Assistant on Disability Matters, David Anyaele, reiterated commitment to creating an enabling environment and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities, and also implementing laws on PWDs.
He said: “The government of Dr Alex Otti is taking steps to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities, not just socially but also economically.”
On his part, the Acting Director of CCD, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said the workshop became necessary because persons with disabilities were being discriminated against and excluded from public activities.
