Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), Edo State chapter, has urged the state government to need to set up the Edo State Commission for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) to drive the implementation of the Edo State Persons With Disabilities Law 2022.
The group gave the task as part of their recommendations at the 13th edition of the ‘Rights Above Charity Lecture ‘ (RACL), organized by NAPVID in collaboration with the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD) Edo State and support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme II to mark the 2024 International Day for Persons With Disabilities (IDPD) held in Benin.
Speaking for the group, Executive Director, NAPVID, Melody Omosah, said the Edo State Persons with Disabilities Law 2022 is a landmark legal framework aimed at protecting the rights and interests of PWDs and prohibiting discrimination.
He said the immediate past administration of Edo State enacted the law after more than a decade of advocacy by the disability community and that, despite the enactment of the law, the critical component of establishing the Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, as provided under Part B, section 25 of the law, remains unfulfilled.
Omosah reiterated that why the Part B, section 25 of the law has not been fulfilled is due to insufficient awareness and understanding of the law among the general public and some government officials, hindering its effective implementation.
NAPVID Executive Director maintained further that attitudinal and environmental barriers persist, limiting the full participation of PWDs in governance, education, employment, and social activities.
He said the partnership between NAPVID and JONAPWD has proven effective in mobilizing collective action and fostering unity among disability organizations.
He further expressed confidence that the inauguration of a new administration in the state presents an opportunity for renewed commitment to implementing the law and fostering an inclusive society while also calling for a robust framework to be established to monitor the implementation of the Edo State Persons With Disabilities Law 2022 with clear timelines and measurable outcomes.