An advocate for persons with disabilities (PWDs), Abidemi Mustapha, has called on governments and other stakeholders to remove barriers preventing PWDs from participating in the electoral process and from being included in governance.

Mr Mustapha, a special education expert and sign language interpreter, made the call in an interview in Lagos on Sunday. 

He stated that although Nigeria had made some progress in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, they were still excluded from political participation and leadership positions. 

He called for electoral reforms to make polling units more accessible to persons with disabilities.

He said many voters with disabilities experienced difficulties on election day because polling centres lacked adequate facilities and support personnel.

According to him, more sign language interpreters, trained election officials and transportation support should be provided to enable persons with disabilities to vote without difficulty. 

“We need more accessibility at polling units. Persons with Disabilities are citizens and should be able to vote without facing unnecessary obstacles,” he said. 

According to him, greater efforts are needed to ensure that all categories of persons with disabilities are fairly represented in governance. 

“We appreciate the efforts being made, especially by the Lagos State Government, but we still need full inclusion of persons with disabilities in leadership and decision-making. 

“There are different disability groups, including the blind, the deaf, persons with physical disabilities and persons with intellectual disabilities. Every group deserves equal attention and opportunities,” he said.

Mr Mustapha said members of the deaf community continued to face greater challenges because they often lacked access to sign language interpretation and other support services.

He urged government agencies to engage directly with beneficiaries before rolling out empowerment programmes. 

According to him, empowerment initiatives should be tailored to individuals’ specific needs rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. 

“You cannot empower a blind person by giving the person a motorcycle or tricycle. The government should first find out what each individual needs before providing support,” he said. 

The advocate commended the efforts of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs and the Lagos State government for increasing funding for programmes targeted at persons with disabilities.

He, however, stressed that more investment was needed to improve their welfare and economic opportunities.

The expert further urged political parties to give more tickets and appointments to qualified persons with disabilities.

He acknowledged that some political positions had been reserved for persons with disabilities at the grassroots, but said such opportunities should be expanded to accommodate all disability groups.

Mr Mustapha also called for increased employment opportunities, skills acquisition programmes and empowerment initiatives designed to meet the specific needs of persons with disabilities.

He said such measures would promote inclusion, reduce discrimination and enable persons with disabilities to contribute more meaningfully to national development.

(NAN)