Addressing The Plight Of Persons With Disabilities

Able-bodied persons of
ten take their physical state for granted without any consideration for others who cope with living in the society in spite of their physical disabilities.
Take access to buildings, shops and restaurants, for instance, most people will not hesitate to climb a few stairs if an elevator breaks down or push open an unyielding door.
Imagine tackling such obstacles from a wheelchair; imagine flagging down a taxi, negotiating and collecting change from the cab driver without the gift of sight.
Besides, each time a disabled person enters into a building to shop, transact business or even for leisure; others often tend to look down on him or her.
Mr Patrick Adie, the South-South Coordinator of People Living with Physical Disabilities, says that most Nigerians are fond of looking down on persons with disabilities.
Recalling several incidents in his childhood days, Adie says that he was constantly taunted by his peers in school.
“Anytime we got into an argument, the most painful thing that they would continually repeat to me was that when I came to beg at their homes later in life, they would not give me money,’’ he adds.
He explains that this was due to the impression that young persons with physical disabilities would one day grow up to become beggars.
Adie notes that while his life testifies to the contrary, many disabled beggars roam the streets of many towns and cities in the country nowadays.
His words: “I have achieved a lot; I have been able to surpass the achievements of many so-called able-bodied persons who were given the same opportunities as me.
“I was able to establish a place where people with physical disabilities can learn skills in shoemaking and earn a living from the shoes they produce.
“I also deal in cars and I have written a book entitled I can, the book is based on the Bible’s verse that says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, which greatly inspired me,” he says
Adie explains that in spite of his achievements, he was once embarrassed by a commercial motorcyclist while on a business trip.
He recalls that during one of his trips through Lagos to Cotonou in Benin Republic to buy some cars, he was exposed to the typical Nigerian ignorance regarding the social status of persons with disabilities.
Adie recalls that on one occasion, he stepped out of the car to wait while his companion went to ease himself, adding, however, that he was highly embarrassed when the young motorcyclist rode by and threw N50 at him.
“I didn’t beg him, I was just standing outside and waiting for my uncle when the man came and embarrassed me; it was a shock,’’ he says.
“Good intentions aside, this man was under the impression that the only option for persons with physical disabilities is begging for alms.
Adie stresses that it is quite unfortunate that very little is being done to change the erroneous perception of most Nigerians.
Mr Benjamin Okoli, an IT consultant, who also uses crutches, says that he has also been mistaken for a beggar a number of times.
“I don’t know why people often connect disability with begging; being a beggar is a mental problem, it’s not a physical problem.
“If a person is not disabled, he could beg for alms anyway; so the most important thing is not to tie disability and begging together; they are not the same thing,’’ he adds.
Okoli insists that giving money to beggars because they are crippled, blind or deaf cannot change their life, adding that such goodwill only tends to reinforce their belief that begging is the solution to their problem.
“That is not the way to move forward, the only way forward is to consider what it might have been if you were in that man’s shoes and treat him the way you would have wanted to be treated.
“There is a difference between treating somebody special from trying to pity the person.
“When the people pity persons on crutches or in wheelchairs, or people who are blind, they are inadvertently doing the wrong thing,’’ he says.
Okoli emphasises that persons with disabilities should be given access to the same opportunities as their able-bodied counterparts.
“How can there be a federal secretariat for the people and some of the people cannot access the building? The secretariat was built by the government, making it a horrible reflection of the government’s insensitivity to the plight of persons with disabilities.
“I don’t advocate giving persons with disabilities money; don’t give them money, send them to the same schools that everybody else is going to and give them unfettered access,’’ he says.
Recounting his experience, Mr Gboyega Alesinloye explains the challenges he faces on a daily basis as a person who requires mobility aids (a pair of elbow crutches) to move around.
“I deal with lots of issues and details that those without disabilities don’t necessarily worry about.
“For example, before going out each day, I consider the route I will follow, right from the room.
“I think about accessibility and the level of potential obstacles, means of transportation and the destination with its accessibility, as well as the best route back home,’’ he says
Alesinloye notes that his physical condition arose from the polio he had when he was 11 months old, lamenting that he faces societal prejudices, discrimination and stigmatisation almost on a daily basis.
“I used to attract a lot of sympathy from people, particularly old people who used to give me money, as if I was begging for alms.
“Others would just burst into tears and kept saying pele!, meaning sorry in Yoruba language.
“I lost about three of my early school years as a result of my disability and had to restart in another school with my immediate younger brother in the same class,” he recalls.
However, Alesinloye argues that his disability has some positive side effect, saying:  “As a result of my limited physical activities, I was always up-to-date and good in my academic studies.
“As a lover of football and eventually a Man U (Manchester United Football Club) fan, I often joined other kids to play football; at a point in time, I became the goalkeeper for the neighbourhood kids’ football team,” he recalls.
All the same, Alesinloye insists that all his achievements are hard-earned because most people living with disabilities are often made to think that they are incapable of doing common tasks.
He says that even now, he is constantly required to prove that he can do the everyday tasks which he has been doing over the years.
All in all, analysts agree that such misguided perceptions tend to limit persons with disabilities from reaching their full potential, while limiting their potential contributions to the Nigerian economy.
They, therefore, call for the full integration of persons with disabilities into the society.
They argue that one possible step in that direction would be the passage of the Nigerian National Disability Bill, currently receiving the attention of the National Assembly.
Sen. Abatemi Nurudeen, who led the debate on the second reading of the bill, expressed dismay that the bill had passed through the Senate three consecutive times.
He noted more than 20 million Nigerians are living with various forms of disability, making them the largest minority group in the country.
Nurudeen stressed that persons with disabilities are also extremely poor.
He said that if the bill was passed into law, it would make provisions for the wellbeing of persons with disabilities, while protecting their social, economic and civil rights.
Okeniyi writes for News Agency of Nigeria

Olayemi Okeniyi