People with disabilities deserve care, inclusion – Legal practitioner

A legal practitioner and Principal Officer of the Osun State Human Rights Commission, Oluwafemi Balogun, has called for greater care, inclusion and protection of the rights of people living with disabilities.

Balogun made the call during a media engagement and training programme for journalists and media professionals in Osun State, organised by the Community Advancement Initiative for Self-Reliance (CAI4SR) with support from Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM).

He stressed the need for increased public awareness about the Osun State Disability Law, noting that many members of the public were still unaware of its provisions.

“Some facets of the public are not yet aware of this, and that is why we are doing this training for media practitioners to escalate the advocacy and publications on it, so people can be aware of this,” Balogun said.

He mentained that the progress has been recorded through the new Disability Law, noting that effective implementation remains a major challenge.

The legal practitioner also called for stronger collaboration between government agencies and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to tackle discrimination and improve accessibility in public facilities, including parking spaces, toilets and movement around buildings.

Speaking at the programme, a special needs head teacher, Mr Salau Abiodun, said people living with disabilities were created for a purpose and should be recognised and supported by society.

Abiodun urged parents, families and members of the public to work together in ensuring that persons with disabilities receive the support and opportunities needed to fulfil their potential.

“People with disabilities, their families, parents, and society at large must work together to recognise that these individuals are created by God for a purpose. If they are not supported and included, that purpose of their creation may not be fully achieved,” he said.

The Executive Director of CAI4SR, Mrs Eni Ayeni, emphasised the important role of journalists in promoting disability inclusion and advocacy.

Ayeni said the training was organised to equip media professionals with knowledge about Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and the Osun State Disability Law.

“We are carrying out a training for media professionals and journalists about Organisations of Persons with Disabilities on Disability Law pertaining to Osun State.

“When training people with disabilities, we discovered that there are no movable ramps, so they can have easy access to move around buildings.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, the laws are still new, and it’s not a one-man show. When the people see what is not quite good, they should speak out. Government has done their own part; we as civil society should do our own part,” Ayeni added.