Yesterday, Friday, 3rd December 2021 was another international day for persons with disabilities.
3rd of December every year has been set aside by United Nations as the international day for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
It was a day set aside to create more awareness on the plight of PWDs and provide solutions to problem facing PWDs across the globe.
Persons with disabilities belonged to the vulnerable group who need more psychosocial support more than other people in the society.
Disability is ubiquitous. It exists among people across the globe regardless of gender, race, colour, religion, socio-economic or political status.
Disability is therefore a social problem which required attention of social workers and other professionals such as medical doctors, psychologists, sociologists, physiotherapists and others who provide humanitarian services to their clients.
Globally, it is worthy of note to state that the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistic has revealed that over one billion people live with one form of disabilities. In Nigeria, it has been estimated that about 25 million people live with disabilities (CeDDI, 2016).
PWDs face a lot of challenges in accessing healthcare services, educational institutions, recreational centres, gain employment and above all face discriminations from family members and other members of the public in many parts of Nigeria.
This is despite the provisions of UN Convention on the right of persons with disabilities (2006) and Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 which has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. The law prohibits discrimination against PWDs.
I picked interest in PWDs during the coursework of my just concluded Masters degree in Sociology (Medical Sociology) at the University of Ibadan in 2019. On lecture days, I usually see a 300 level Sociology student who comes to the large lecture theater at the faculty of the social sciences with his wheelchair to receive lectures.
Though, I usually see friends around him, while his mates are in the class receiving lectures, this particular student will be at the entrance of the hall to receive his lectures because there was no ramp, lift or elevator to allow his gain access to the class like other students.
This particular student was always seen at the entrance of the hall. What usually comes to my mind was how will this particular student compete with his peers at a when those in the class are struggling to understand what the lecturers are teaching.
This scenario is not different from what other PWDs experience on daily basis. It is one of the challenges facing PWDs while accessing public buildings such as schools, hospitals, recreational facilities and financial institutions just to mention a few.
I was moved by the challenges facing this particular student, hence I decided to carry out my research which centered on availability and access to modern healthcare services among PWDs.
I thanked the participants who participated in the qualitative research that was conducted through In-depth interview (IDI) and professionals such as social workers and physiotherapists who answered the questions in the Key Informant Interview (KII).
Findings of my Masters degree thesis titled “Availability and access to modern healthcare services among persons with disabilities in Ibadan, Oyo state” shown that there was inadequate modern healthcare services for PWDs in the study area and majority of the available healthcare centres were not accessible by PWDs.
I recommended establishment of more health facilities and installation of disability friendly tools such as ramps, lifts and elevators in the existing health facilities so as to ensure that PWDs have access to modern healthcare services like other members of the society.
Persons with disabilities like other vulnerable groups engage in all social, political, economic and religious activities, but they would be more involved in these activities if they are given more opportunities to realise their potentials by all of us; governments, agencies, families, policy makers, professionals and other members of the society.
As we mark international day for persons with disabilities today, I am appealing to the Nigerian government to ensure effective implementation of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 which guarantees rights of persons with disabilities.
The bill has been signed by President Buhari in January 2019, but findings revealed that the law is not effective.
This short piece is dedicated to all persons with disabilities across the globe.
Musliudeen Adebayo, a Social Worker and Journalist who is the National Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) and can be reached via baaale85@yahoo.com
