The National Leader of Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Chike Okogwu, has said that Nigeria’s democracy cannot be considered complete while millions of persons with disabilities (PWDs) remain excluded from opportunities, services and governance.
This is contained in his Democracy Day message titled “Democracy Without Access is Democracy Denied,” on Friday in Abuja.
Okogwu laments that four years after he warned about the challenges facing PWDs, many of the issues remain unresolved.
He argued that democracy should be measured by the condition of the most vulnerable citizens, stressing that inaccessible public facilities, discrimination and exclusion continue to deny many Nigerians with disabilities the full benefits of democratic governance.
According to him, the worsening economic situation has hit persons with disabilities particularly hard, as rising food prices, transportation costs and medical expenses have pushed many vulnerable families deeper into hardship.
He also expresses concern over the impact of insecurity on PWDs, noting that persons with disabilities face unique risks during attacks, displacement and humanitarian emergencies due to inadequate disability-sensitive response systems.
He also said that unemployment remains a major challenge despite the growing number of qualified and educated persons with disabilities, blaming discrimination and inaccessible recruitment processes for the exclusion of many capable citizens from the workforce.
He said, “Unreliable electricity supply is a serious threat to the independence and wellbeing of many PWDs who rely on assistive devices, medical equipment and communication tools that require constant power.”
On healthcare, the statement explain that many hospitals remain inaccessible, while rehabilitation services, assistive devices and sign language interpretation are either scarce or unaffordable, leaving many persons with disabilities without adequate care.
Okogwu identifies transportation and aviation as areas requiring urgent reforms, noting that public transport systems, pedestrian infrastructure and many airport facilities still fall short of accessibility standards despite some progress within the aviation sector.
The ADC disability leader warned against growing digital exclusion, saying government services, education and economic opportunities are increasingly moving online without adequate accessibility measures for persons with disabilities.
While acknowledging the existence of the Disability Act, he says implementation has remained weak, arguing that laws alone are insufficient without visible improvements in the daily lives of those they are meant to protect.
He assured that the ADC will prioritise the full implementation of disability rights, targeted social protection programmes, inclusive employment policies and accessibility standards across public institutions as part of its governance agenda.
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