People Living with Disabilities (PWD) in Jigawa State they have called for the full implementation of the Law on Persons with Disabilities (2016) to give them a sense of belonging.
The state’s disabled people’s chairman, Adamu Shuaibu, told reporters on Thursday that people with disabilities are being marginalized in the state despite a law that addresses some of their challenges, including accessibility to buildings and the economic empowerment.
Shuaibu stated that people with disabilities were not included in the current distribution of fuel subsidy relief in the state’s 27 local government areas, and that they are not beneficiaries.
“Despite the provision of the law, people with disabilities are still discriminated against and marginalized in the state and therefore we seek full implementation of the law.
“We are supposed to be included in all the committees constituted by the government to deal with the distribution of palliatives.
“There are few job opportunities for people with disabilities. In this way we seek the employment of our members both in governments and in private state organizations as established by law.
“We also seek the launch of the Disability Fund, as provided by law, to support disabled people in the state,” said Mr. Shuaibu.
Shuaibu claimed that its members, who include blind, deaf, lepers, cripples and albinos, make up more than 25 percent of the state’s total population.
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“Article 4 of the disability law encourages state and local government councils to consider people with disabilities in their programs and services, especially social protection programs,” Mr. Shuaibu quoted the law as saying.
Jigawa state government spokesman Sagir Musa did not respond to phone calls or text messages from our reporter to comment on the claims when contacted on Thursday and Friday.
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Let hear it in the comment below if you do have an opinion on this; Despite legislation, people with disabilities in Jigawa complain of discrimination