The Chairman of the Abia State Disability Commission, Dr. David Anyaele, says the commission is focused on removing barriers that prevent persons with disabilities (PWDs) from fully participating in society, rather than simply providing financial handouts.
Anyaele stated this on Friday during a live interactive session on the “Good Governance” programme on the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA), where he responded to questions from listeners and explained the interventions being implemented by the newly established commission.
He said the establishment of the commission and the appointment of a leadership comprising persons with disabilities were among the early actions of the state government, describing the development as historic for Abia.
The chairman also challenged the perception that persons with disabilities are dependent on government assistance, noting that many PWDs own businesses, run companies and contribute significantly to the economy.
He explained that the commission caters to different categories of disabilities, including physical, sensory, intellectual and psychosocial impairments.
“Not every person with a disability needs a financial benefit. There are people with disabilities who are extremely flamboyant; they own companies and are actively contributing to society,” he said.
According to him, the commission’s central responsibility is to protect PWDs from discrimination and ensure that barriers do not prevent them from accessing opportunities.
“Our primary role is to protect PWDs and ensure that they do not suffer from barriers. If a person wants to go to school, we ensure they have access to the classroom and are not discriminated against. For the vulnerable, we assess their specific needs, whether it is skills acquisition or employment support,” Anyaele explained.
On discrimination and cultural stigmatization, the chairman said the commission was taking steps to challenge practices that portray persons with disabilities as incapable or unproductive.
He cited a recent incident involving a landlord who allegedly attempted to deny accommodation to a blind prospective tenant, saying the commission would use such cases to demonstrate that discrimination against PWDs would not be tolerated.
“We are using such cases to set an example. Nobody has the right to discriminate. Historically, our cultural practices have tagged PWDs as non-performers, but we will keep doing advocacy to change these behaviours because disability does not discriminate,” he asserted.
Anyaele further highlighted some of the state government’s inclusive interventions, including ongoing improvements at the State School for the Blind.
He said blind persons were being trained to use smartphones and other assistive devices to improve their independence and access to information.
The chairman also commended Abia’s investment in para-sports, noting that the Ministry of Sports has become a major employer of persons with disabilities and that athletes from the state have won several international gold medals following participation in major global para-sport competitions.
He said the commission was also decentralizing its operations to ensure that persons with disabilities at the grassroots benefit directly from its programmes.
According to him, disability is a cross-cutting issue that requires collaboration across sectors, including education, health, agriculture, technology and justice.
“We are moving beyond mere ‘desks’ to establishing fully-fledged local government offices. We have already trained local government chairmen on disability inclusion and budgeting,” he said.
Anyaele disclosed that more than 850 education and healthcare officials across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state had also been trained on disability-related issues, the disability law and inclusive budgeting.
He said the training was designed to ensure that schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions become more accessible to persons with disabilities.
The Disability Community Chieftain urged persons with disabilities in need of support, skills acquisition or other forms of intervention to formally write to the commission.
He said the commission’s office is currently located at the Political Block, Government House, Umuahia, and assured residents that it remained committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities were not excluded from the state’s development agenda.
He encouraged PWDs requiring assistance to visit the commission or use its official communication channels to present their needs for appropriate intervention.
