According to data from the world bank, one billion people representing 15% of the world’s population, experience some form of disability. Persons with disabilities, on average as a group, are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes such as less education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates than persons without disabilities.

Disabilities, however, do not limit individuals’ gifts or talents, it only requires special effort to enable them to achieve their dreams. People with disabilities are often victims of stigmatization and segregation, which limits their potential to participate in social activities, proactive steps have been taken to create awareness and foster love among people living with disabilities in society.

Global awareness of disability-inclusive development is increasing. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) promotes the full integration of persons with disabilities in societies. The CRPD specifically references the importance of international development in addressing the rights of persons with disabilities.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development clearly states that disability should not be a basis for lack of access to developmental and human rights benefits. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework includes seven targets that explicitly refer to persons with disabilities, and six further targets on persons in vulnerable situations, which include persons with disabilities.

Attaining the 2030 SDG Agenda requires that everyone is carried along (inclusion) in all spheres of the environment – policies, activities, events, rights, privileges, and obligations.

September is the deaf awareness month and on this episode of Signals, our host Adewunmi Oshodi – Tapa engaged our guest, Treasures Uchegbu in a conversation about Empowering People with disabilities (PWDs).

Treasure got into PWD empowerment when she encountered a young deaf HIC patent and she couldn’t communicate with the patient. She has since created several platforms of inclusiveness and accessibility for PWD. She is currently championing the adoption of sign language in every gathering. Treasures maintained that the society needs to see beyond medical and charity whenever they encounter a PWD but Create inclusiveness. They are not to be pitied but the be carried along.

Disability according to her, is not only natural, things may happen that will make people become disabled at a stage in life, especially through accidents. She identified eight clusters of disabilities in Nigeria to include the blind, deaf, down syndrome, intellectual disability, physical disability, dwarfism, albinism and leprosy.

There are 29.7 million people living with disabilities in Nigeria; this is a market, think of something for them. The world is talking about bringing diverse audiences to the table for development.

There has been so much practice of Medical and charity models in our society where people make medical recommendations or want to give alms and pity whenever they see a PWD, but we are now in the human right era. There are things beyond medical, parents need counseling and the larger society needs to know we all have to be kind.

She made reference to and applauded the Lagos state government who passed a disability law in 2011 and that gave birth to an agency even before the federal government passed a law in the same regard.

The Nigerian association of the blind brought together 33 banks and reminded them of policies on inclusivity. There is the Lagos state office of disability affairs (LASODA) – Epic State and National Association of Persons with disability. Institutions such as Lagos college of health have inculcated sign language into the curriculum.

The world is evolving. There is a PWD who runs a school, employs people without disabilities and pays N1.8m salary monthly, he is not being taken cognizance of. It takes an empowered PWD to come out and speak because they have to go through the process of knowing what to say. We should make our environment all-inclusive, create things accessible to all people and leave no one behind, everyone is important. When you leave a percentage of your population, you have left development. Development comes when were are all involved.

PWDs want to do things just like others and we need to create rooms and give them the privilege, opportunities and access to live like everyone else. We should stop assuming that we know what people with disabilities want. If an individual can’t see, provide audio. If a person can’t hear provide text. It’s about inclusivity. People can always get the message across to their audience. If you develop product services for people you can get the opportunity to make money.

The religious aspect is a work in progress. Though there is no universally accepted sign language as there are over 300 of them, but the sign language in Nigeria is a derivative of the American sign language. However, children learn with gestures. There are free YouTube channels that teach sign languages. She cautioned religious organizations against the thought of miracles whenever they see a PWD but create an atmosphere where they can enjoy the same benefits as others. She said it is important to ask a PWD what s/he wants before rendering assistance.

There is a church in Lagos where PWDs enjoy worship services just like people without disabilities. They sing, dance and follow the order of service in a way they all understand. Parents whose children have disabilities need to know that there is a lot of help for their children instead of hiding them and stigmatizing them, PWDs have access to some things like other normal kids. The media needs to let PWDs and their caregivers know that there are therapy sessions that can help them.

She advised any PWD or their caregivers to reach out for therapy and there are lots of options in Nigeria. She added that PWDs have access to the same life as others and she has been ensuring every policy creates inclusion for PWDS. Through her organization, Speaking fingers Network, they have held deaf summer camps, adult literacy for PWDs who want to learn, they have visited over 32 schools in Lagos and are still continuing in the advocacy and awareness.

Young & Cerebral is a social enterprise aiming to provide the middle class and mass markets with not just empowerment but an inspired lifestyle. #youngcerebral