New Telegraph

LASU don seeks inclusion of persons with disabilities in governance

Lagos State University (LASU) Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics, Prof. Elias Wahab has called for inclusion of persons living with disability at all levels of governance of the country in order to engender national development.

 

This was as key stakeholders in South-West also canvassed for the domestication by the state government in the region the Persons with Disability Act. The don made the call at the 2nd South-West Stakeholders’ Data Validation on Disability Issues and Domestication of People with Disability Act, organised by the Africa Polling Institute (API) in collaboration with the LASU Department of Sociology, which was held at the university.

 

In his opening remarks, Wahab, the convener of the programme, however, reiterated the need for the Persons with  Disabilities (PWDs) to continue to generate their data in order to assist the government in improving their well-being and welfare.

 

The aim of the South-West Stakeholders Data Validation on Disability Issues and Domestication of People with Disability Act is to ensure that the state governments across the South-West geo-political zone of the country domesticate the disability Act, erase all challenges inhibiting the Act and implement the law for the benefit of the Persons with Disabilities.

 

Meanwhile, a Senior Academic in the Department of Sociology at the university, Dr. Jawando, while presenting the data on PWDs in Lagos State, revealed that the greatest challenge of people with disabilities is lack of funds, unemployment, social exclusion, mobility, and denial of job oppor- tunities, among others.

 

He further listed the barriers hindering people with disabilities to include lack of willingness and cultural factors, saying to mitigate these barriers the government needs to organise more enlightenment and sensitisation programmes for the people with disabilities.

 

Another researcher, Dr. Oyenuga, in his remarks, stated that people living with disability are well educated, but that they need support especially in the area of finance and protection of their rights.

 

Also, in his closing remarks, Prof. Wahab, the lead researcher, noted that the findings from the research would be made available to relevant organisations and bodies to improve the lot of the persons with disabilities.

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