Benue PWDs decry lack of access to public buildings

Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in Benue State have decried their inability to access public infrastructures in the state.

The public buildings were not erected according to regulatory laws to accommodate their needs.

This was disclosed over the weekend by the Chairperson of the Albinism Association of Nigeria (ASN), Jacinta Ighoito, in Makurdi.

She said that whenever they are on advocacy visits to public buildings, including the state secretariat and House of Assembly, they find it difficult to gain access because the buildings are not disability-friendly.

Ighoito pointed out the non-inclusion of a five percent employment allotment for PWDs in the state, saying all these issues arise because there are no laws domesticated in the state to criminalize such acts.

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The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aondona Dajoh, has assured that the assembly will prioritize the passage of the Disability Bill once the revised draft, currently under review by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is presented to them.

Represented by the Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. David Ochapa, during a roundtable discussion on the legislative process for the Disability Bill in Benue State, organized by the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) in Makurdi, Dajoh expressed optimism that the executive’s commitment to the bill would mark a breakthrough for PWDs in the state.