Participation of PWDs in the Electoral Process

2015 General Elections in Nigeria Inclusion and Access for Persons with DisabilitiesParticipation of PWDs in the Electoral Process

IDENTIFYING AND GAINING SUSTAINABLE INCLUSION AND ACCESS INTO OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO BLIND PERSONS IN THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY

How can We Support our Leaders Against Terrorism in Nigeria?

Nigerians want to support their president, government and military to fight terrorism to a
total stop. But the bad governance, leadership lawlessness, the corruption, the impunity, and
the real terror (poverty and denial of fundamental human rights) inflicted on Nigerians by
those elected and appointed to govern have destroyed our confidence and trust in them.
The citizens of the US and UK support their governments against terrorism because terrorism was
not caused by bad governance, leadership lawlessness, corruption, impunity, poverty, high
illiteracy, high unemployment, etc.
but terrorism has found its way into Nigeria because:
there is a near total loss of true loyalty and patriotism of Nigerians to the Nigerian state;
the nation's wealth is circulated among only less than 5% (political elits);
the only opportunity for the citizens to aer their voices (during elections) are subverted
through rigging and intimidating militarization;
endemic corruption prevails and evidently corrupt public office holders go unponished;
politicians hold office for four or eight years and become billonaires while civil servants
work for 35 years and have their pentions stolen;
leaders celebrate paper developmental achievements with little or no real evidence to show;
the children of the rich and wealthy arrogantly display and waist the nation's resources stolen
by their parents to the oppression and envy of the children from poor parents;
the children of poor people and their parents resort to self help through criminal activities;
opposing political groups who no longer have confidence in the polity resort to self help
through various forms of aggression against the state;
those in government play the politics of self denial, political propaganda and psychofancy, and
blame trading about the reality of terrorism;
the realities of politically motivated accute ethno-religious fundamentalism; and
the challenges of a badly socio-economically and politically structured Nigerian federation.
The list of the causes of terrorism in Nigeria is indeed endless.
But the dilema confronting the Nigerian people is the challenge of determining which of the two terrorists to fight; the terror inflicted by those in government, or those inflicted by insurgence.

RELEVANCE OF DISABILITY LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS TO THE TELECOMS INDUSTRY

DR. ADEBUKOLA ADEBAY (PhD)
Executive Secretary, Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership
(LCSDPP)
BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT
A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE
ON INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE TELECOMS SERVICES IN
NIGERIA
HELD AT
SHERATON HOTEL
IKEJA, LAGOS.
DATE: 7TH MARCH, 2013

OUTLINE
· WHY ARE WE HERE?
· SCENARIOS OF EXCLUSION

· IMPLICATIONS OF EXCLUSION AND INACCESSIBILITY
· LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY RESPONSE
- UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (UNCRPD)
 THE LAGOS STATE SPECIAL PEOPLE’s LAW 2011
· WHAT TELECOMMS COMPANIES CAN DO
· CONCLUSION
WHY ARE WE HERE?
We are here to discuss how over twenty five million (25,000,000) Nigerians
living with disabilities can begin to have equal and unhindered access to
telecoms services and substantial inclusion and participation in the telecoms
industry just as their non-disabled counterparts.
The UN, WHO and World Bank have, in various researches established that
at least 10% of human population at various geo-political levels (global,
continental, regional/sub regional, national local, etc) is constituted by
persons with disabilities (PWDs). However, this percentage rises up to 20%
in less developed countries due to high prevalence of diseases, violent
conflicts and low response to natural disasters; as well as inadequate access
by citizens to basic life needs: water, shelter, food, education primary health
care, social and economic infrastructure one of which is telecommunication
services and infrastructure.
Research findings have shown that failure to guarantee inclusion and access
of PWDs to basic social and economic services and infrastructure will
rapidly reverse the positive impacts of the numerous Corporate Social
Responsibilities and Initiatives embarked upon by corporate businesses and
organizations as well as policies and programmes of government at all
levels.
Several billions of dollars spent by Corporate Businesses and Governments
on education, ICT, health, gender and social inclusion, social infrastructure,
agriculture, climate change and environmental protection, etc will almost
amount to waste if more than 20% of the population are neglected.

SCENERIOS OF EXCLUSION
• Why give scholarship to PWDs when you can’t give them equal
employment opportunities?
• Why do we support school projects (classrooms, instructional
materials, etc) which can’t be used by children and youths with
disabilities?
• Why build public and school libraries which can’t be accessed and
used by those on wheel chairs, the blind the deaf, etc?
• Why do we build Corporate Headquarters and Customer-Care Centres
which can’t be accessed and used by those on wheel chairs, the blind,
the deaf, etc?
• Why do we support the building of roads, pedestrian bridges, jetties
and other public transport facilities which can’t be used by those on
wheel chairs, the blind, the deaf, etc?
• Why do we support youth and women empowerment,
entrepreneurship and employability skills development initiatives
without due considerations for the involvement and participation of
women and youths with disabilities?
• Why do we support primary health care programmes where women
and children with disabilities can’t be given proper treatment because
there are no accessible infrastructures and human capacity to do so.
• Why do we support sports development without extending same to the
provision of adaptive/special sports facilities for use by sports men
and women with disabilities who have won several laurels for the
country even more than their non-disabled counterparts?
• Why do we support music, art and other entertainment programmes
which exclude persons with disabilities?
ABOVE ALL!
• Why do we provide telecoms and other related services
(telephone, internet, etc) to the public without making due
accessibility provisions for all including persons with disabilities?
IMPLICATIONS OF EXCLUSION AND INACCESSIBILITY
Sustained exclusion and inadequate access of PWDs to basic social and economic
services and opportunities such as those provided by the telecoms industry will
lead to:
• At least 20% of the population in Nigeria with low productivity
with little or no income to afford basic life needs including
telecoms services. This situation is likely to rise to over 30% in the
next five to ten years with multiplier effects on immediate family
members especially where such PWDs have dependants.
Accordingly, telecoms market size will constantly shrink; leading
to market crises.
• Increase in the prevalence rate of disability due to worsening
conditions of natural disasters, diseases and violent conflicts will
reduce the quality and quantity of human resources. Exclusion of
PWDs from education and employment opportunities will worsen
the inevitable labour crises.
• Failure to guarantee inclusion and access for PWDs promotes
increase in poverty and worsening poverty levels increases
disability prevalence rate. With more PWDs faced with increasing
exclusion and inaccessibility, the society, the market, the economy
and the nation is the worse for it.

LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY RESPONSE
Disability issues are no longer reduced to charity. Disability issues are now strictly
social and human rights issues. This is because if you are not infected by disability,
you are affected by it just as HIV/AIDS, malaria, climate change, gender
discrimination, etc.
World leaders, Governments, Business and Civil Society Organizations have
realized the numerous significant social and economic benefits in guaranteeing and
sustaining inclusion and access for PWDs in all spheres of life.
Everyone has come to terms with the dangers of rendering over 20% of the world’s
population unproductive and dependent on others.
It’s a “win-win” situation for us all if PWDs are made productive members of the
society; contributing immensely to growth and development of businesses and
industry, government, education, technology, health, sports, arts and entertainment,
etc.
The UN, World Bank, International Development Agencies, Multinational
Corporations, developed nations, and even few developing nations are beginning to
provide legislative and policy responses to protect the rights of PWDs; making
them less dependent and more productive.
• UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES (UNCRPD)

Nigeria has ratified and signed the UNCRPD and is obliged to ensure compliance
by its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, state and local governments,
corporate business and civil society organizations to its provisions.
Key guiding principles of the UNCRPD include:
a) Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to
make one’s own choices, and independence of persons;
b) Non-discrimination;
c) Full and effective participation and inclusion in society;
d) Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of
human diversity and humanity;
e) Equality of opportunity;
f) Accessibility;
g) Equality between men and women;
h) Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for
the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.
Articles 9, 21 and 27 of the UNCRPD on “Accessibility; Freedom of expression
and opinion, and access to information; and, Work and employment” respectively
without prejudice to other sections of the Convention, are quite relevant to the
telecoms industry e.g. Employment of persons with disabilities in the private and
public sectors.

• THE LAGOS STATE SPECIAL PEOPLE’s LAW
While the Federal Government of Nigeria is on the verge of domesticating the
UNCRPD through an Act of the National Assembly, few States in Nigeria
including Lagos State have taken this noble initiative.
The Lagos State law is relevant to the telecoms industry because:
• More than 90% of telecoms service providers, operators and other
stakeholders have their corporate headquarters in Lagos State; and
• Lagos State hosts nearly 50% of the telecoms markets in Nigeria.
The Lagos State Special People’s Law 2011 substantially upholds the principles
and provisions of the UNCRPD.

WHAT TELECOMS COMPANIES CAN DO
• Develop and implement inclusive business policies which take cognizance
of the needs and interests of PWDs. There is need to include “Special
Indicators” in your Strategic business and management plans to guarantee,
track and monitor access and inclusion of PWDs in all aspects of your
business. Consulting with Disability groups is very important at this point.
• Ensure that all telecoms services and products are accessible, inclusive and
affordable to PWDs.
• Provide employment opportunities to qualified PWDs
• Make your work place environment (offices, equipments, personnel, etc)
accessible and inclusive.
• Make access and inclusive key criteria for planning and implementing all
Corporate Social Initiatives/responsibilities.
• Partner with Civil Society Organizations, the Media and Government to
conduct advocacies (public campaigns, public enlightenment, capacity building,
provision of assistive aids and technologies, fund raising, etc) in
order to promote access and inclusion for PWDs.
• Do you know you can deploy your recharge cards, SMS and other
advert/marketing instruments as Disability Advocacy Tools?

CONCLUSION
the commercial opportunities for mobile service providers, manufacturers and
smart phone application developers are significantly substantial, considering that
over 20% of Nigeria’s population, or over 25 million people, have a disability that
affects their access to modern communications, Senior citizens and people with
physical or mental disabilities are often unable to access mobile phones because
the equipment lacks the necessary accessibility features or because the price of the
adapted phones and services remain unaffordable.
It is therefore somewhat surprising that enhanced-accessibility should remain a
relatively undeveloped segment of the market. The good news is that the
technology to make mobile phones and services accessible is becoming more
developed and available.

OPENING DOORS AND BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TOWARDS INCLUSIVE CLIMATE CHANGE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE POLICIES FOR ALL IN LAGOS STATE THE NEED FOR MULTI-STAKEHOLDER RESPONSE AND COLLABORATIONS

PAPER PRESENTED AT
ONE-DAY
PUBLIC POLICY DIALOGUE
ON
MAIN-STREAMING DISABILITY ISSUES IN CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMMERS
AND POLICIES
ORGANIZED BY
DISABILITY POLICY AND ADVOCACY INITIATIVE (DPAI)
AND
POLICY ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIP ON CLIMATE CHANGE (PAPCC)
HELD AT
KNIGHTBRIDGE HOTEL, TOYIN STREET, IKEJA, LAGOS, NIGERIA
DATE: 10TH DECEMBER, 2013
Introduction:
Like Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) would say, “If you disbelieve what I say, you
can’t disbelieve the fact that the climate is changing and that it is impacting in various
ways on everybody” including PWDs. It is not only worsening the socio-economic
conditions in which PWDs live in, it also a fact that climate change impacts is one of the
factors which has been contributing the steady rise in the population of PWDs due to
natural and man-made disasters.
On the 6th of November, 2013, we engaged leaders of the disability community in Lagos
state with a view to feeling their understandings on climate change, emergency
management and other related issues. The big questions for our audience at that
meeting was “How does climate change impact on PWDs? And how has PWDs been
coping and responding to the impacts of climate change?” We also sought to know what
PWDs think the Government and other stakeholders should do to mitigate the impacts
of climate change on their community.
Our major discovery at that workshop was that PWDs, which constitute nearly 15% of
the entire population of Lagos State know very little about the fundamentals of climate
change, emergency response and other related matters.
The reasons for this are not far fetched. In most cases, PWDs are often the least
considered in the disagrigation of demographic features of any population by policy
makers, service providers, researchers, advocates, etc. This is also responsible for the
inability of governments and the larger society to connect PWDs with contemporary
global issues and challenges such as climate change, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health,
gender and other social inequalities, etc.
However, with the establishment of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2006, and the enactment of the Lagos State Special People’s
Law in 2011, experts on disability issues have been doing so much to guide the thinking
of policy makers, service providers, researchers, advocates and other stakeholders
especially in the development sector on the need to evolve inclusive approaches to
policies and programmes.
Accordingly, our goal at this meeting is to explore a policy-based multi-stakeholder
approach towards opening doors of opportunities to PWDs and breaking down all
barriers which may hinder their effective inclusion in the mitigation of climate change
impacts and access to emergency services where the need arises.
Who are the Stakeholders?
As far as climate change and emergency response issues are concerned in Lagos
state, we recognize that the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and the Lagos
State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) are the most critical. Other MDAs
with very significant roles include those in charge of disability affairs, youths and social
development, agriculture, rural development, housing, transport, women affairs and
poverty alleviation, education and waste management. This is with out any prejudice to
the roles and responsibilities of other line ministries, departments and agencies of the
Lagos State government such as those in charge of information/media, finance,
economic planning and budget, etc whose statutory responsibilities cut across the
duties of those mentioned here.
What are the Issues for PWDs?
The issues for PWDs are as numerous and diverse as nature itself. As such, time and
space may not allow us to exhaust them. However, we shall highlight some we consider
as very critical.
1. Safe environment: No matter what government say or does, our environment
will remain unsafe to PWDs and the larger society if drainages remain opened or
uncovered. All drainages in streets and high ways should be properly covered to
prevent dumping of refuse, serve as good walk-ways and prevent accidents to
PWDs and other road users.

2. Access to daily means of livelihood: While the obvious challenges of
infrastructure and technology continue to reduce access of PWDs to the public
transport systems, the challenges of travelling long distance for the purpose of
earning a living continues to drive countless PWDs into abject poverty. As such,
conscious efforts should be made to create choices or alternatives of localized
jobs, small and medium scale business, farming, etc to PWDs situated within
their residential localities. This strategy will be most applicable to PWDs with
significant mobility challenges. This will reduce loss of income due to climate
induced disasters like floods.

3. Access to affordable housing: As the fear of climate change induced floods
compel property owners situated in flood-prone areas to build inaccessible
barriers around their residential buildings, PWDs can only look up to respites
from the various on-going government housing schemes which are not likely to
be in flood-prone areas and are more likely to comply with relevant accessibility
provisions of the Lagos State Special People’s Law. The government should also
put up programmes to support property owners who are willing to remodel and
improve the accessibility of their properties to accommodate PWDs.

4. Emergency Management: Although LASEMA seem to be quite informed about
being inclusive in its emergency management policies and programmes, the
practicability of this inclusive is yet to be demonstrated. However, we don’t need
to wait for an emergency to occur before this can be demonstrated. LASEMA
should begin to engage with communities of PWDs in Lagos state for the
purpose of awareness creation, enlightenment and capacity-building, as well as
preparedness for unexpected situations. We reiterate that this action is taking too
long to come if any, as disasters like floods and/or rain storms induced building
collapse, fire, heavy rains, etc some times don’t announce their occurrences.

5. Education: There are no evidences to show that our children with disabilities in
Lagos State Inclusive and Special Schools are engaged in extra-curricula
activities on climate change and emergency management. I'm aware that an
Agency of Lagos State government has been working with public schools on
issues of emergency, safety and security among others; but there isn't any
records to show that inclusive and special schools are being included. This is
either because there is no capacity to do so, or probably because those in
charge don’t even think the these children need such education. Often times, this
is where exclusion begins.

6. Access to Information: Often times, the media, policy-makers and other experts
on climate change, emergency management and other related issues are
unaware of the fact that PWDs also need to be informed about these issues. As
such when designing advocacy, public enlightenment and other communication
materials, specific needs of PWDs are never taken into account. It is important
that designers of these materials should understand the various disability-based
information accessibility needs. We should know that bill boards will not serve the
blind; radio will not serve the deaf; information written or spoken in very complex
English will not serve those with intellectual disabilities; PWDs with lower literacy
levels will require interpretations in local languages; etc.

7. Gender-based Interventions: Women with disabilities should be engaged when
programmes which target women are designed and implemented. Our women
face the challenges of access to water; they also use energy for domestic
purposes; and they are often worse affected when climate change or natural
disasters destroy means of livelihood. While it is sometimes easier for non-disabled
women to get back into life after disasters, women with disabilities often
times, never survive because they are neither included in most post-disaster
relief programmes nor in the regular women empowerment programmes.

Conclusion:
From the foregoing, we can see that only a policy-driven multi-stakeholder approach
can effectively open doors and break down most of the barriers which excludes PWDs
from participating in, and benefiting from climate change and emergency management
programmes and policies of government.

All relevant MDAs of the Lagos State Government need to come together under a
technical working group to ensure that PWDs are effectively main-streamed in these
very critical policy areas.

SPECIAL SPORTS AS A TOOL FOR INCLUSION and EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

BY

DR. ADEBUKOLA SHEHU ADEBAYO
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, LAGOS CIVIL SOCIETY DISABILITY POLICY PARTNERSHIP (LCSDPP). A DFID-SAVI SUPPORTED POLICY ADVOCACY PROGRAMME IN LAGOS STATE
GENERAL SECRETARY, JONAPWD (LAGOS)
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR GENERAL, POLITITAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCE CENTRE (PARC), LAGOS, NIGERIA


Being a paper presented at
One-Day Capacity-Building Workshop for Persons With Disabilities
ON
Unleashing the Potentials and Empowering People Living with Disabilities through Sports
AT
Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos State.

Tuesday, 28th February, 2012.



PROTOCOL:

Introduction

The participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in sports in Nigeria has come of age. Spanning over three decades, athletes with disabilities have worn several laurels for Nigeria and their different localities (including states); even when their non-disabled counterparts fail to do so.

The attention of Governments at all levels on special sports is rapidly increasing. National and state Special Sports Committees are being established, while sports policies at all levels of government are being liberalized to effectively accommodate the needs of athletes with disabilities.

Nevertheless, observations reveal that the level of inclusion and empowerment of sport men and women with disabilities remain at a significantly low levels when compared with those of their non-disabled counterparts. Not only is the participation of athletes with disabilities in sports largely confined to just being athletes, they are not generally empowered to effectively access and participate in other lucrative sub-sectors of the sports industry.

Although the reason for this is largely hinged on the prevailing trend of social exclusion of PWDs in our society, this negative trend is indeed reversible if athletes with disabilities themselves rise up to their responsibilities to repackage and re-brand themselves into sell-able sports icons just as their non-disabled sports counterparts.

The essence of this paper is to succinctly enlighten and equip our sportsmen and women with disabilities with basic ideas on how to explore and exploit other lucrative opportunities within the sports industry. The Paper takes a narrative analysis of the above situation of how sports can be used as a tool for the inclusion and empowerment of PWDs in Lagos State. We present a background of the development of sports vis avis the participation of PWDs. We then attempt a discussion of issues around the inclusion and empowerment of PWDs through sports, as well as the challenges which each of these issues presents. We then embark on a prognosis of how identified challenges can be surmounted.

BACKGROUND
The purpose and function of sports in our contemporary world has gone beyond the intentions of the Spartan Greeks who developed sports as a tool for physical and mental development. The Spartan Greeks used sports as a means of training their military. They excluded women and PWDs who were mostly thrown into the cold mountains and left to die.
In the medieval periods, when the modern Olympics was established, the purpose and function of sports was significantly demilitarized. The inclusion of women and PWDs was encouraged, increased and sustained across the world. However, sports still largely served the purpose of human physical and mental development. At this period, sports was equally used as a means for social interaction and integration among people from different parts of the world.

The proffessionalisation and commercialization of sports which began in the 19th century heralded private sector involvement, investment and partnership with government in the administration and management of sports. This helped to create several sub-sectors within the sports sector including: sports soft ware and hard ware development and production, sports stadia and complex development and management, sports media, sports marketing, sports administration and management, sports education, sports medicine, career sportsmanship, career coaching/instructing, career referee/umpire, etc.

Accordingly, sports has become a very critical socio-economic sector; generating and attracting very huge human, material and financial resources valued at several billions of dollars. The liberalization of sports as both an economic activity and business; while still serving as a veritable tool for effective social interaction, integration and unity has not only opened up the sector for free and easy participation by stakeholders, it has encouraged tremendous human capital development and productivity which in turn has contributed immensely to the socio-economic growth and development of several countries including Nigeria.

SPORTS AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION OF PWDs
As noted earlier, sports primarily served the purpose of being a tool for social interaction and integration among people of diverse social backgrounds. It is expected that competing sports men and women will develop the spirit of “sportsmanship” in competing for laurels. It is also expected that they will, while competing, show respect and appreciation for each others’ race, language, cultures and traditions, bio-physical and social status respectively.

Similarly, free, easy and equal participation of all in sports irrespective of their bio-physical and social status is guaranteed through the libralization of sports rules, regulations, procedures, infrastructure/facilities and general atmosphere among others. These conditions are fundamental precursors for the guaranteeing of social inclusion of PWDs through sports.

The current global trend of increasing attention to, and inclusion of PWDs in sports HAS PAID OFF IN SEVERAL WAYS. In Nigeria, our sports history reveals increasing participation of PWDs in sports especially as athletes. Nigerian sports men and women with disabilities have in the last three decades justified their participation in sports by winning several laurels for the nation. Local sporting events in the country have also produced several talented athletes with disabilities.

Unfortunately, despite the popularity and social prestige which sports has brought into the disability community, athletes with disabilities, and indeed the entire disability community have not done much to manage and sustain this hard earned social prestige. No visible effort have been seen on the part of athletes with disabilities to strategically and purposefully promote their social image as many still align with degrading models and practices of PWDs such as systematic begging, poor self estimate, self pity, social withdrawal tendencies   and other charity-based attitudes; all of which do not motivate the building of public confidence in individuals with disabilities.

This situation is worsened by the general negative discrimination and other forms of social exclusion suffered by PWDs in our society which have not reduced significantly. Not only do parents still hide their children with disabilities, most private sector employers still put up discriminatory attitudes towards PWDs. Generally, the public as a whole are largely more sympathetic, less socially tolerant, less empathetic and less genuinely supportive of PWDs.


EMPOWERING PWDs THROUGH SPORTS
In view of the positive socio-economic revelations about the contribution of sports to national growth and development, the question to ask is what share of these  gain has accrued to sports men and women with disabilities?

Despite the vast development which sports has witnessed, the prevailing trend of social exclusion in our society has largely limited the participation of PWDs in sports to just being athletes. This is quite worrisome. In special sports today, very few athletes with disabilities, upon their retirement, have been able to pursue careers as sports trainers, instructors or coaching. We don’t find PWDs within the core of sports refereeing, administration and management, media, marketing among others.

Discriminatory policies in employment, lack of access to financial credit as well as very unfavourable business environment, poor educational background and lack of access to scholarship to pursue higher education, and the inability of athletes with disabilities themselves to develop creative abilities and make judicious use of little resources and opportunities have further limited their quest for socio-economic empowerment and motivation towards exploring other sub-sectors in the sports industry.

PROGNOSIS TO SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT OF PWDs THROUGH SPORTS
Fundamentally, the “axe” required to break the barriers to the inclusion and empowerment of PWDs through sports is in the hands of athletes with disabilities themselves. While not attempting to ignore the role of government especially in creating the enabling sporting environment, athletes with disabilities should begin to “take the bull by the horns” by taking advantage of “little” resources and opportunities which sports present to them.

We must appreciate the tremendous efforts of the Lagos State Government under the able leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who, on June 24th 2011, signed the Lagos State Special People’s Bill into Law. This Law, which has been rated among the five best in the world, and which has been regarded as “social insurance” for all Lagosians irrespective of their bio-physical and social status has, in its several sections, provisions which seek to effectively guarantee the total inclusion of PWDs into mainstream society.

While we can authoritatively say here that the Government is making frantic efforts towards implementing this rather expensive, but largely inevitable and essential “social good” despite its very tight budget, athletes with disabilities, and indeed, all PWDs should begin to take full advantage of the benefits which emanating policies shall offer.

As athletes with disabilities, you should bear in mind the objective realities that our society is yet to fully come to clear terms with the need to ensure the full integration of PWDs into the social system; tap into their potentials and make them productive for the benefit of society at large. As such, athletes with disabilities should begin an aggressive process of repackaging and re-branding themselves into sell-able sports icons just as their non-disabled counterparts.

PWDs should begin to avoid self degrading, defeatist, stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes. It is only when we raise our profiles and celebrate our achievements that the society will further appreciate and value us. The world has completely moved away from charitable approaches to disability. Everyone is now talking about social inclusion as proposed by the social and interactive models of disability. Here, we refer to PWDs as integral part of society with valuable and productive capacities; rather than persons who should be secluded, pitied, less bothered with work and given hands out. Accordingly, PWDs should themselves make frantic efforts towards improving public perception and attitudes towards them.

As athletes with disabilities, you should begin to take cognisance of such little personal details such as appearance, comportment, utterances, self discipline and control, social responsibility, community participation, etc; while eschewing all forms of social misconducts such as violence. As athletes, you should show serious concern for your diet in general to keep in good shape and form all through your active periods.

You must realize that, first and foremost, you need to succeed as an athlete. As such, you need to improve your skills and performance capacity to keep winning laurels. Your ability to keep winning laurels will serve as your key selling point to prospective sponsors and top corporate and business brands; after all, who says an athlete with disability can’t serve as models for corporate brands if well managed? This is why you as athletes with disabilities, just as your non-disabled counterparts should embrace such professional practices as engaging competent sports/athlete managers and promoters who will be able to open up opportunities for you.

Again, our engagement with the private sector must be strategic if we must secure their support. This is very pertinent because Government alone can’t support sporting activities especially special sports. In fact, my observation is that there is a huge gap in the level of private sector support for special sports. Accordingly, athletes with disabilities must come together and begin to fashion out specific and achievable strategies to attract private sector support. You need to repackage and re-brand special sports and make it attractive to investors. As I earlier said, this step begins with how you are able to manage your individual reputation.

To achieve the above, athletes with disabilities should embrace education at higher levels and should not sacrifice education for sports as both can complement each other. While Government is making efforts to make scholarships accessible to athletes with disabilities, PWDs in sports should ensure that such opportunities, when given are judiciously used. Your ability as athletes with disabilities to access and effectively participate in other lucrative sub-sectors of the sports industry such as coaching, instructing, training, marketing, media, administration and management, etc is heavily dependent on the degree and quality of higher education you are able to attain.

You can’t be an athlete all through your life time. As such, your plans for retirement or even unexpected disengagement (maybe due to injuries) should be proactive, objective and realistic. Young athletes with disabilities and even older ones alike shouldn't become the proverbial child  who spend his first earnings on “bean cake.” Accordingly, PWDs in sports should learn to pull their resources together and seek to invest same in viable business ventures which may also include sports related businesses. You must realize that no one will patronize your business because you are a PWD. As such, you must, in putting up any business endeavour, comply with all statutory laws and regulations as well as all known business ethics and principles to succeed.

In seeking Government’s attention, you need to come together as one united body. You must learn and understand the way Government works and learn how to channel your requests to Government through appropriate procedures. You also need to appreciate the fact that constructive dialogue remains the best and most fruitful means of engaging Government.

Nevertheless, we must appreciate that the era of waiting on Government to do everything for us is over. Even as PWDs, we should begin to think outside the box and seek how to avail ourselves with the numerous opportunities both within and outside the state. There are vivid examples of PWDs who have recorded resounding successes without waiting on Government. We only need to take advantage of the enabling and equitable socio-economic environment being created by the Fashola administration. We ourselves should be thinking “inclusively” by not limiting ourselves to opportunities just within the disability community.

CONCLUSION
We reiterate here that opportunities of inclusion and empowerment through sports for Lagos State athletes with disabilities goes beyond being competitive athletes. Athletes with disabilities need to, and should begin to explore the lucrative vastness of the sports industry.

However, PWDs in sports should understand that continuous education and training, social image repackaging and re-branding, judicious resource management and reinvestment, constructive engagement with Government and the private sector, among several other strategic steps, are very fundamental actions they must immediately embark upon if they must benefit from the numerous opportunities which the sports industry has to offer.

Finally, Our gathering here today is a clear manifestation of the good intentions of Government, as exemplified by our Honourable Commissioner and the entire management of the Lagos State Ministry of Youths, Sports and Social Development, (Office of Sports) to genuinely work for the total inclusion and empowerment of athletes with disabilities through sports. Athletes with disabilities should reciprocate this gesture not only by winning more laurels for the state, but by becoming successful sports icons and brands and instruments of positive change in Lagos State through which the various social barriers against PWDs in general will be totally broken.

I thank you all for listening.

MAINSTREAMING DISABILITY ISSUES IN PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

BY
ADEBUKOLA S. ADEBAYO (Ph.D)
PAPER PRESENTED AT A ONE DAY POLICY DIALOGUE
ON PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
ORGANIZED BY LAGOS CIVIL SOCIETY PARTNERSHIP (LACSOP)
6TH AUGUST, 2013
AT DIPLOMAT HOTELS, SHONIBARE ESTATE, MARYLAND, LAGOS STATE.
Introduction:

Following the projections of the Lagos State Government of a population of about 20 million, it
will be safe to imply that there are over two million PWDs in Lagos state. This is in line with the
estimates reached by the 2006 National Population Census. It also align with the United Nations and
World Bank researches which reveal that persons with disabilities (PWDs) constitute not less than 10%
of the world’s population. This trend cuts across other geopolitical levels – continents, continental subregions,
countries, states and provinces and local communities. However, in low and middle income
countries, the privailance rate of disability is put at nearly 20% of the population due to worsening state
of socio-economic and political conditions.
United Nations as well as International and Local Civil Society Organizations asserts that
People With Disabilities (PWDs) constitute a significant proportion of the poorest of the poor
and face inequalities in access to education, health care, employment, asset accumulation and
opportunities for social and community participation. More than 80% of People With Disabilities
live in low and middle income parts of the society. Among these group, 30% are street Youths
and 20% are children (with disabilities) who do not attend school but prefer alms begging.
Women and Girls With Disabilities are particularly more vulnerable to abuse and are victims of
violence, rape or sexual abuse.

The World Bank also affirms that people with disabilities make up around 20% of the poorest of the
poor living in absolute poverty. In the words of Paul Wolfowwitz, former President of World Bank,
“People with disabilities are people with extra talents. Yet, they are often too forgotten. When people
with disabilities are denied opportunities, they are more likely to fall into poverty and people living in
conditions of poverty are more likely to develop disabilities. As long as societies exclude those with
disabilities, they will not reach their full potential and the poor in particular will be denied opportunities
that they deserve”.

In addition, Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD) stated that the world’s poorest
population comprised mainly of vulnerable and marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities
(PWDs) and this has threatened the effectiveness and success of development and poverty-reduction
efforts. Conversely, existing inequalities can also exacerbate individual’s vulnerability.
Individuals with disabilities are disproportionately affected in disaster, emergency and conflict situations due to lack of accessibility in major areas of life and exclusion of disability issues in planning and preparedness.
People with Disabilities have been conspicuously excluded from the processes of formulating and implementing strategies and policies aimed at creating public awareness and positive orientation and attitudes on the realities and challenges of disability and the need to evolve and sustain environmentally friendly behaviour.
It is widely acknowledged that Policy makers, Civil Society Organizations, the Organized Private sector and the society at large lack necessary awareness, interest and understanding on the ‘Plight and Prospects of PWDs’. Disability issues are wrongly and broadly treated as purely medical and charity matters, while there are obvious lack of necessary “expertise/capacity/specialization”. As a result, the needs of PWDs continues to be labelled as ‘Special needs’, and this is severely detriment to efforts for promoting INCLUSIVE PRACTICES. Even when disability is main streamed in state policies and planning, there is a severe lack of implementation and “know-how” to translate policy into effective practice.
A government and/or corporate business organization which spends a significant portion of its earnings on providing perpetual charity-based services will have next to nothing to finance sustainable development. This is why programmes and policies of government and the private sector should aim at exiting more persons irrespective of their social status from perpetual dependence and poverty and make them contributors to the continuous production of public good which may be viewed in the form of taxes, services, job creation, etc.
The market model of disability implies that 10 to 20 percent is too significant for any government or private sector to ignore. PWDs are potential consumers of products and services, payers of taxes and above all, they are voters who could determine who comes into government. Accordingly, any government and/or business or service provider should be interested in reaching out to this population because of the multiplyer effects. For instance ever PWD has a family which could be influenced towards a particular product, service or government.
However, beyond the gains of public incomes generated through taxes, profits emanating from the delivery of products and services, or votes gained from persuaded voters, we all know that governments and corporate businesses also bear social responsibilities to their consumers/customers and the general public . This practice is often done through self/independent or collaborative/partnership projects and programmes known as “Public Private Sector Partnership PPP” which is expected to be spearheaded by the private sector with government providing supervisory and regulatory support. This is where the notion of "Development Partnership" comes in.
The main streaming of disability issues or what we call ""Social Inclusion"" in the private sector development partnership implies that government and the private sector ensures that all sections of the
population: men, women, children, the elderly, and PWDs are equal beneficiaries of not only their products and services, but also various programmes and projects implemented through their various corporate social initiative/responsibilities. It also implies that the government collaborates or partners with the private sector in not only the implementation of the Special People's Law, but the planning and implementation of all policies and programmes which require private sector participation and partnership

LAGOS STATE SPECIAL PEOPLE'S LAW AND PRIVATE SECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Lagos State Special People’s Law which was enacted in 2011 acknowledges the roles that government, the private sector and civil Society organizations have to play in its implementation especially towards the facilitation of an inclusive society where equal socio-economic opportunities are created for everyone including persons with disabilities. Various sections of the Law makes the following prescriptions:
1. ensuring equal access to: products and services, media adverts/commercials, product information, customer care, etc.
2. Providing safe and accessible work place/environment by complying with disability-friendly/accessible infrastructural/building codes and regulations.
3. ensuring physical accessibility by providing realms, inclusive toilets, proper door/office labelling in large prints and Braille, properly built drainages, obstacle-free corridors, etc.
4. Operating inclusive work processes which can effectively accommodate persons with disabilities through the provision of relevant assertive technologies for employees with disabilities.
5. providing disability-friendly/accessible workplace safety gadgets like audio-enabled elevators/lifts fitted with proper accessibility features, fire alarms, accessible safety exits, etc.
6. guaranteeing equal employment opportunities for qualified PWDs. The law prescribes that at least 1% of an organization's work force should be reserved for PWDs.
7. Discouraging all forms of corporate/organizational and personal discrimination and abuse of PWDs within and out of the workplace. For instance, Corporate businesses should ensure that their corporate and/or product branding materials and adverts do ot promote discriminatory and derogatory messages against persons with disabilities. Rather, such materials should be used to promote inclusive behaviours and practices.
STRATEGIES FOR MAINSTREAMING INCLUSIVITY:
1. Developing and implementing a Corporate Inclusive Policy
2. Private business organizations should develop training programmes for management and other staff cadres on inclusive employment processes and work environments.
3. Commercial and/or Micro finance banks should not discriminate against PWDs who seek loans to finance private business initiatives. Such financial institutions should set up special financial counselling units to support PWDs who are into businesses to reduce their risks. Manufacturers and other private businesses should also not discriminate when granting sales/purchase discounts, after sales services, etc.
4. Private businesses should review their products and services to make them accessible to PWDs. Providers of Such services as telecoms, banking, insurance, hotel, transport, etc should train their customer personnel and centres to develop appropriate attitude towards PWDs.
5. Private business organizations should review and redirect their Corporate Social Initiatives/Responsibilities (CSIs & CSRs) policies towards serving the purpose of social empowerment for PWDs rather than mere tools for promoting sympathy and charity.
6. Private sector should be freely disposed to CSO initiatives geared towards facilitating social inclusion of PWDs.
WHAT GOVERNMENT MUST DO:
1. The government should encourage Private sector employers to comply with the provisions of the Special People's Law which stipulates the reservation of at least 1% of work force for qualified PWDs
2. Relevant agencies of the government including Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) should embark on regular organizational audits of private business organizations to assess their level of compliance with policies on inclusive work environment.
3. Government should institute special insensitive to encourage private business organizations which employ qualified PWDs, provide inclusive work environment and processes, and implement inclusive corporate policies. Such insensitive may include tax cuts or other forms of rebates.
4. The government and the private sector should make their economic empowerment programmes or CSRI/R ore inclusive and accessible to PWDs.

BENEFITS OF INCLUSIVITY

1. Researches have shown that when qualified PWDs are offered gainful employment, and provided enabling work environment and processes, they tend to remain on their jobs for longer times, remain committed and demonstrate high level of intellectual and skill dexterity.
2. When PWDs are gainfully employed or sufficiently empowered, they contribute immensely to job and general wealth creation thereby reducing poverty.
3. When economic empowerment programmes and projects of government and the private sector improves and increases the purchasing power of the people (including PWDs), manufacturers and service providers increase their sales. Productivity increases and the overall economy grows and develops.
4. Youths and adults with disabilities are largely peaceful and law abiding citizens who are not likely to promote violence and/or evade taxes. Accordingly, when more citizens, including PWDs maintain peace and order, and pay tax, the business sector enjoys enabling and productive environment, while more infrastructure are provided which in turn enhances the performances of private businesses which also impacts positively on the overall economy.
5. When more PWDs are empowered and productive, more resources are redirected from charity-based policies, programmes, projects (or CSI/R) and become freed and available to government and the private sector to support real and sustainable development in such areas as provision of infrastructure, development of education, provision of health services, job creation, provision of housing, agricultural development, etc.

CREATING AWARENESS AMONG PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED NIGERIANS ON THE REALITIES OF HIV/AIDS

BY
ADEBAYO ADEBUKOLA SHEHU
POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCE CENTRE (PARC)
DECEMBER, 2006.
INTRODUCTION
I see as a golden opportunity to be here as a guest speaker to this august
gathering. I am indeed very grateful for the organizers for deeming it fit to
invite me. The topic before me is a very special topic. So special that it is
one which has drawn the concern and attention of the entire world for close
to three whole decades and yet we are still quite far from any permanent
solutions to it. This is why it is now the talk of the town.
Over the years, government at both national and international levels have
committed huge resources towards solving this problem. Other stake
holders alike have equally been using all means available to them to fight
this problem. However, instead of recording a decrease, what we have is
constant increase. You'll then ask where is the way out? This is what I have
tried to do in this paper. I have not really wasted much time trying to tell
you who a physically challenged person(s) is. Rather, I have chosen to go
strait to the subject matter so that I can within the limits of time and space
cover all that is very essential as far as this crucial topic is concerned. I have
looked at the HIV/AIDS phenomenon: its causes, its effects, its treatment
and prevention and other very essential issues bordering around the creation
of proper and extensive awareness on the issues of HIV/AIDS.
The HIV/AIDS crisis in Nigeria has reached a pandemic proportion.
Estimates from the 2001 sero prevalence survey carried out by the Federal
Ministry of Health shows that Nigeria has crossed the five per cent
threshold, signifying the point where HIV infection rates gallop at alarming
progressions.
1
From this assertion, AIDS may become the leading cause of death among
Nigerians. AIDS may also become the major causative factor of all deaths
due to malaria or tuberculosis. Although malaria, tuberculosis and nutrition related
ailments are currently the leading causes of death, AIDS has the
capacity to take advantage of these ailments to worsen Nigeria's disease
burden.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has responded to the crisis by setting up
the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), situated in the
Presidency, as the main response agency to lead the campaign against the
pandemic and its consequences. This national structure is also replicated at
the state and local government levels, through the State Action Committees
on AIDS (SACA) and Local Action Committees on AIDS (LACA).
In April 2001, the Federal Government launched the HIV/AIDS Emergency
Action Plan (HEAP), which is the national medium-term battle-plan to arrest
the spread of HIV in the country. The HEAP defines various strategies for
confronting the epidemic, particularly reducing the rate of infections and
providing care and support for people living with HIV.
One of the key strategies of the HEAP is creating awareness by the removal
of information barriers. The media (print and electronic) and other
stakeholders have a key role to play in this regard.
In the past few years, science has made significant advances in the
development of effective treatment for HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic
infections. Though no cure has been found yet, the development of lifeprolonging
treatment, especially anti-retro viral drugs, has given great hopes
and improved the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS.
While scientists continue to explore further research towards finding a cure
for HIV/AIDS, we should come to acknowledge that, in the absence of a
cure or a preventive vaccine, the most potent weapon available to deal with
it for now is awareness creation through information that will lead to
behavioural change.
So stakeholders and other professionals in the information dissemination and
entertainment fields, have an indispensable role to play. Without such
professionals, critical information about HIV/AIDS prevention measures,
2
consequences of infection, available treatment, etc cannot reach the intended
audience.
HIV/ AIDS: THE FACTS, THE MYTHS
Many people still confuse HIV with AIDS. Besides, medical knowledge and
opinion about the virus are constantly changing. When experts disagree,
public fears, myths and bigotry often come to the fore with the potential of
sensationalisation of the issues in the media.1 There is, therefore, a need for
journalists and communicators to make a distinction between the virus, HIV,
and the syndrome, AIDS.
HIV means Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is the causative agent of
AIDS, and has the ability to destroy the body's immune system, which
normally fights disease.
Human means the virus is transmissible only between human beings, and
affects only human beings.
Immunodeficiency refers to the fact that the immune system, which
normally protects a person from disease, becomes weak or deficient.
Virus is a microscopic organism that causes disease in the body.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, the eventual
condition when an HIV-positive individual experiences a number of adverse
medical conditions and diseases.
AIDS is not a disease by itself. It is a condition that occurs when the body's
immune system does not work optimally or anymore, and the body cannot
protect itself from diseases.
Acquired means it is not hereditary, but transmitted from one person to
another through a specific behaviour.
Immune Deficiency is the weakness or breakdown of the immune system
used to fight diseases.
Syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms of disease.
3
As the body's defence system has been compromised, a group of infections
which are responsible for the eventual illness and, or death afflict the
individual.
HISTORY OF HIV/AIDS
The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized in
1981 in the United States of America (USA). Since then it has become a
major worldwide pandemic. Abundant evidence indicates that the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which was isolated and tagged in 1983,
causes the destruction and, or, functional impairment of cells of the immune
system, notably CD4 + T cells. HIV progressively destroys the body's ability
to fight infections and certain cancers, thereby causing AIDS.
A marked increase in unusual infections and cancers characteristic of severe
immune suppression was first recognized in the early 1980s. This was
among homosexual men who had been otherwise healthy and had no
recognized cause for immune suppression. An infectious cause of AIDS was
suggested by geographic clustering of cases, links among cases by sexual
contact, mother-to-infant transmission, and transmission by blood
transfusion. Isolation of the HIV from patients with AIDS strongly
suggested that this virus was the cause of AIDS.
In Nigeria the first diagnosed case of HIV was reported in 1986. Since then
the prevalence has risen steadily over the years - 1.8 per cent in 1993; 4.5
per cent in 1996; 5.4 per cent in 1999; and 5.8 per cent in 2001, 6.4 per cent
in 2003 and 7.2 per cent in 2006 respectively. The prevalence towards the
end of 2006 represents a figure of about 9.5 million Nigerians already
infected with HIV. The highest prevalence, however, is in the age group 15
to 34 years, which is a reproductive and economically productive segment.
HIV-AIDS CONNECTION
Over the past years there has been an accumulation of overwhelming
scientific evidence that HIV infection is the cause of AIDS. This evidence
has, however, been muddled up in inaccurate media reports largely sourced
from a school of thought that disagrees with the mainstream evidence, and
continues to actively promote the idea that AIDS is not caused by HIV.
4
In Nigeria and other parts of Africa, the lack of consensus on the
relationship between HIV and AIDS has led to people avoiding
responsibility for preventing HIV transmission, or discourage HIV-infected
individuals from seeking appropriate treatment.
Before HIV infection became widespread, AIDS-like syndromes occurred
rarely, and almost exclusively in individuals with no causes of immune
suppression, such as chemotherapy and underlying cancers of certain types.
PROGRESSION FROM HIV TO AIDS
During the course of HIV infection, the crucial immune cells are disabled
and killed. These cells, sometimes called T-helper cells, play a central role in
the immune response, signalling other cells in the immune system to
perform their special functions. A healthy, uninfected person usually has 800
to 1,200 CD4 + T cells per cubic mill litre (ml) of blood, but the number of
these cells in an infected blood progressively declines.
When a person's CD4 + T cell count falls below 200/ml, he or she becomes
particularly vulnerable to the opportunistic infections and cancers that typify
AIDS, the end stage of HIV disease.
The time frame between infection with HIV and development of the array of
symptoms that represent AIDS varies from about 10 years to as short as
three to four years. This is due to availability and accessibility to drugs for
managing the syndrome.
People with AIDS often suffer infections of the intestinal tract, lungs, brain,
eyes and other organs, as well as debilitating weight loss, diarrhoea,
neurological conditions and cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma and
lymphomas.
Many scientists think that HIV causes AIDS by directly killing CD4 + T
cells and by triggering other events that weaken a person's immune function,
thus impairing a person's ability to fight other infections.
MODES OF HIV TRANSMISSION
There are four major ways that HIV can enter a person's bloodstream:
1. Sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal or oral);
5
2. Transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products, and
transplants of tissues and organs;
3. Use of contaminated needles, syringes, razors and other piercing
instruments. The risk of getting HIV through a needle stick is 1 in 300
if that needle had been used on a person who was infected with HIV.
Keep in mind that the risk increases with the frequency of needle
sticks (i.e. particularly where needles, syringes or sharp objects are reused
without sterilisation);
4. Mother-to-child transmission (in the womb, during birth or through
breastfeeding). The risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is
approximately 25 per cent. The risk decreases to less than 10 per cent
if the mother takes AZT during labour and delivery.
Other body fluids have been shown to contain HIV, but they do not contain
enough of the virus to infect a person. These fluids include saliva, tears and
sweat. Therefore, it is not dangerous to come in contact with these fluids of
an HIV-positive person.
HIV is NOT transmitted through:
• Hugging, touching or shaking hands;
• Mosquito bites or other insect bites;
• Sharing eating utensils or other objects;
• Toilets or showers;
• Coughing or sneezing;
• Swimming pools;
• Public phones;
• Sharing food or drinks;
• Kissing
HIV PREVENTION METHODS
HIV transmission can be prevented easily if a person knows how to change
high-risk behaviour. Following are some ways to prevent HIV infection:
1. Abstain from sexual relations
2. Be faithful to one sexual partner. Get to know your sexual partner and
talk about your sexual history. Go for an HIV test if there is a risk that
either you or your partner is infected. It is safe to have sex with only
one uninfected partner if that person is also uninfected and is not
having sex with anyone else.
6
3. Use latex condoms every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex if: -
You engage in casual sex; or - You and/or your partner have not been
tested for HIV
4. Seek medical treatment if you have a sexually transmitted infection
(STI).
5. Do not share needles, razors or other piercing instruments. If you are
forced to share such instruments, clean them with bleach and water
and not other "safe liquids" that beauty parlours claim to have.
6. See a doctor if you are pregnant and feel that you may be infected
with HIV.
7. Emphasise dual protection where feasible, particularly in `legalised'
polygamous settings.
HIV TEST
The HIV test shows if a person has produced antibodies to the human
immunodeficiency virus. It is usually a blood test, but in some places it is
possible for the test to measure antibodies in the tissue of the mouth or in
urine instead of blood.
It is important to note that even though HIV antibodies can be detected in
the saliva and in urine, the virus cannot be transmitted from one person to
another through saliva or urine. This is because there is not enough of the
virus in saliva or urine to infect people this way. HIV needs to be present in
very large quantities in order for a person to be infected. The only body
fluids that contain enough HIV to be infectious are blood, semen, pre-cum,
vaginal fluids and breast milk.
The HIV test does not detect the virus. It only detects the antibodies that the
person's body has produced to fight the virus.
HIV test can be done at designated hospitals and major medical laboratories.'
TYPES OF NIV TEST
In Nigeria, various types of HIV test are available:
1. ELISA
2. Rapid test
3. Western Blot
7
4. CAVIDI
The first test a person receives is either an ELISA or a rapid test. Both of
them need to be confirmed by another test if they come back positive.
An ELISA is normally confirmed by a Western Blot. But in special
circumstances another ELISA may confirm it. This can be done with the
same blood sample, so the person does not need to give blood again.
A rapid test is normally confirmed with an ELISA test. This cannot be done
with the same blood sample, so the person has to give blood again.
It can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks to get the result of a
test, depending on the type of test and the laboratory that is used to analyse
the result.
CAVIDI is a new inexpensive screening test that detects the reverse
transcription enzymes of the virus. The introduction of this test reduces the
window period to about 2 weeks.
UNDERSTANDING TEST RESULTS
A positive result means that:
A person has been infected with HIV and can infect others by exposing them
to infectious body fluids such as blood, semen, precum, vaginal fluids or
breast milk. All positive results are confirmed with another test, called a
confirmatory test.
A negative result can mean one of two things:
1. The person has not been infected with the HIV virus, or
2. The person could have been infected only within the last 3-6 months,
and the body has not yet developed antibodies. It is for this reason that
a negative result is not taken to mean a person has not been infected
until the test is repeated 6 months later. Even then, another negative
would be meaningful only if the person was not exposed to the
possibility of getting infected. During the waiting period the person
should avoid the risk of HIV infection and putting others at such risk.
An indeterminate result
8
An indeterminate result means that it is not possible to tell if the person has
been infected with HIV based on the test result. In other words, the result is
inconclusive. This does not occur very often, but it can happen to people
who:
• Have had multiple pregnancies or miscarriages;
• Have received multiple blood transfusions;
• Have recently received an organ transplant;
• Suffer from other autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or Grave's
disease;
• Suffer from kidney disease or are receiving dialysis treatment;
• Suffer from liver disorders;
• Suffer from some types of cancer.
People who get indeterminate results should be tested again in three months'
time, particularly if they engaged in high-risk activities. Those who are at
low risk of HIV infection may not need to be re-tested.
Remember that the HIV test does not test for AIDS A positive HIV test does
not mean that a person has AIDS. Only a doctor can make an AIDS
diagnosis based on T -cell levels and opportunistic infections.
THE WINDOW PERIOD
This is the time between the infection with HIV and the development of
antibodies. During this time the HIV test will be falsely negative because
HIV antibodies are not yet present in the blood even though the virus is. In
other words, the person is actually infected with HIV but the test will show
up negative.
It can take anything from 3 to 6 months for the antibodies to show up in the
blood. However almost all infected people - 99 per cent develop antibodies
within 3 months. Some testing sites now have more sophisticated tests that
are able to `shorten' the window period. In other words, they can detect
antibodies within a much shorter period of time - approximately 25 days
after infection.
Where this new test is not available, a person who has got a negative test
result and has recently engaged in risky activity should be tested again 3-6
months after the last time he/she engaged in risky behaviour. For instance, if
9
they had unprotected sex one month ago they should be tested again in 2-5
months' time.
The only way a person can be certain that he/she is not infected is if he/she
was tested at least 6 months after the risky event, and since which there has
not been any risky activity.
IMPORTANCE OF PRE- AND POST TEST COUNSELLING
Anyone who wishes to go for an HIV test should receive professional
counselling before and after the test.
Pre-test counselling helps to prepare the client for the HIV test, explains the
implications of different test results, and explores ways of coping with a
positive status. It also explores sexuality, relationships, risk behaviours and
HIV prevention.
Post-test counselling helps the person to understand and cope with the HIV
test result. This includes preparing the client for the result, giving the result,
and providing further information or referrals as required.
Counselling before and after the test is important because standard medical
procedure requires that a person gives informed consent before being tested.
Pre-test counselling gives the client the opportunity to get information and
support to make this decision.
HIV/AIDS AND SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Women, persons living with disabilities and children, as well as a number of
other groups and sub-groups in the society, by the nature of what they are or
do, present a special challenge in the matter of proper awareness on the
realities of HIV/AIDS. Such groups include the physically challenged i.e.
(the visually impaired, the deaf, the mentally retarded as well as the
physically handicapped persons), military, long distance drivers, commercial
sex workers, refugees (including internally displaced persons) and youths.
On account of this, it is up to all stakeholders involved in the fight against
10
HIV/AIDS such as the government, NGO’S, various associations of the
physically challenged persons such as the National Association for the Blind
NAB, to draw attention to the special problems of such special population
groups, with a view to ensuring that policies to address them are designed
and implemented. This is because strategies for most HIV/AIDS prevention
and control programmes are hampered by lack of considerations for special
populations.
The purpose of this section is to equip ourselves with the knowledge to
appreciate the wider implications of HIV/AIDS for different segments of the
society. Increased knowledge will give them the vital information to
appraise these programmes.
Organizations of physically challenged persons need to avail themselves
with current information and developments on issues bordering on the
HIV/AIDS with a view to educating their members. More of such
programmes as this one should be frequently organized and such
programmes must not be limited to only one geopolitical zone in the
country.
In addition, intellectual materials on HIV/AIDS should be reproduced in
formats that will be accessible to physically challenged persons especially
the visually impaired. Such materials for the visually impaired should be
available in Braille or produced in soft formats for those who are computer
literates.
Meanwhile, organizations of physically challenged persons should make
effective use of the mass media to further spread its campaigns to the loops
and corners of the country.
It is important to also acknowledge that in view of the general social
discriminations faced by physically challenged persons, if such persons
become unfortunate to contact the HIV/AIDS, convincing such persons to
accept such realities and pursue relevant counselling may be very difficult.
This is why it is very necessary for the society to avoid any forms of
discriminations against the physically challenged if we are to encourage
those living with the HIV/AIDS infections to feel accepted in the society.
However, if this stigmatization and discrimination against physically
challenged goes unchecked, we may be sending wrong signals to our brother
and sisters living with the HIV/AIDS infection and as such it will be
11
difficult to control the spread of the virus. Since we have acknowledged that
stigmatization and discrimination are very essential problems militating
against successful curtail of the disease, government, NGOs, all social
institutions including the educational sector must do all they can to stop
further discriminations and stigmatization of all physically challenged and
vulnerable groups.
Finally, let me draw the curtains on this lecture by advising our friends and
colleagues living with one form of disability to eschew all forms of moral
decadence and maintaining discipline and high sense of moral values in their
social lives. As we all know, abstinence and mutual fidelity are the best
principles which lovers or married couples must uphold. Similarly, it is my
hope that the various areas of concern touched by this paper will be noted by
all participants here present such that they do not fall victim to such
vulnerable practices like blood transfusion and sharing of sharp objects.
That one is physically challenged is no excuse to claim ignorance of the
reality of HIV/AIDS. Even the stack illiterates are now admitting the reality
of the disease. While the government and other stakeholders are doing their
best, we too should ensure that we stay alive by complying with useful
information which forums like this bring to our awareness.
Thank for listening.

CHALLENGES TO THE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF VISUALLY HANDICAPPED WOMEN IN NIGERIAN POLITICS

BY
Adebayo, Adebukola Shehu
Executive Director (Research and Programmes),
Political and Administrative Resource Centre (PARC), Ogba, Lagos.
Paper delivered at
A three-day workshop organized by the southwest cacus of the nigeria association of the
blind NAB on empowering disabled women for nationa building held Ijebu igbo, Ogun
state Nigeria on January, 2007.
CHALLENGES TO THE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF VISUALLY
HANDICAPPED WOMEN IN NIGERIAN POLITICS
Introduction

All protocurs observed.
I am delighted toahve this rear opportunity to share my humble views on the political
plight of visually impaired women in our dear country. But first, let me crave your
indulgence to allow me reframe this topic as Challenges to Effective Participation of
Visually Impaired Women in Nigerian Politics as against the original topic 'The Role of
Blind Women in Nigerian Politics' originally given to me. This modification becomes
inevitable in view of the realization of certain objective realities in Nigeria's socio-political,
economic and cultural historic and contemporary experiences.
We all know that Nigeria has not been able to transcend from her status of
underdevelopment since 1960 when she got her independence. Accordingly, this
protracted problem of under development has infected virtually all spheres of our national
life: social, political, economic and so on. As such, the reality of this assertion can be
vividly seen in the nature of the idea and practice of politics in Nigeria. The problem of
political underdevelopment has therefore made it difficult if not impossible for us to at
this stage of our political experience begin to talk about the identification of roles of such
a minority and 'heavily disadvantaged' section of the Nigerian population; the visually
impaired women in the Nigerian political system.
Indeed, my argument here is that it is only when effective participation has been
guaranteed that role ascription can be brought to the fore of our concern. As such, it will
be wise for us to rigorously explore all opportunities that will guarantee effective
participation for the visually impaired women.
My attempts in this paper have been to draw a general description of the state of Nigeria's
politics with particular concern on the issues of political participation. The paper also
discusses gender issues in Nigeria's politics with particular attention on providing
explanations on the level of women participation in the politics of the nation. Thereafter,
the nature of the visually impaired woman, peculiarities in her socio-political
predispositions, the political ecology offered by the Nigerian situation, as well as the
challenges therein are extensively discussed. This paper concludes with objective and
realistic recommendations on how effective participation can be guaranteed for the
visually impaired women in Nigeria's political system.
Evaluating Mass Participation in the Nigerian Politics
At independence, Nigeria had been fully initiated into the international cult of 'Capitalist
democracies.' This pattern of political and economic ideology and practice rested on the
pillars of contradictions. While capitalism favoured the enrichment of a few at the
expense of the majority, democracy pretended to politically empower the majority as
against the few. Unfortunately, the seemingly politically disempowered few who possess
economic powers controls virtually the entire means of livelyhood available in the
country. As such, inevitably, the majority must perpetually surrender their pretentious
political power to the few elites if their survival must be guaranteed. Accordingly, it will
be safe to then conclude that the minority elites only require the majority masses to
legitimize their economic and political supremacy since he who controls the means of
livelyhood controls life in its entirity.
The practicals of the domination of the masses by the elites have constantly played itself
out in Nigeria since independence till date. There is no gain-saying that the participation
of the masses in our politics over the years have been very marginal and insignificant.
First, we talk about the very long years of total political exclusion of the masses;
facilitated by decades of military rule; about 29 whole years out of our 47 years of
independence. Even the 18 cumulative years of democratic experience so far achieved is
one which has not only witnessed long intervals in between them, but one which also has
not lived upto expectation particularly in terms of the inclusion and empowerment of the
masses.
Even if we live history behind us; with the claims of not being experienced in the
democratic game particularly during the first and second republics, what about this
current dispensation when to claim ignorance of democratic awareness and enlightenment
will not be tolerated by nations like South Africa who was assisted by Nigeria to gain
political freedom, dismantling of aparthied rule and the attainment of majority rule or
popular democracy? Whereas, South Africa has successfully demonstrated democratic
maturity, first by the manner in which Nelson Mandela handed over power to Mbeki,
and second, the enthrenchment of popular democracy through the inclusion of the black
majority in the political space, Nigeria, particularly in this current democratic
dispensation has displayed an unpardonable low sense of democratic maturity and
development in all its ramifications.
It is known to all of us that our votes do not count and have never counted in all our so
called transitions either from military to civilian or from civilian to civilian; the first of
which was experienced in 2003 when this current regime renewed its mandate. Not only
are majority of the people strategically disenfranchised by the poor electoral process put
in place, the manipulation of votes by the elites also render the choice of the masses
powerless and less effective. Not only that, even when the government eventually gets to
power, the ability of the people to easily influence its decisions in whatever legal means
available is virtually destroyed and denied. The June 12, 1993 elections should still be
fresh in our memories. Similarly, in the over seven years of this current regime, apart
from the electoral fraud perpetuated in order to gain power, we all know that there has
been countless times or cases when very unpopular policies were kicked against by the
people but which the government persistently embarked upon.
Fellow compatriots, we need not fool ourselves. the level of popular political
participation in Nigeria is significantly low. In a political system where uncertainties
continue to prevail over the organization of credible elections, where the choice of the
people are rigged out of office in broad day light, and where the voice of the people is
ignored in the formulation and implementation of public policies, the questions that arise
from these negative issues are what then is left of participation? How else can citizens
participate in the political affairs of their country? Am sure we all have endless answers
to these questions. However, my own answer is already being manifested in the current
Niger Delta situation.
Gender Equality and Political Participation in Nigeria
Thank God, the problem is not as bad as to have no degree of inclusion in the political
process. What we have simply observed here is that the level of participation is
significantly low. However, inspite of that, some people are still involved. The question
then is who are the people involved? or to put it more strait, what percentage of men
compared to women are involved?
At this point, we must draw inference from our cultural background. In many traditional
societies in Africa, the feminine gender has been socially relegated. the roles ascribed to
women in the society is usually largely domestic: child bearing, house keeping and so on.
However, we do not deny the fact that women had also held very significant positions
and played very important social roles in their communities. Even in our early history,
great women like Moremi, Madam Tinubu, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Kuti, Mrs. HID
Awolowo, etc., have left remarkable impacts in the lives of those who lived during their
time. Few as they are, this women have become a source of inspiration for our
contemporary women fold who have been able to break the ginks by rising high to
positions hitherto seen as exclusive preserves for their male counterparts. The like of
Prof. Dura Akiyule, the NAFDAC chief executive, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala a
Wolrd Bank director and Nigeria's former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Dame Virgy Itiaba,
the Executive Governor of Anambra state among others have clearly demonstrated the
natural abilities of the feminine gender and a clear negation of our cultural role ascription
which domesticate the social roles and relevance of the feminine gender.
Certainly, we can not equate the degree of male political participation to that of the
females anywhere in the world. God Almighty Himself made it 'a man's world' when he
made our fore Father Adam dominant over all other creation including Eve his wife and
partner. Nonetheless, God has equally given the woman a degree of social, political and
economic libration; allowing her to aspire for the best opportunities within the scope of
the law and morality. What I mean to say here is that the law as it is in Nigeria allows
women equal political opportunities with their male counterparts. It is not known any
where in Nigeria's constitution where for instance, the position of the president is
reserved only for men. Or is there anywhere in our laws where women are denied the
right to vote? Not even in our religious books: the Quran and the Bible have I found any
laws stoping women from seeking any of these aspirations. We have earlier mentioned
our cultures and traditions and the negations which the past exceptional women have
demonstrated to such persieved cultural or traditional beliefs. What then is stoping our
women from equating the political imbalance? Why should women continue to rely on
international conventions like the Biegin Declaration to handout quotas of political
offices to them? Or are there certain factors hindering equal participation of women in
politics in Nigeria?
In my humble opinion, the answers to these questions are not farfetched. We should not
forget too soon the fact that popular political participation in Nigeria is significantly low.
We equally need to take cognisance of the fact that women are in the majority as far as
Nigeria's popullation is concerned; even though the current popullation figures reflect
that there are more men than women in Nigeria. Whether this is true or not remains a
contentious matter among scholars of demography. What this simply mean is that many
women are not able to effectively participate in Nigeria's political process. Also, we must
be told here that majority of these women belong to the lowest socio-economic cadre in
the country. This fact is confirmed by current Un statistics which show that more than
80% of Nigerian women live below poverty levels. In fact, women in Nigeria have been
included among the most vulnerable groups besides children and persons living with
disabilities. Our socio-economic structures have failed to give majority of Nigerian
women the much required empowerment that would have made it easy for them to equate
the prevailing political imbalance. Only a few of them barely manage to get up the
lather. It will be objective to also note that besides the prevailence of some cultural
beliefs which naturally discourage active female participation in politics, there is also a
lingering tendency of the lack of confidence within the women fold. Or else, why haven't
female political candidates become successful if truly the women constitute the majority
in our population? Moreover since democracy itself it a game of numbers.
The Socio-Political Predicaments of Women Living with Visual Disability
Who is a visually impaired person? Any one described as this is one whose sense of
sight is either totally lost or is functioning at less than average capacity and can not be
aided by any medical instruments. By implication therefore, any female adult who
possess this physical deformity can best be described as a visually impaired woman.
What makes the socio-political situation of a visually impaired woman so peculiar? I had
pointed out earlier on that persons living with disabilities have been classified among the
most vulnerable groups of persons in Nigeria and the world at large. Accordingly, since
visual impairment is inevitably a form of disability, it follows that persons who are
visually impaired can be regarded as vulnerable people. However, in the case where
women are also regarded as vulnerable, and where such a woman is at the same time
physically challenged, in plain language such a person's level of vulnerability is doubled.
This imply therefore, that visually impaired women in Nigeria like other women
suffering any other form of physical deformity are exposed to an alarming degree of
vulnerability within our social, political and economic environment.
You can not agree with me less that many of our visually impaired women are largely
low income earners. Majority of this category of individuals are virtually unemployed.
Very many others can't even afford basic and/or higher education. Most visually
impaired women in Nigeria perpetually continue to suffer acute social neglect and
discrimination that it has become very difficult if not impossible to establish an integrated
family institution. Typical of the psychophysical nature of the feminine gender, the
visually impaired women in Nigeria have been confined to a state of total loss of
confidence, hopelessness and socio-political apathy.
Even when some of them make spirited attempts to overcome these predicaments, they
are confronted with the larger problems of social discriminations against persons living
with disabilities and the persistent socio-economic dis-empowerment of women whether
physically challenged or not. Also, the vivid insensitivity of government and its policies
to the plight of this special citizens further compound their already worsened socio-political
situation.
We need not argue on the fact that one who suffers this degree of social neglect is
virtually politically ostracised. While battling with the challenges of gaining social
inclusion and obtaining economic empowerment, it will be very difficult if not
impossible to develop any interest let alone participate in any political activity. Our
incurable habit of political intimidation and violence have and is scaring away vulnerable
individuals like visually impaired women from the political process. In fact, you wont be
surprise if the cause of blindness (or any other form of physical deformity) to some
women and other people alike has been as a result of the rate of violence in our politics.
I am not in any way justifying the prevailing political apathy amongst our visually
impaired women. It is only pertinent that we identify those objective realities which have
and is still militating against their ability to feature prominently in the nation's political
process. Nonetheless, we do not mean to encourage them to resign to fate. We simply
need to raise their awareness to the existence of these issues with a view to enlightening
and reassuring them on the existence of certain possibilities and opportunities which can
facilitate a'clean-break away from the past.' As such, our visually impaired women
should see these problems as mere challenges which are indeed very surmountable.
How to Enhance Effective Participation
How can we turn these stumbling blocks to stepping stones? I ask this question because I
know that it will be an un-realizable dream to expect the larger society let alone
government to stand up to the problems of persons living with disabilities. As a member
of this constituency, it is my humble view that the solutions to these problems lie within
us. We are the ones who must rise up to these challenges by taking necessary steps that
will lead us to victory.
Accordingly, our visually impaired women must take their destiny in their own hands.
They must as a matter of fact wake up from their slumber and begin to realise that life for
a woman particularly in Nigeria; and by extention, the life of a physically challenged
woman or to put it more straitly, the life of a visually impaired woman is one dominated
by surmountible challenges. Only a woman with a dearing spirit, with an unrelenting
zeal, with a sustained self confidence, with a bold heart andmind, with a libral and
progressive orientation, and a woman with the determination to achieve who can face and
overcome these challenges. As such, the individual visually impaired woman in Nigeria
must be socially, politically, economically and psychologically 'born again;' her
orientation and perception of life, her socialising instincts as well as her intellectual and/or
creative abilities must be rediscovered, sharpened and properly utilized. This, if properly
done will reposition the personality of the individual visually impaired woman in the
Nigerian socio-political sphere of life. She will be adored, respected, appreciated,
acknowledged and given her rightful place in the Nigerian social setting.
Individually, at the community level, she must begin to demonstrate her interpreter and
leadership potentials. Her abilities of economic-productivity and wealth creation
instincts should be bravely exhibited. This will advance her independence and self
reliance within her community. She will be able to make meaningful material
contribution towards community development activities and as such gain prominence in
the midst of her able women contemporaries. This efforts will usher her into leadership
status in the community.
To gain a credible entrance into the leadership cadre of her community, she must begin
to lend her voice to community discussions; demonstrating a vastness and understanding
of socio-political and economic as well as cultural matters in the community. she needs
to place herself strategically at a vantage position through her views and opinions and
ensure objectivity in her judgements on community matters.
It is equally pertinent that she identifies and seek membership of relevant socio-political
cultural and economic groups within the community and play prominent roles in such
groups. As we can all understand, political parties are presently planting their roots in the
various local communities spread across the nation. The visually impaired woman
needs to identify with any of this political groupings - making her self a front-seater and
not a back-bencher.
I make these suggestions because of the realization of the need for our visually impaired
women to hatch themselves from the eggs of social and political apathy. In-spite of the
attempts by society to exclude us, we too must not resign to fate. individually, we must
prove to the world - frist, from our various communities, that we've got with it takes to
make a better change even than our abled counterparts.
While the individual visually impaired woman is busy at her community level, there is
also need for them to pull their social, political and economic resources together with
view to forming a collective forum through which their voices can be heard louder.
Certainly, the National Association for the Blind (NAB) offers such a forum. Only
collective might and efforts can successfully embark and take this kind of crutial crusade
beyound the community level. Your voices must be heard at other heo-political spheres
of our country: the local government, the 36 states of the federation, the six geopolitical
zones and the nation as a whole. Accordingly, staging more of these events across the
nation and adopting other pragmatic and realistic strategies is very necessary to keep the
nation awake and a life to the responsibilities it owes to visually impaired women.
organizations representing the interest of visually impaired women should identify and
promptly utilize all available legal means of communicating the plight of the visually
impaired women to relevant authorities in government and the society at large. Such
instruments should also be effectively used in monitoring compliance and seeking redress
in cases of default and betrayal.
Meanwhile, let me advise at this juncture, that, from personal experience, the general
public seem to be grossly lacking in awareness and enlightenment about the life and
plight of persons living with disabilities in general, and our visually impaired women in
particular. Accordingly, time is ripe for us to engage the print and electronic media,
educational institutions, religious bodies, relevant agencies of government and other
social institutions and saddle them with the task of massive rigorous public
enlightenment campaigns - showing the public not only the challenges posed by our
disabilities, but also the numerous abilities that lies therein. Such enlightenment
campaigns will necessarily emphasize the life and plight of our physically challenged
(and of course our visually impaired) women. To complement this effort, organizations
representing the interest of visually impaired women should also develop and effectively
circulate awareness creating publications to all levels of schools to further educate the
people on the life and plight of visually impaired women in Nigeria.
To further empower our visually impaired women, organizations representing their
interest should develop and implement in-house human resource development
programmes that will enhance socio-economic self reliance. Such programmes must be
all inclusive: offer literacy programmes for illiterate visually impaired women, offer
vocational training to those with very low educational background and provide them with
funding to effectively establish them, and, provide professional training programmes for
career persons and professionals so that they are abreast with current developments in
their various professions. . Don't ask me how to raise funds for these kind of projects.
We all know that there several cheerful givers out there who can support our programmes
if only as a mere show of sympathy. What is most important is for organizations of
persons living with disabilities to remain focused, articulate and organized if this kind of
opportunities are to be positively, progressively and productively harnessed.
Those in government must be a life to their responsibilities especially to persons living
with disabilities in general, and of course, our visually impaired women. The era of
paying lip-service to matters concerning the physically challenged especially their
women folds should be over. This is a proper medium to notify them that it will no
longer be 'business as usual' as everything will be done to ensure that proper attention is
given hence forth.
Concluding Remarks
Charity the say begins at home. Let me therefore reiterate to all our visually impaired
women here present and to all who may lay their hands on this presentation after this
event that no one, but you yourselves who can fight for your liberty; your fundamental
right to be included in the social process of this great nation and indeed, your right to
participate, without any form of discrimination, in Nigeria's political process. You all
must hatch yourselves from the eggs of social isolation, economic dependence, defeatist
tendencies and political intimidation. Your interest and involvement in the political
process must be vivid and sustained.
While those of you who have found their ways into the rank and file of the public service
and other private corporate organizations should begin to revolutionize public
perception of persons living with disabilities by demonstrating competence, creativity
and real productivity in your places of work and embarking on genuine social integration
at your domestic communities, let the rest of  who are self employed demonstrate to
the larger society that you are as relevant to the society's growth and development as any
other abled person.
I am totally convinsed that the visually impaired woman is a bundle of natural beauty.
So, go all out and embrace contemporary fashion though in a moderate and matured
manner. Let the visually impaired woman carry herself with utmost dignity and pride
while remaining humble in character. You must begin to demonstrate that you've got the
virtues of an original home-grown African woman.
Finally, these indeed are the keys that will help you open the doors to effective political
participation in Nigeria. Remember, it is only when you can and is actually participating
effectively that you can have well defined meaningful roles to play in the political
process of our great nation. Having roles with out participating is falacious and can only
remain in the imaginative realm. However, effective participation will inevitably
establish roles no matter how unpronounced it may be. The era of deceat by creating
ministries, agencies and departments in the structures of government so as to claim that
you have roles is useless where and when you can not effectively participate in making
decisions that affect your plights. But, when effective participation is guaranteed, then,
the slogan "nothing for us with out us" will make and objective and realistic meaning.
I thank you all for listening.