A non-governmental organisation, Aid Foundation, has trained service providers in public and private sectors and professional bodies on improving access to infrastructure, services for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Kaduna State.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr Emmanuel Bonet, said at the training in Kaduna on Thursday, that the goal was to ensure inclusive service delivery for PWDs in the state.
Bonet explained that the one-day training was supported by Christian Aid, with funding from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Officer, under the Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development project.
He said that the training, tagged, “PWDs Communication Skills for Effective Service Delivery”, was part of series of activities aimed at improving PWDs access to public infrastructure in Kaduna metropolis.
“The purpose of the training is to build collaboration with service providers in public and private sectors, as well as professional bodies, to address the inclusion challenges being faced by PWDs.
“Some of these challenges include difficulty in accessing public and private infrastructure and other critical services like health and education among others.
“We are already collaborating with the Kaduna State Facility Management Agency and Ministry of Human Services and Social Development to improve PWDs access in some government buildings,” he said.
The Executive Director, Aid Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Bonet (left) addressing participants at the training on PWDs inclusion in Kaduna.
The executive director said it was necessary to incorporate the private service providers and professional bodies to cushion the gap and facilitate the institutionalisation of the initiative.
He commended Christian Aid and the Kaduna State government for supporting the efforts, which he described as “crucial” to leaving no one behind.
Mrs Victoria Adesina, Principal, Demonstration School for Deaf Children, Kaduna, commended Aid Foundation for creating the needed awareness on the plight of the PWDs and mobilising stakeholders to do something about it.
According to her, the PWDs such as the visually impaired, hearing impaired, physically challenged, and intellectually challenged live among us.
“The society needs to be aware of their existence and ensure that they have access to all public facilities and services as a right.”
Mr Suleiman Abdulazeez, Chairman, Join National Association of Person with Disabilities, Kaduna State Chapter, described the initiative as “commendable”, stressing that PWDs must be considered in all public service delivery.
Abdulazeez said that accessing public infrastructure and facilities would significantly ease the pains of PWDs and give them a sense of belonging.
Some of the participants at the event include representatives from the banking sector, telecommunication, security Kaduna Electric and government parastatals.
Others are service providers from petrol filling stations, shopping malls, and professional bodies such as Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors amongst others.
The Christian Association of Nigeria and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam were also represented at the meeting.
