The People with Disabilities (PWDs) have voiced their distress regarding the soaring cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and general hardship prevailing in the country.
In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, the PWDs highlighted their concerns.
Simultaneously, the Nigerian Labour Congress and allied unions staged a nationwide protest on Tuesday to draw attention to the prevailing economic challenges across the nation.
The letter, signed by Jake Epelle, the Convener of Disability Inclusion Nigeria, emphasized that the current economic turmoil was exacerbating the plight of PWDs.
“We write to express our deep concern for the welfare of all Nigerians and our profound alarm at the devastating impact of the current economic situation on the most vulnerable members of our society, particularly persons with disabilities,” Epelle stated.
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He pointed out that the steep rise in inflation had significantly diminished the purchasing power of Nigerians, hindering access to essential services such as healthcare, education, transportation, and food, thereby plunging many Nigerians into deeper poverty and despair.
Epelle stressed that PWDs were disproportionately affected by these challenges, given the existing societal and infrastructural barriers they already face.
Epelle proposed a comprehensive and inclusive approach to address the economic challenges, suggesting the inclusion of PWDs in existing committees or the establishment of a dedicated committee comprising representatives from the disability community to investigate and tackle the specific challenges faced by Nigerians amidst the economic downturn.
Furthermore, he recommended various inclusive interventions that the Federal Government could undertake to support all Nigerians, particularly those with disabilities.
These include the establishment of food banks and stamps, support for inclusive education initiatives, development of affordable transportation infrastructure, implementation of skills development programs tailored to PWDs, creation of incentives for inclusive employment practices, and tax breaks for manufacturers of assistive technologies.
The letter concluded by urging the government to regularly assess the effectiveness of these interventions in addressing the needs of PWDs and the broader population.
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