Disablism

By Ibrahim Abdullahi

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, commemorates the 32nd International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebration worldwide.

On this very special day, several celebrations of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities will take place in different parts of the world, making it a worldwide event. 

However, for others, it is a historic occasion. This may be the first time they celebrate the day; this could be because they have recently joined the community of people with disabilities due to illness, accident, or other reasons.

 Many thanks to former Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari and the individuals involved in the tireless and backbreaking efforts to pass and implement the Disability Bill into Law 2018, which has never been in Nigeria’s history since its independence.

I want to remind us that DISABILITY is not a curse or disease. It is a condition that can be rehabilitated depending on the type of disability one is struggling with. There is always ability in disability. We should not be discouraged!

Thanks to those who, in some way, took time to celebrate with us and the good people of Nigeria and Africa in general for witnessing this special day with us. 

The world stands still for us to salute our courage and fortitude to triumph over challenges we overcame and the ones coming our way. The world celebrates our abilities despite our disabilities.

We live in a world where change has become a constant basis of our individual and collective societies. In this advanced technological modern period, technological wonders appear at regular intervals, and our lives as members of particular societies regarding persons with disabilities are clearly different from those of those without disabilities. This requires inclusion to reshape our community. 

Ending discrimination, injustice, and humiliation against people with disabilities is essential. We should embrace diversity in all its forms. Tolerance and accepting our differences are important; we must be recognized as humans. Let us unite to improve our society, Nigeria. Some scholars say that everyone is disabled in one way or another, and I agree. 

Happy International Day of Persons with Disability, everyone. 

Ibrahim Abdullahi can be contacted via ibrahimbsw23@gmail.com.

By Fatimat Ibrahim Abedoh,

In 2022, Crystal Asige, a visually impaired woman, was nominated to the 4th Senate in Kenya’s 13th Parliament to represent people with disabilities and special interest groups. Picked by the Orange Democratic Party (ODM), she was sworn in alongside 66 other Senators on September 8, 2022. 

Despite her disability, Asige was seen for her potential and allowed to thrive, becoming a role model for many in similar circumstances. She has been excelling ever since. In contrast, Nigeria has a significant population of about 35 million people with disabilities, yet they are still mistreated, shunned, and disregarded. 

No public space, transit system, or infrastructure in Nigeria is designed with PWDs in mind, reflecting the height of their struggles. It is no secret that life in Nigeria is challenging, but for PWDs, it is twice as difficult.

PWDs in Nigeria face numerous challenges and barriers to full inclusion and participation in society, issues that are not discussed enough. Individuals, private organisations, and public institutions are often unwelcoming, making it difficult for PWDs to thrive in all aspects of life. 

This lack of accessibility constrains their potential and strips them of the platform to live and contribute meaningfully to society—whether in education, politics, employment, or social activities.

Their fundamental human rights are severely violated, as being disabled often equates to being treated as less than human. This is why many PWDs resort to begging for survival. But they need more than a pity party; they deserve respect and inclusion.

Recently, a PWD faced discrimination at an eatery. Adebola Daniel, son of former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, recounted his humiliating experience at the KFC outlet in the Murtala Muhammed Airport via his X handle (@DebolaDaniel). A wheelchair user, Daniel described the incident as the worst public humiliation he had ever faced. 

He explained that due to the out-of-service lift to the airport lounge, he decided to wait at the KFC outlet with his wife and three brothers. However, this simple choice turned into a “colossal mistake,” as he put it.

His tweets partly read: “Being disabled often rolls over my spirit, leaving behind a trail of shattered dignity and forgotten humanity. Nowhere more so than in Nigeria. To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome, and unaccepted… Today, I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand, KFC, at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable.”

Daniel’s case gained public attention, mainly because of his family background, prompting the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to shut down the outlet and demand an apology. But what about the millions of other PWDs who have faced similar or worse situations? Who listens to them, and who takes action on their behalf?

Since Asige entered the Senate in Kenya, she has been able to sponsor three bills that the Kenyan government has enforced, all tailored to the interests and welfare of persons with disabilities. These are the Persons with Disabilities Bill 2023, the Kenyan Sign Language Bill 2023, and the Startup Bill 2022. 

She continues to work in the interest of Kenyan youths and those across Africa. In Nigeria, former President Muhammadu Buhari passed the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act into law in 2018. Yet, six years later, it has not been fully implemented.

Adequate funding for education, assistive technology, and other essential resources for PWDs is urgently needed. Nigeria practices representative democracy, and PWDs deserve to be heard, seen and listened to. They need representation in the Senate or the House of Representatives to amplify their voices. 

PWDs are capable of much more than their disabilities, and no one can represent them better than one of their own.

Fatimat Ibrahim Abedoh is a fellow at PR Nigeria’s Young Communication Fellowship.

By Khairat Suleiman Jaruma

Halima is in her teens, tall and pretty. She had a charming smile. All through the chat, she participated actively, and I liked her for that. Halima has hearing loss, and she is mute. We had a conversation on menstrual hygiene at her school.

At the end of the chat, Halima volunteered to give a vote of thanks on behalf of the school. She said in sign language, “thank you for coming to talk to us about menstrual hygiene. We really appreciate it. When we make some of the mistakes you mentioned, we get mocked because we are mute, and most people don’t care about how we feel because they don’t think we have a place in the society”.

I felt my heart break. I fought back the tears that welled up at the back of my eyes. Then I remembered another encounter with a mute gentleman in Abuja recently. He also mentioned that most people in our society mock people who are mute and have hearing loss and other disabilities.

None of what both of them said was false. Instead, what these people experience is called disablism. It is the discriminatory, oppressive, abusive behaviour arising from the belief that disabled people are inferior to others.

In our society, persons with disabilities face stigma and discrimination in the form of negative attitudes among family and community members, name-calling, and wrong beliefs about the causes of disabilities, which results in low self-esteem, depression, and isolation.

According to the World Bank assessment, 29 million Nigerians have a disability, representing 15 per cent of the estimated national population of 195 million in 2018. Unfortunately, a vast number of this population live in abject poverty and are unemployed and uneducated due to stigmatization and lack of inclusion.

Most of the schools for children with special needs are in horrible shape. Parents with children with disability think educating a disabled child is not a profitable venture and can only help the child by keeping the child at home away from stigmatization. According to the National President, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Ms Ekaite Umoh, only two per cent of the people with disabilities had formal education.

In our hospitals, we don’t have provisions for people with disabilities. Patients with intellectual disabilities, e.g. deaf and hard of hearing persons, are disrespected when they complain of any health challenge. Their condition makes it hard for them to discuss their problems with doctors holistically, and several hospitals lack the facilities to ensure equal treatment of all patients.

Perry (2018) asserts that doctors find it hard to believe patients diagnosed with an intellectual disability. Accordingly, medical workers are fond of carelessly assuming that persons with intellectual disabilities fake symptoms and illnesses. This can infuriate patients who have a hard time discussing their conditions and cause the medical staff to demand psychiatric evaluations of the patient. Unfortunately, patients with disability are readily judged as mentally imbalanced when visiting hospitals for treatment or diagnosis (Ayub and Rasaki 283).

Regrettably, at some point in our lives, we all experience one or more forms of disability, at our young age or due to old age, accident or illness. That is why I feel we must take people with disability into consideration and create a society that provides the unique support they need to meet their particular needs, as we would also be beneficiaries of this support in the long run.

Remember that disability is a condition that could happen to anyone, and conditions are not curable. Such conditions can only be managed. So let’s create a system and environment that manages disabilities and optimizes the potential of people with disability. 

Khairat Suleiman Jaruma wrote from Kaduna via khairatsuleh@gmail.com.