Chima Azubuike
Some Persons Living With Disabilities in Gombe State have decried the lack of universally acceptable wheelchairs and standard toilets, distance from the arrival and departure to aircraft, as some of the impeding factors affecting their access at the Gombe airport.
Our correspondent reports that the accessibility of Nigerian Airports to PWDs sensitisation was organised by a Coalition of Disability Organisations in conjunction with the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria, the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities and Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative with support from the Disability Rights Fund Project.
The PWDs also urged the State Government to domesticate the National Disability Rights Act, to provide them enabling environment to operate.
Speaking, the State Chairperson and National Women Leader for People with Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria, Fatima Yakubu, decried the challenges some of her members face in accessing airport facilities.
She said, “The problem we face in Gombe airport is the distance from the departure to the aircraft. Secondly, some aircraft are not compliant with the needs of persons with disabilities. They also lack adequate wheelchairs.”
While calling for prompt domestication of the Disability Rights Act, Yakubu added, “We are pleading with the government to come to our aid by domesticating the National Disability law in Gombe State. The law is important for our well-being.”
Also, the National Chairman of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria, Abdulwahab Matepo laments the challenges members faced embarking on aircraft.
“Given the insecurity on our roads, we also want to avoid some of the security challenges. Travelling by air is very problematic for people with disabilities that was how we conducted a result on what experiences our people have been going through then look at facilities they have for PWD,” Matepo said.
He disclosed that they conducted research in six geopolitical zones and in seven airports, adding that they discovered that the challenges PWDs battled with should be eased.
Matepo said, “Gombe airport has limited facilities because it is still a state government facility, if it were Federal Government, the facility would have been of higher status.
They should provide universally acceptable wheelchairs because as one with (spinal cord) disability, I can’t crawl as one with some induced by polio would, I will need a wheelchair that I can open from the side and slide.”
He added that, “Gombe is one of the 16 states yet to domesticate the national law on disability. I want to believe the state has a lot of people with disability. We need the law domesticated so that the PLWDs can have a sense of belonging.”
On his part, the Vice Chairman Joint Association of Persons With Disabilities, Bala Zana called on Governor Muhammadu Yahaya to expedite the domestication of the National Disability Rights Act.
Zana said, “I want to call on the Gombe state government to domesticate the law for the protection of those living with disabilities. He should consider the domestication of the necessary laws to grant us relieve.”
