Recall that last year Persons living with disability staged a mini rally in Abuja appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to further demonstrate his love for them by immediately signing into law the National Persons with Disability bill recently passed into law by the National Assembly.
More than 15% of the country’s total population representing 25 millions of people are physically disabled in Nigeria, hence the Disability Bill into the law became necessity for the federal government.
Worthwhile to mention that larger percent of public facilities and infrastructures in Nigeria are inaccessible to persons with disabilities, hence government institutions design their programmes and activities at the exclusion of persons with disabilities.
Therefore, it becomes imperative that the public is aware of what the bill contained and importance of creating equal opportunities for person living with disability. Here are the ten things to know about Disability Bill:
- The Act prohibits all forms of discrimination against persons with disability. If an individual is found violating this law, he/she will pay a fine of N100, 000 or a term of six months imprisonment. The law imposes a fine of one million naira on corporate bodies.
- Discrimination against such persons is prohibited in public transportation facilities and service providers are to make provision for the physically, visually and hearing impaired and all persons howsoever challenged. This applies to seaports, railways and airport facilities.
- The rights and privileges of persons with disability include education, health care, priority in accommodation and emergencies.
- All public organisations are to reserve at least five per cent of employment opportunities for these persons.
- The Act gives citizens with disabilities the right to file a lawsuit for damage against any defaulter.
- It provides for a five-year transitional period within which public buildings, structures or automobile are to be modified to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including those on wheelchairs.
- Before a public structure is constructed, its plans shall be inspected by relevant authorities to ensure that the plan conforms to the building code.
- A government or government agency, body or individual responsible for the approval of building plans shall not approve the plan of a public building if the plan does not make provision for accessibility facilities in line with the building code.
- An officer who approves or directs the approval of a building plan that contravenes the building code, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of at least N1,000,000 or a term of imprisonment of two years or both.
- In Section 31 of the Act, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities will be established and an Executive Secretary will be appointed as the head of the commission.