Years after the Special Peoples Law was signed to create an inclusive society for people living with disabilities, findings showed that the Lagos State Government has not fully implemented its policy on access to public facilities.
reports on how PLWDs face mobility challenges, especially when it comes to accessing pedestrian bridges built across major arteriesthis sunny afternoon in January, the stretch of the Lagos-Apapa Expressway, towards the Third Mainland Bridge, wore its usual busy look and people could be seen hurrying to their respective destinations amid blaring vehicle horns.
In a metropolitan city like Lagos with all its accompanying chaos, commuting is already a herculean task for residents, and for people living with disabilities, it could be a repertoire of ugly experiences. In a fast-paced city like Lagos, they are faced with a double-jeopardy-like situation, where they are either left at the mercy of intolerant drivers while attempting to cross roads or struggle to climb pedestrian bridges that lack assistive features.The Centres for Disease Prevention and Control defined disability as any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for a person with the condition to carry out certain activities and interact with the world around them.
The World Bank further revealed that one per cent experience difficulty or could not function at all in at least one domain. At birth, she had very good vital signs and as a toddler and played heartily with other children until she suddenly developed the medical condition at 11 years.The young lady recalled that in 2010, she started experiencing serious discomfort while walking, but assumed it was a regular pain that would go away with time.
Aderonmu said she never returned to the medical facility and that unknown to her, that singular visit would turn out to be the first of many to come. With a wry smile, she said, “Now that I use a wheelchair, I just avoid pedestrian bridges. I can’t make use of public means of transportation because they are inaccessible. I prefer to go out in private vehicles or use cab-hailing services and this comes with high financial implications because even though I stay in Ogun State, most of my activities take place in Lagos.
“Most times, I rely on my children to commute. Without them, I can’t go out. Mobility becomes more difficult when school is in session because I have to go out alone. During such times, I make special arrangements with a tricycle operator to take me to the other side of the road since I can’t cross or use the pedestrian bridge unassisted. In several instances, my request gets turned down. That is how hard my life has been for a long time now.
Though concerns have been raised in various quarters about the refusal of people to use pedestrian bridges, PLWDs activists maintain that they should be provided irrespective, and constructed in such a way as to make mobility stress-free.While some pedestrian bridges can be accessed by wheelchair users, some PLWDs that depend on crutches for mobility lamented that they are too dangerous for them.
Ihuoma called on relevant government agencies to ensure that access routes were included during the construction of public facilities for easy mobility as provided for in the Persons with Disabilities Act. The law states that persons living with disabilities shall have the right and necessary facilities to access public buildings and public places.
He did not respond to calls and a text message sent to him by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.Meanwhile, Lagos is not the only state that has failed to respect the rights of PLWDs. “Road sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and all other special facilities as set out in the First Schedule made for public use shall be made accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities including those on wheelchairs and the visually impaired.”
Article nine of the convention, which centres on ‘accessibility’ states that countries shall help persons with disabilities live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life by eliminating barriers to accessibility that could include transportation and access to indoor and outdoor facilities.
“We are witnessing these cases where more people are being amputated, many people are losing their sight, and we have many of our compatriots joining us daily due to the realities around us. We have the number rising daily, and we do not know who will join our group next,” he said. Continuing, she said, “It is discriminatory because a lot of PLWDs contribute to the economy, whether formal or informal. Apart from that, they are also citizens and so, have every right to access every public structure. It is discriminatory to exclude them. It is not even supposed to be heard of.”discovered that many states in Nigeria are yet to domesticate the PLWD Act.
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