Sightsavers Nigeria, a non-governmental disability rights organization, is leveraging art to promote inclusion and accessibility of persons with disabilities on a global stage.
The organisation at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, unveiled a mural created by a Nigerian artist, Beautify Earth, Oyedele Ella, who is also a person with hearing impairment to raise awareness on the struggles and potential of young persons with disabilities.
Country Advocacy Coordinator, Sightsavers’ Esther Bature, disclosed that the artwork will be featured at the 79th United Nations General Assembly's "Summit of the Future" in New York adding that the aim is to highlight the need for greater inclusion in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.
She explained that the mural is part of a global initiative spanning several countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and the United States, to amplify the voices of young persons with disabilities.
According to Bature, the mural represents the hopes and challenges faced by persons with disabilities. It serves as a visual reminder to world leaders that their voices deserve to be heard and their rights protected,”
She said, “Every year during the UN General Assembly, we try to call attention to the plight of persons with disabilities because we know that world leaders will be there to deliberate on critical issues.
“And for this year, which is the 79th UN General Assembly, there's going to be a summit of the future that looks at how well we have implemented the 17 SDG goals, and how inclusive have these goals been in implementation, especially in Nigeria, not forgetting the promise of the SDG to leave no one behind.
“This mural is an attempt to draw more attention to the voices and the plight of young persons with disabilities. Nigeria is not the only country that painted the mural. We also have an artist that painted in Senegal, Kenya, New York, and some other countries.
“And this will be showcased at the summit of the future at the UN General Assembly. For Nigeria, we are focusing on the voices of young persons with disabilities. We believe that young persons with disabilities have a lot to bring to the table.
“If giving a space on the table to be a part of critical conversations that has to do with them, we also believe that if they are given the opportunity for their voices to be heard, they will make meaningful contribution in nation building and the burden of, you know, destitution in the country will be greatly reduced.
“So we painted this mural to draw attention to the fact that there's going to be a summit of the future at the UN General Assembly and also for the voices of young persons with disabilities to be heard.
“That's the reason why we painted the mural. We have a lot of policies. The SDGs themselves. When we talk about SDG, SDG1 talks about zero hunger. SDG3 talks about health, for all. SDG4 talks about education. But when you go to schools, the schools are not inclusive. Instead, they are looking at doing special schools.
“Persons with disabilities attend special schools. They are comfortable. But when they graduate, how do they integrate into the community? So we are pushing for the implementation of the SDG4 that talks about education, for all.
“There's also another SDG that talks about equal opportunity, for all. And I believe when they say all, all means all, including persons with disabilities. But how confident are our employers?
“Are the young persons with disabilities given the chance to compete favorably with peers that do not have disabilities? So we would like to see the SDGs implemented as they should be. Also, we have policies in the country that talk about the inclusive education policy.
“We talk about inclusive health. We also have a national accessibility regulation that needs to make public spaces accessible for persons with disabilities. Because the first barrier is accessibility.”
Also speaking Secretary of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Chris Agbo emphasized the importance of reminding duty bearers and the public about the rights of persons with disabilities during a recent event.
"It's important that we use this opportunity to remind the duty bearers and the public about the right of persons with disabilities to accept some of these services," Agbo stated.
He highlighted the key rights to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, stressing that "access to opportunities is one of the greatest challenges that persons with disabilities are facing."
Agbo further elaborated on societal barriers, particularly in relation to physical infrastructure, noting that “access to physical infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges that persons with disabilities have." He pointed out the need for accessible schools.
He said, "if the schools are not accessible, persons with disabilities will find it difficult to actually go to school."
He also underlined the importance of infrastructure for employment, stating “if they find it difficult to access public infrastructure, it becomes so difficult for them to actually earn their living and compete in equal business with others.” The mural featured at the event, he added, visually reinforces these issues: “when you look at that painting, it speaks a lot.”
(ABUJA INQUIRER NEWSPAPER)