Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 5 Abuja has promised to
join the advocacy to ensure accessible aviation for persons with
disabilities.
The promise was made during Centre for Ability, Rehabilitation and
Empowerment (CARE) advocacy visit to NTA arena in Abuja recently
to promote access to aviation by persons with disabilities.
The General Manager, NTA Channel 5, Abuja, Mr. Paul Atte while
responding to the presentation of the group said that they are solution
minded in their project. He appreciated CARE for a wonderful initiative
and eulogized Dr. Chike for not given up after his accident and he is
making a different not only in the lives of persons with disabilities but
society at large. He pledged to work with CARE by developing a
program that will further enlighten the public on what CARE is doing.
“There is need for the society to know more about PWDs, the society
should appear more on the problem solving instead of adding to the
problem”.
Earlier, the Executive Director/Founder Center for Ability Rehabilitation
and Empowerment, Dr. Chike Okogwu during his speech during the
advocacy visit of CARE Nigeria to NTA Channel 5 Abuja stated that the
organization was established to bring succor and restore the dignity of
Persons with Disabilities.
Dr Okogwu narrated his personal story on how he survived a car crash
on the 15 December 2006 that left him paraplegic from waist down on
his way to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja. He
stated that disability can happen to anybody at some point in life even
in old age.
He appealed to the NTA Abuja Channel 5 team to join the advocacy to
lend their advocacy voice to the rights of persons with disabilities in
Nigeria.
He commended President Mohammadu Buhari for assenting to the bill
in establishing the rights and protection of persons with disabilities for
the first time in the history of Nigeria.
He said that CARE was founded to frame the focus on the solutions
rather than the problems facing PWDs, and in crying out and pleading
for the solutions, “Oxfam came to our rescue through the Voice in
Nigeria project. And with that, within the past one year, a lot of
interventions have been accomplished.”
In Nigeria, persons with disabilities don’t need to buy an extra ticket
to fly. Before now a PWD needed an extra ticket which would pressure
the pockets of persons with disabilities.”
“Currently there is a disability desk at the Abuja Airport, which is run
by the organization. And further to that, all NCAA and FAAN have
made specific waiting areas, which is also like a disability desk at all
Nigerian airports.
At the Abuja airport, there are stair climber wheelchairs and ambi lift
that rises to the height of the aircraft to lift and carry PWDs into the
aircraft and sign language interpreters to guide and assist PWDs.”
He also agreed with NTA Channel 5 for a program to be developed in
order to create more awareness about the provision already made
available at the airport for persons with disabilities.
CARE team also offered to train the staff of NTA Channel 5 on the
right terminologies to use while referring to persons with disabilities.