Association urges Anambra to support persons with disabilities
The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra state chapter, on Tuesday, urged the state government to offer palliatives to the group, which is the worst hit by the COVID-19 lockdown order in the state.
Mr. Ifeanyi Igwegbe, spokesperson of JONAPWD, stated in Awka that 95 per cent of Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) have resorted to begging for survival because they were unemployed.
Igwegbe therefore, urged the state government to include the PWDs in its stimulus package in the form of food items and cash assistance to cushion the harsh impact of COVID-19 lockdown on them.
“We heard that Governor Willie Obiano has been distributing bags of rice to the elderly from 70 and above in all 181 communities in the state to assist them.
“We appeal that he extends same generosity to us to alleviate our sufferings,” Igwegbe said.
He explained that the PWDs had become vulnerable because most of the places they went to alms such as churches, markets and some other organisations were under lockdown.
“Some of our members who are into soap and shoe -making as well as other skills acquisition programmes are now staying at home with no means to even feed,” he said.
Igwegbe said that the COVID-19 posed serious threat to PWDs, especially the visually impaired persons and persons on wheelchair who relied on caregivers or guides for mobility and work.
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“We, the PWDs are more susceptible to COVID-19 because this social distancing order is not easy for us to adhere to. Most of the PWDs are largely dependent on other people to help us move around and get things done.
“Many people may be reluctant to provide help due to fear of contracting the disease as the coronavirus is highly contagious,” he said.
Igwegbe urged the state government to also use charts, infographics or sign language jingles to communicate COVID-19 related information to the hearing impaired.
He said it would be good to make COVID-19 related information accessible in audio-formats and braille for the visually impaired people to understand better.
