By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
The National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPWD) and other stakeholders on Wednesday converge on Abuja to validate the National Accessibility Standard Code to make movements of persons with disability into facilities easy.
The Executive Secretary of NCPWD, Mr James Lalu, in his address at the meeting said the commitment of the commission to the implementation of the National Accessibility Standard Code document was total.
Lalu explained that the commission had drafted otter policy documents that would make life easy for the disability community.
“We are just waiting for the National Accessibility Standard Code document, so that we can join them together and present to the National Executive Council for approval.
“After the approval, and we print and distribute the documents, there would be no room for excuses. If you have a facility that is not disability friendly, then get ready to start paying fines.
“We are ready to ensure high level of compliance in all primary schools in the country.
“However, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Federal Ministry of Works and Housing are also ready to facilitate the effective implementation of the Accessibility Standard Code through trainings.
“We are 100 per cent sure of effective implementation, because, there would be trainings for all Federal Controllers of Works and Housing across the country,” Lalu said.
The NCPWD boss maintained that the next step would be the inculcation of the Accessibility Standard Code in the curriculum for engineering course in the higher institution of learning.
He stressed that the commission would want to see where universities would graduate experts on accessibility, so that they could also bring their expertise in building facilities.
“The NCPWD remains open to all stakeholders to collaborate so that we can jointly push forward issues concerning the disability community to ensure they are carried along,” he said.
Similarly, Dr Sunday Isiyaku, the Country Director of SSI, represented by Razak Adekoya, said working with the Commission on the Accessibility Standard Code was something of joy and pride to his organisation.
“We hope that at the end of the two day, we will have a better document than what the committee compiled earlier,” he said.
Speaking, Mr Jake Epelle, the Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of Albino Foundation saluted Lalu for his effort in moving the Commission forward.
“However, the National Accessibility Standard Code is a very important document that we will validate. We will ensure the effective implementation of the document”.
Meanwhile, Mr Abdullahi Usman, the National President of Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) said accessibility is very important.
Usman, represented by the National Vice President of JONAPWD, Mr Adamu Shuaiu explained that before now, private sector were operating without standard code.
” But with the emergence of this meeting, when it is agreed, there will a form of uniformity that both public and private sector would have a standard document that would guide them”.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it is expected that after the two days meeting, a National Accessibility Standard Code document would be produced and when approved, all organisations would ensure compliance.
This would go a long way to make it easy for persons with disability to gain access to both public and private facilities or buildings across the country.(NAN)