Lagos implores PWDs to collaborate with stakeholders for better living standards

Dare Dairo, the general manager for Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), has appealed to People living With Disabilities (PWDs) to collaborate with stakeholders willing to improve their living standards. 

He made the appeal on Monday during a policy dialogue for adoption of the local government disability framework.

The event was organised by Hope Inspired Foundation for Women and Youth with Disabilities (HIFWYD) in Ikeja.

Dairo said PWDs need to know what they want and demand for empowerment.

“There are basics that we need to do that needs improvement and as things get better, we need to learn how to articulate our needs because that is always the process of government all over the world,” he said.

“Because there is always the push and pull between government and the governed.

“We have seen it happen recently with labour and we have seen the present level of gender inclusion has been a lot of achievement.”

Janet Adekunle, executive director of HIFWYD, said while 20 states have developed and enacted laws to help PWDs, the laws have not been implemented at the LG level.

“At the national level, we do have a policy framework with persons with disabilities and it has been adopted in 20 states,” she said.

“The challenge is that, oftentimes, these policies are not cascaded down to the local government level and the majority of the women and youths with disabilities are more in touch with their local government level than state or federal level.

“It is important that we take actions and stakeholders should take up the baton and run with it, which will enable us to experience more progress in the coming years.”