The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has asked that the federal government prioritizes Persons with Disabilities, PWDs in the first groups of public vaccination, noting that PWDs in Nigeria are highly discriminated against by State and non-State institutions in particular healthcare service providers.
CCD in a press statement signed by its Executive Director, David Anyaele, made the call on the hinge of the exclusion of PWDs among the prioritizing groups to be vaccinated.
CCD noted that its worries are “premised on the fact that PWDs are more likely susceptible to contact COVID bearing in mind their inability to operate independently in most time hence the need to be given topmost priority in vaccination exercise.”
CCD thereafter called on the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and the States Task Force on COVID-19 to “ensure the venues for vaccinations are accessible to persons with disabilities in line with Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018. PWD must suffer further disability in their efforts to get vaccinated as more than 95% of public infrastructures are not accessible to citizens with disabilities
“All Covid-19 vaccination information, education, and communication materials should be accessible to all. Where there is a video material, we request that such material has a sign language interpreter inserted on the video, and audio advert must ensure that all information is pronounced for the benefit of the deaf and blind citizens, the process should be communicated inaccessible manner to all persons with disabilities.”
The Premier organization of, and for PWDs stressed that No one should be left behind in the distribution and administration of Covid-19 vaccination by reason of his or her disability.”