The Nigerian Business Disability Network (NBDN) has emphasised the need to respect the rights of people with disability (PWD) in the workplace, saying this would uphold the country’s values of dignity, respect and generosity.
The Chairperson, NBDN, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, stated this at the Nigeria Diversity and Inclusion Conference, tagged: ‘Eliminating Barriers against Inclusive Workplaces in the Private Sector,’ held to commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day in Lagos.
Mrs Victor-Laniyan said, “as we set to drive the various agendas within our organisations, we must recognise persons with disabilities for who they are – effective agents of change whose contributions bring enormous benefits.
“We must better understand the importance of empowerment, accessibility, and equity in sustainable development.”
She further said that “we must foster collaboration with other businesses, civil society, disability communities, and international organisations. This is the role of the Nigerian Business Disability Community.”
In an interview with BONews Service, Olusola Owonikoko, the Executive Director, Project Enable Africa, explained that there is productivity in disability, and persons with disabilities add immense value to the national economy at the national level the company’s level and can influence the bottom line.
He asked for equal opportunity for PWDs, stressing that “discrimination is outdated, and I think we should see it as such. Let’s give persons with disability equal opportunity based on what they can do. And if we continue to do that, we will see that through diversity and inclusion, we can drive value collectively for ourselves as organisations and collectively for the organisation.
Regarding the NBDN, OWonikoko noted that the Network would provide a better platform where the private sector can collaborate and help one another drive disability inclusion, most especially in the workplace.