DISABILITY RIGHT FUND PROJECT

In 2021,  Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI), in partnership with the Center for Citizens with Disabilities and the Spinal Cord Injured Association of Nigeria with support from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), carried out a series of successful activities and programs aimed at improving the accessibility of  airports to  persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria.

Some of the key activities carried out during the phase one of the project includes a safeguarding workshop for coalition partners .This meeting was held at the CCD office headquarters in Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

In addition to this meeting, the Coalition of disability organizations (CODO) which is made of CCD, HAPI, and SCAIN trained field researchers to carry out a survey on accessible airports to PWDs. This training was conducted via Zoom and equipped researchers with the tools they needed to collect accurate and reliable data.

The coalition also Following the survey,  held a validation of the assessment on accessible airports for persons with disabilities in Nigeria. This event, held on February 15th, 2022 at the Custonian Hotel in FCT Abuja, was an opportunity for stakeholders to review and provide feedback on the survey findings.

The Coalition  also worked to raise awareness of the issues faced by PWDs when accessing airports by conducting sensitization campaigns for airline operators airport officials in Nigeria. These campaigns were held at the Elomaz Hotel in Lagos state and focused on the need to ensure that airports are accessible to all.

To drive policy change, CODO undertook an advocacy visit to ministries and key stakeholders to compel relevant institutions to conform with the National Disability Act, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11), and Nigeria’s government commitments at the Global Disability Summit in 2018.

To reach a wider audience, CODO designed jingles and aired them on radio stations such as Beat FM 97.9 and The Nation radio station. These jingles aimed to raise awareness about the importance of accessibility at airports for PWDs.

Finally, CODO conducted sensitization campaigns for airport officials and PWDs in Akwa-Ibom state. These campaigns, held at the Eemjem Hotel in Uyo, focused on educating participants on the National Disability Act 2018 and the CRPD, as well as the need for accessible airports for PWDs.

In conclusion, the accessible airport project with support from the Disability Rights Fund was instrumental in driving policy change and raising awareness about the need for accessible airports for PWDs in Nigeria. These initiatives demonstrate the importance of collaboration and the power of advocacy in creating a more inclusive society for all.