The Lagos State Commissioner, Ministry of Youths and Social Development, Olusegun Dawodu, has stated that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has continued to ameliorate the plight of People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) in the state.
He also said the incumbent administration has empowered them to be self-reliant to cope with the numerous challenges they are faced with.
He spoke at the Disability Entrepreneurship Empowerment Programme (DEEP) in Lagos,which was organised by the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) to commemorate the Year 2022 International Day of Persons With Disability (IDD).
Dawodu added that the THEMES Agenda of Governor Sanwo-Olu has developed policies and interventions to give the vulnerable members of the society a sense of belonging.
He said: “In the light of this, the administration of Sanwo-Olu has continued to ameliorate the plight of PLWDs in the state and also empower them to be self-reliant in order to cope with the numerous challenges they are faced with.”
He explained that the purpose of the state government’s “intervention is to empower PLWDs with various assistive devices to ease their movement and participation in the society,” adding that empowerment funds had also been arranged to increase the capacity of existing businesses of PLWDs, as well as those just starting up.
“The funds seek to give PLWDs an opportunity to be independent and eventually become employers of labour, thereby reducing the number of unemployed people in the disability community.”
At the event, devices such as wheelchairs, guide canes, hearing aids, motorized wheelchairs, cerebral palsy chairs, braille embossers, laptop computers, Edufix creams and sunscreen lotions, used to treat conditions such as growths of the screen and simple skin cancers for the albinism group, among others, were distributed to the deserving beneficiaries.
About 1,000 PLWDs with entrepreneurial skills got financial assistance to help build the capacity of their businesses, while 500 vulnerable and 500 elderly PLWDs were also empowered financially at the occasion.
He noted that the “past beneficiaries of this programme are now contributing to their family and the society at large.”
According to the commissioner, the Sanwo-Olu administration “has embarked on different initiatives to ensure financial independence for PLWDs, which is a critical step in furthering the agenda for inclusion in the state.”
He commended the governor for his focus-driven actions towards the welfare of PLWDs in the state, even as he encouraged recipients of the fund to use it judiciously.
Dawodu, who noted that one of the policy directions of this present administration is to create a sustainable environment for everyone to thrive and live a meaningful life regardless of one’s able or disability status, added: “From inception, the Lagos State government has focused on policies and programmes tailored towards leaving no one behind.”
He remarked that inclusivity is pivotal to good governance, adding that the present administration “will not rest until we have made a major difference in the welfare of PLWDs in Lagos.
“Today, we are gathered for yet another edition of our periodic empowerment initiative, which is the distribution of entrepreneurship and enhancement fund for our PLWDs.”
This year’s disability entrepreneurship and empowerment programme, focused on the distribution of the necessary assistive devices and issuance of grants to the various PLWDs clusters, groups and PLWDs organizations in the state, he said.
The Commissioner noted that assistive devices have a central role in social policy as they reduce barriers between PLWDs and their environment, bring about freedom of movement, and ease of access so that PLWDs can live a fulfilled life without any hindrance.
General Manager, LASODA, Dare Dairo, speaking at the event, noted that it is the utmost priority of Governor Sanwo-Olu that PLWDs are not be left behind but that they are carried along in the administration.
Urging them to know that Lagos is a state where inclusion of PLWDs is prioritized, Dairo commended the governor for caring for PLWDs.
He said the event is a “very special one because the empowerment programme is a significant part of the Disability Law, and the inclusion of government of Lagos State.”
The LASODA boss also lauded the current administration for ensuring that no one is left behind.
“We have the permission of the governor to do this today, so that we will all be happy.In this spirit of solidarity, we should be happy. In Lagos, the government is for us, the government is with us, and the government is about us,” Dawodu added.
Also at the event, the Tutor-General, Lagos Education District, Abike Adekanye, represented by Lawal Adegboyega, Principal, Ipakodo Grammar School, Ikorodu (Special School for the Hearing Impaired), appealed for support from the government, corporate bodies, non-governmental organizations, as well as well-to-do individuals to assist students in learning other skills apart from academics.
