The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has appealed to the National Assembly to pass the Bill for the establishment of Disability Trust Fund before it.

The Executive Secretary, Dr James Lalu, made the appeal at a two-day sensitisation of stakeholders on Disability Accessibility Regulations, in Abuja on Wednesday.

The event was organised by the NCPWD, in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme.

Lalu explained that the fund, if established, would enable the commission to implement disability-inclusive programmes and interventions to leave no one behind.

He added that the fund would also enable the commission to support states that were yet to domesticate the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (prohibition) Act, 2018, to do so.

He also said that the Act, if domesticated across the states, would also make provisions for the Disability Trust Fund at the state level.

This, according to him, will encourage the states to implement their peculiar disabi
lity inclusive programmes, especially the enforcement of disability accessibility regulations.

‘Most of the states have domesticated the disability law. Some even established agencies for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), but ensuring disability inclusion and accessibility for PwDs is capital intensive.

‘In fact, some states have established disability institutions, but our interest in the disability trust fund is to raise funds to support states that are yet to domesticate the Act to do so,’ he said.

In her remarks, Ms Brisca Aaron, the Executive Secretary, Bauchi State Agency for the Disabled Persons, pointed out that the state had already domesticated the disability prohibition act.

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Aaron added that the state government had equally implemented the five percent employment quota for PwDs and commenced enforcement of the accessibility law.

According to her, the law was designed to ensures PwDs’ access to public infrastructure in
the state.

Also speaking, Mr Monu El-Dad, Chairman, Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders to advance the course of PwDs in the state.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria