PWDs condemn discrimination against members for using airport facilities

Ini Billie, Uyo

Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) have criticised the discrimination they suffer when accessing Nigerian airports and their facilities, and are seeking inclusion.

Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, said this on Thursday in Uyo during the sensitization of Airline Operators on the Accessibility of Persons With Disabilities.

Anyaele stated that PWDs suffer discrimination and harassment at Nigerian airports due to the failure of airline operators to make provisions for PWDs in air travel.

He revealed that many PWDs have shunned air travel on account of outright denial of air travel rights, while booking air tickets, airport check-in, departure and even arrival, adding that PWDs who have no option but to travel by air have stories of woe, mistreatment and harassment to tell.

He stated that the discriminatory practices negate the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and the Discrimination against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 that require airport and airline operators to provide facilities at airports to aid the movement of PWDs and ensure they are not discriminated against on the basis of their disabilities.

“People with disabilities across the Federation are struggling to have access to airports in Nigeria on an equal basis, recognizing that the most secure and effective means of long-distance travel in Nigeria is by air.

“As such, when Persons With Disabilities try to access airports, it is either they are discriminated against or denied flying by reason of their disability.

“More than 31 million Nigerians have one form of disability or the other. 80 per cent live in rural areas with human access to social infrastructure. As I speak to you, more than 17 states have signed the Discrimination against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act.

“The Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 15th of January 2019. The law made robust provisions to make sure that no person in Nigeria would be denied access to airports or aircraft by reason of disability.

“The truth remains that as of today, some records have that more than 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty. Poverty is a major driver of disability. What that means is that the more Nigerians live in poverty, the more people are going to live with one form of disability or the other,” he stated.

Anyaele, alongside other PWDs who spoke of their experiences, mentioned some of the discriminations and challenges they suffer in using the airports including: difficulty in getting on the aircraft, difficulty in climbing airport stairs due to lack of/non-functional elevators and ramps, communication barriers, absence of sign language communication, denied boarding, poor direction, and absence of disability desk at airports among others.

They called for the enlightenment and implementation of the National Disability Law as well as enforcement, passage of the law, especially in states like Akwa Ibom that are yet to pass the law, and provision of airport facilities and infrastructure that would make it accessible to PWDs in line with sections 4 and 5 of the Discrimination against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.

They also sought training of airport staff and personnel involved in the provision of assisted services for PWDs, more advocacy for PWDs on accessibility to airports, and strengthened collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Airline Operators and Organisations of Persons With Disabilities (OPDs) among others.