Foundation sensitizes disabled persons on new Kano disability law

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The Kanawa Educational Foundation for the Disabled Thursday sensitized leaders and members of the different clusters of People Living With Disability (PWDs) in Kano state on the content of the new Kano State Persons Living With Disability Law which was recently signed by the Kano state governor.

The roundtable discussion which was aimed at educating disabled persons on the content of the new disability law, including their rights and privileges as contained in the law, was attended by the leadership of the different clusters of PWDs such as the deaf, blind and crippled from across Kano state.

Zahraddeen Bello, legal adviser of the foundation who also chaired the discussion said getting the bill passed by the Kano State House of Assembly and subsequently signed by the Executive Governor of Kano state, was a long journey.

“The law provides for rights and privileges of various categories of disabled persons particularly those with substantial impairment of the physical, visual, vocal, auditory, sensory, or mental capabilities, at birth or due to injury, sickness or congenital deficiency,” said Bello. “The law also provides for protection and prohibition from discrimination, stigmatization, and use of derogatory language against disabled persons from persons or institutions, and also segregation including those based on gender, work, education, health and any other areas of life.”

He said the law required the Kano State Government and its 44 respective local governments to provide for disabled persons, adequate standard of living and social protection which included clean water, sanitation facilities, employment and empowerment opportunities as well as access to public buildings, while also mandating relevant authorities to ensure compliance with the Law.

“Most importantly, the law provides that disabled persons shall have free quality healthcare services in all state-owned hospitals and special equipment and facilities for their unique needs. Right to education is equally guaranteed without any form of discrimination from primary to secondary school for all disabled persons. Among other things, the law provides rights for women and adolescent girls with disability, responsibilities of parents and guardians of children with disability, right to work and employment, right to communal life, right to transportation, right to participation in cultural life, sports, and leisure.”

Earlier this month, the Executive Governor of Kano State, His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje accented to the People Living With Disability Amendment Bill 2018, which was sponsored by the Kanawa Educational Foundation for the Disabled with the support of partners such as the UK-DFID’s Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) programme.