Air transportation services in Nigeria: accessibility issues
Air transportation services in Nigeria for persons with disabilities have always been a challenge. The disability and inclusion community continues to raise a lot concern. While the aviation regulatory agencies had done all its best but things have not improved considerably.
It is time to come together to engage in meaningful dialogue. So on Wednesday October 2, 2024 by 10:00am (GMT +1), We will be having a zoom seminar. We have a very good line up of speakers who understand the terrain. Please join us.
Yusuf Olatunji Rahee,
Panellists
Yusuf Olatunji, CEO, Yutex Global, Mobility-Impaired and accessibility advocate
Oluwayemisi Adekunle
Yemisi Adekunle, A senior corporate communication Manager, Mobility-Impaired and PWD advocate
Barr, Salami Abolarinwa
Bar Abolorinwa, Attorney and National Association of the Blind’s Secretary General
Special contribution, Dr Chike Okogwu, Technical Specialist, Federal House of Representative Disability and Inclusion Committee
Objective: The Disability Right Webinar is an online platform created by our organization to educate Persons with disabilities (PWDS) on their rights, engage with stakeholders who are key to t accessibility and inclusion etc. Key outcomes of each episode are shared with several Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, key stakeholders and the public.
Outcomes
Inaccessibility for passengers with Disabilities comes in various forms: facilities and infrastructure (Inaccessible toilets, elevator, ramps, inadequate signs. direction), It differs according to impairment
Inaccessibility includes: untrained staff in disability etiquette, lack of proper information channel, inconsistency in policy, lack of synergy between infrastructure and human resources.
The Discrimination Act in Nigeria 2019 made provision for persons with disability in air travel and compel airlines to provide service to PWDs. It is the duty of airlines to provide service to passengers without pushing accessibility responsibility to PWD to make personal provision.
Litigation of Violation of the act
There is a need to go beyond the advocacy aspect of the discrimination act and test it through litigation.
A consideration should be made for the establishment of disability and Inclusion Desk in airports and airline should provide supports
Post legislative compliance
There is need to challenge airlines ‘inefficiency, regulatory agencies carefree attitude in noted areas of Discrimination that are captured in DAPDA 2018Act to
Increased advocacy and orientation as well as collaborations among the stakeholders. knowledge sharing should be provided especially by ministry of information, national orientation agency to sensitize the public about the act.
PWDs need to start looking inward to proffer solutions accessibility challenges themselves issue they understand the issues.
There is a need for more engagements among PWD groups.