Group demands equal access, opportunities for deaf women in North-East
By Yahaya Yusuf-Kumo
The Deaf Women Association of Nigeria North-East zone under the leadership of the Zonal Coordinator; Miyausa Wayuta Mshelia, on Tuesday demanded equal access and opportunities in the society.
The rally which walk started from Development Exchange Centre GRA Bauchi to Bauchi Emir’s palace was lead by Mshelia, and Disability Desk Officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Bauchi Mr Isa Zubairu, and other security operatives, including some members of Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Addressing participants at the palace of Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, the Zonal Coordinator said the group came to seek blessing from the Royal Father as they are organising their maiden zonal conference which include rally and Annual General Meeting to demand equal access and opportunities for North-East Deaf Women.
“We came from different North-East states to seek your blessing and support Your Royal Highness, because we can not do without our Royal Father, that’s why your place is the first place we came for our advocacy to demand equal access and opportunities for our members in all walk of life.
“Indeed we are aware our royal fathers are influential in their responsibilities and can help us in influencing the society and the government to give us equal access and Opportunities we’re demanding.
“Its unfortunate that deaf women especially in the North-East Zone are affected by insecurity and insurgency are left behind, in education, information and communication, economic empowerment which makes them more dependent and multiple their disability.
“Its only when they are empowered, given education and carried behind they can be able to contribute to their growth, their families and the society in general otherwise they will remain dependent on others for survival which is not encouraging.”
Mishelia decried the challenges faced by the deaf women in hospitals across the North-East, adding “from information and communication barriers, to lack of access and sign language interpreters to facilitate communication between the deaf and the doctor even during pregnancy, lack of concerns and attitude of some health workers toward the deaf etc.”
Our correspondent however, gathered that Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe recently employed two sign language interpreters to facilitate communication at the hospital.
She further lamented that six out of 10 deaf girls are out-of-school and without education stressing that “they become multiply disabled because without the certificate the government and private sectors can not employ them there by rendering them helpless and dependents in case they are not empowered or employed for self reliance.”
She recalled that Nigeria has a law that gives persons with disabilities the right to have five per cent of employment opportunity in government and private sectors, noting that without education and certificate the Deaf women will likely miss such opportunities.
She said, “there is need for the society, parents and the government to keep encourage deaf women education and enrolment for a better future. I want to urge the Bauchi State Government to fully implement the existing laws of Discrimination Against PWDs prohibition Act.
“We urge the society, parents and the government to please encourage deaf women education, empower and employ them for self reliance to avoid depending on others for survival which is not encouraging and have a negative consequence on their well-being as some people can take advantage of them while some may engage in negative societal vices for survival which is not encouraging.
“We implore our influential Royal Father to please help us in this advocacy to talk to our leaders to do the needful while we will not relent on our efforts in carrying the advocacy to the authorities concerned to do the needful.”
In response, the Emir Adamu who was represented by Sallaman Bauchi, Alhaji Adamu Musa, lauded the association for choosing Bauchi out of six states of the region.
He assured the group that he will pass the message and their demands to the Emir and assured that the Emir would do the needful to see that their demands are implemented.
