The call was made at a press briefing held at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre in Awka as part of activities marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission, Mr. Chukwuka Ezewuzie, said PWDs in the state continue to face significant challenges, including limited access to public buildings, healthcare services, educational opportunities and employment.
Ezewuzie explained that the media engagement was aimed at raising awareness and reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to promoting inclusive education, enforcing accessibility standards, providing economic empowerment for persons with disabilities, and advocating policy reforms.
“This programme forms part of activities commemorating the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Recent international summits organised by the United Nations strongly emphasised the importance of accessibility and inclusivity for persons with disabilities,” he said.
He referenced outcomes from the Global Disability Summit held in Berlin, Germany, and the Social Development Summit in Doha, Qatar, noting that both gatherings underscored the need to embed inclusivity and accessibility into national development plans and budgets.
According to him, the Berlin Summit proposed that 15 per cent of global budgets should be dedicated to disability-related needs, reflecting the fact that persons with disabilities constitute about 15 per cent of the world’s population.
Ezewuzie further disclosed that Anambra State currently holds the South-East leadership position of the National Government Forum of Disability Commissions and Agencies. He noted that the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission, established in 2021, was created to implement provisions of the Anambra State Disability Rights Law of 2018.
“The law is designed to promote and protect the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities and to prohibit discrimination against them in all spheres of life,” he added.
