Creating an inclusive society can be achieved if everyone stops waiting for anyone; including the government, and becomes intentional advocates of inclusiveness anywhere.

 

A resource person, Dr Ebere Ezeife, stated this in her lecture titled “Social inclusion: mirage or reality”, which was delivered at the official launch of Diamond Pearl Initiative, DPI, an NGO that focuses on persons with disabilities.

While calling on all to accept, help give care and make life enjoyable for persons with disabilities so that they can contribute to societal development, Dr Ezeife called for sustained advocacy until needed achievements are made in education, therapy, hospital and medical facilities, flight and boarding facilities, as well as other places where assistive devices are needed for the disabled persons .

 

Also canvassing sustained advocacy, even in various communities, as well as empowerment of persons with disabilities; as a way of creating an inclusive society for persons with disabilities and abled-bodied people in the society, the Chairperson of Diamond Pearl Initiative, Miss Chinazo Ndilemeni, noted that inclusive society for persons with disabilities is in furtherance of Goal ten of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs 2030, which aims to reduce inequalities, ensure that policies are universal in principle, as well as pay attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized populations.

On why she started the initiative, Miss Ndilemeni recalled how exposure to a special edition of TV news on orphanage housing children with cleft lips many years ago inspired her strong desire to establish an organization or a school that will either assist persons with disabilities, or help them live more comfortable lives in the society.

 

She said aside being a witness to unfair treatments meted on people with disabilities including body shaming, segregation and discrimination from all sectors in the society, each time she experienced such treatments reminds her the importance of establishing the DPI.

The DPI Chairperson announced outreach programme on the 2023 International Day for Persons with Disabilities, which she said would offer people with disabilities opportunity to be empowered with skills and education for independent life, adding that services of legal practitioners will still be employed, with the aim of defending persons with disabilities, some of whom he said are vulnerable and prone to sexual, physical, emotional and other abuses.

 

Anambra State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, chaired the launching ceremony held in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

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