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The head of the United States Consulate General in Lagos, Will Stevens, has called for inclusiveness for Persons Living With Disabilities.
He spoke at the launch of TheseAbilities Project in Lagos on Thursday.
He cautioned Nigerians against discriminating PWDs, adding that, they have equal rights.
Speaking on the theme ‘Promoting Inclusive Economic Opportunities for Persons With Disabilities,’ the Consul General made reference to Judy Heumann, a renowned American advocate for the rights of disabled people, who died at the age of 75 in 2023.
Heumann was an internationally recognised leader of the disability rights movement whose activism led to the implementation of major legislation in the United States.
After contracting polio as a child, she became the first wheelchair user to work as a teacher in New York City.
“As we seek to build a more inclusive society, we need to have a more diverse set of leaders,” Stevens said, pointing at the role of the government in ensuring inclusivity for the PWDs.
“Make sure that the website can be visible to people with eyesight problems. Have alternative text demanded.”
He urged PWDs and the public to lend their voices when needed to ensure the changes they like to see in society were implemented.
“In a democracy, it’s not easy to make change, it requires the participation of the civil society, it requires the participation of every one of you,” he added.
