A physically challenged lawyer, Daniel Onwe, has urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take lawyers with disabilities into consideration in planning for the forthcoming annual general conference.
In a May 24 letter to the Chairman, Technical Committee on NBA Conference Planning, Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi (SAN), the lawyer urged the association to make adequate arrangements for those with special needs.
Onwe, who wrote on behalf of Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria (ALDIN), identified areas of need as venue accessibility, sign language, Braille version of conference materials, assistive attendants, parking lots and reduced conference fees.
He wrote: “The venue of the conference should be such that would be accessible for persons with disabilities. Where possible, the buildings to be used should be the ones with ramps and lifts. Similarly, the dais or platforms should be such that persons with disabilities, including those on wheelchair, can access. This is demanded by section 24 of the Lagos State Special People’s Law, 2011.
“For the benefit of lawyers who have hearing impairment, there should be at least one sign language interpreter to translate the proceedings of the conference to sign language. There should also be some Braille version of, at least, the most important conference materials for the benefit of lawyers with visual impairment.
“There should also be designated parking lots for persons with disabilities. We recommend that lawyers with disabilities, particularly the young ones, should be given full or at least partial waiver of the conference fees.”
The Nation
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