The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Tuesday presented assistive devices/aids and empowerment tools to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Speaking at the event in Abuja, the permanent secretary, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, said the empowerment of PWDs is vital to nation- building and it enables them to take their place in the wider society for meaningful livelihood.
He said: “Aids and appliances and assistive devices are the supporting devices used by persons with disabilities in improving their quality of life in terms of mobility, communication and for performing their daily activities, mainly for sustained livelihood.
“There are different types of disabilities which require different Assistive Technologies (AT) Example of AT include Communication Boards, Hearing Aids Wheel chairs, walkers, Special-purpose Computers, Keyboards, Screen Readers and so on plus empowerment tools on various skills.
“The empowerment of PWDs is vital to nation building as it enables them to take their place in the wider society for meaningful livelihood. It therefore involves affording them a variety of opportunities to discover themselves, understand their environment, be aware of their rights, take control of their lives and partake in important decisions that will lead to them to their destinies.
“Thus, the provision empowerment tools to PWDs involve ensuring that they are given the opportunity to earn a living to sustain themselves. It involves addressing employment issues as well as other issues that amplify the cycle of disability, poverty and the exclusion of PWDs.
“The ministry, under its watch and mandate also take care for vulnerable group including Persons With Disabilities. The symbolic presentation of Assistive devices and Empowerment tools to PWDs is therefore designed to achieve the following objective which is to provide PWDs with mobility aids and empowerment tools to ease their movement, while also, fending for themselves in order to be an integral part of the society. This is expected to boost and positively project the image of the ministry on the care for PWDs.
