By Leonard Okachie
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has begun an advocacy training to promote inclusive economic opportunities and community resilience for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Abia.
The two-day workshop in Umuahia on Tuesday had participants drawn from different clusters in the disability community, including the physically challenged, albinism, visually impaired, hearing impaired, spinal cord injury and others.
The Acting Director of CCD, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said that the programme was intended to help the PWDs to develop advocacy plans and strategies to actualise economic opportunities.
He said that by doing so, it would drastically reduce the culture of asking for alms among the PWDs.
According to Unumeri who made a presentation on “Introduction to Advocacy and Advocacy Action Plan”, the centre is implementing the intervention programme specifically in Abia and Edo.
In another presentation, the Programme Officer, CCD, Florence Attah, urged the PWDs to start advocating for their rights and build their capacities to be able to engage properly.
Attah, who spoke on the topic:“Understanding Disability Rights and Advocacy”, explained that PWDs often encounter attitudinal, institutional, communication and environmental barriers.
A participant, Mr David Onuoha, who is the Chairman, Spinal Cord Injuries Association, Abia chapter, lauded CCD for organising the training.
“The programme has changed my mentality about disability community and I believe it has also changed that of many others too,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the advocacy was organised in collaboration with Project Enable Africa with support from the US – Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund. (NAN)
