Edo Govt Unveils Simplified Disability Rights Law to Promote Inclusion

BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government has unveiled a simplified version of the state’s Disability Rights Law to enhance awareness and protection of the rights of persons living with disabilities across the 18 local government areas.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Benin City on Wednesday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Musa Umar Ikhilor, represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ohunyon Ekikioya, said the initiative would make the law more accessible and easier for citizens, particularly persons with disabilities and their families, to understand.

Ikhilor noted that while laws are enacted to protect rights and promote justice, their effectiveness depends on how well they are understood and applied by the people.

According to him, simplifying the disability rights law will strengthen public awareness, encourage compliance, and empower persons with disabilities to understand and defend their rights.

“The Edo State Government remains committed to building an inclusive society where persons with disabilities are not viewed through the lens of dependency or limitation, but are given equal opportunities to thrive,” he said.

The programme was organised by the Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with the Network for the Advancement of People with Disabilities and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Director of the Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), Mr. Melody Omosah, called for the introduction of radio programmes to further promote public awareness of disability rights.

Omosah highlighted provisions of the law, particularly Section 18, which guarantees the right to education for persons with disabilities from primary to tertiary levels.

He explained that the law also provides for the establishment of at least one special school in each of Edo State’s 18 local government areas and makes it an offence for parents or guardians to deny children with disabilities access to education.

Earlier, Chairman of the Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Theophilus Egbodion, said the simplified version of the law would enable persons with disabilities to better understand and exercise their rights.

One of the participants, Mr. Ovenseri Iduozee, commended the state government for enacting the law, saying it would help persons with disabilities recognize that they are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as every other citizen.