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ADVOCACY VISIT TO NIGERIA EMPLOYERS’ CONSULTATIVE ASSOCIATION (NECA)

On August 10, 2023, a delegation from TAF Africa, Sightsavers, and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) led by Ambassador Jake Epelle, the CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, visited the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) in Lagos. The purpose of the visit was to discuss its ongoing Economic Empowerment Project for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), which is funded by Sightsavers through its Economic Empowerment Project, a strategic initiative aimed at promoting the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the workforce. The primary objective of the visit was to get the buy-in of NECA and explore potential partnership opportunities between TAF Africa and NECA to enhance the project's impact and promote disability inclusion within corporate organizations.   The meeting had in attendance the Director General - Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Head of HR and Admin – Bankole Adebola, Snr Executive, Learning and Development - Usen Isabella, Head of Finance – Babalola Thomas, Director, Social Labour Affairs (SLA) – Adenike Adebayo-Ajala, Head of Legal Regulatory and Taxation – Thompson Akpabio. TAF Africa’s delegates alongside representatives of Organization of Persons with Disabilities and Sightsavers were led by the CEO/Founder of TAF Africa. The CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, Amb. Jake Epelle presented an insightful overview of the ongoing Economic Empowerment Project for Persons With Disabilities, emphasizing its objectives and strategies. The presentation highlighted the importance of fostering disability inclusion within the workforce and the positive impact it can have on both individuals and businesses.   George Anwayi, the Assistant Programme Manager of TAF Africa, who doubles as the focal person on the Economic Empowerment Project, explained that the primary objective of the project is to increase the labour force participation rate of women and men with disabilities in Nigeria. Anwayi emphasized that TAF Africa views NECA as a strategic partner, facilitating TAF's access to employers in the private sector. He further highlighted that there are highly skilled individuals with disabilities who possess the desire and capability to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of any organization, given the opportunity. He added that the "Access to Work Scheme" will ensure that organizations interested in hiring individuals with disabilities are not burdened with additional expenses for providing necessary assistive devices or technology.   Furthermore, Gambo Yohanna, a representative from Sightsavers reassured the Director-General that Sightsavers has a pool of well-qualified and extensively trained individuals with disabilities who are ready for employment. Some of these individuals hold master's degrees and have received specialized training in information and communication technology (ICT).   The Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Ambassador Jake Epelle, expressed interest in collaborating with NECA to extend the reach and impact of the project. He stressed the significance of corporate buy-in from member organizations of NECA to create a sustainable and inclusive employment environment for PWDs. The discussion revolved around ways in which NECA could support and promote the project among its corporate affiliates. In response to the presentation and proposal, the Director General of NECA made several commitments to further advance the partnership and promote disability inclusion which include:
  • The appointment of a dedicated focal person to oversee the collaboration between NECA and TAF Africa.
  • Establishment of a committee to thoroughly evaluate the project and explore avenues for joint contribution.
  • Development of a comprehensive sustainability plan to ensure the project's continuity and lasting impact.
  • Engagement of Sign Language Interpreters for NECA programs accommodating up to 35 participants, ensuring accessibility for PWDs.
  • Introduction of a new award category for the "Most Disability Inclusive Employer" at the upcoming Employers Award ceremony in December.
  • Keeping TAF Africa informed about all NECA programs to ensure disability inclusion in their planning.
 

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A Journey Of Rights and Disability Inclusion

A Journey Of Rights and Disability Inclusion Since the end of the Second World War, the global community has been undergoing a period of profound societal change. Civil Rights movements have shaken the foundations of the global order, standing at the heart of social transformation and progressive change for the better part of the last two centuries.This story can be traced, in various ways, to pivotal moments across our historical past. No area of human civilisation has been immune to debates and movements about the rights of individuals and the responsibility of the state, or supreme power, to the citizens who are governed by it.Across age, class, sex, faith, sexuality, and disability, individuals have advocated and fought for the gradual reshaping of their societies into the world we live in today – one aspiring toward a concrete vision of individual liberty, equality before the law, incorruptible justice, and shared prosperity. Yet, the journey has not always been smooth. We may view the past in entirely barbaric terms, and in many ways, we would be right. Still, history shows us that resistance to oppression has always existed. For the simple yet radical idea of human equality, battles were fought, won and lost; wars were waged, and countless lives were sacrificed.As far back as 1100 BCE, records from ancient Egypt suggest the occurrence of organised workers’ strikes. In 287 BCE, in ancient Rome, the dictator (no relation to modern-day dictators, please) Quintus Hortensius, passed the Lex Hortensia, a law which theoretically secured political equality between the ruling Patrician class and the free Plebeian citizens by making all resolutions from the Plebeian Council binding on all Roman citizens. Centuries earlier, Persia, under the infamous Cyrus the Great, issued the Cyrus Cylinder, a declaration often regarded as one of the earliest endorsements of religious freedom. Progress, however, has rarely been swift. It was not until the 1960s – during the height of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement – that disability inclusion began to emerge as a distinct movement with its own pure identity, advocating for a community whose experiences cut across age, class, gender, and culture. Prior to this, early steps toward social protection existed in the US, most notably the Social Security Act of the 1930s, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first U.S. president with a physical disability.Between the 60s and the 90s, Civil Rights took multiple leaps forward around the globe. Across Africa, people reclaimed self-governance after a century of colonial rule. These transformations were marked by deep struggle, highlighted by the deeply divisive racial conflict in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. In Nigeria and throughout the continent, citizens grappled with the profound responsibilities and challenges of independence, democratic self-determination, and governance.Alongside these transformations, other social changes gained momentum worldwide. As gender (sex) rights, religious liberty, and freedom of expression raced forward, the world made enormous progress in the integration of persons with disabilities (PWDs). By the late 90s, the US, Canada, India, and the UK had enacted laws prohibiting discrimination based on disability.The newly formed United Nations played a central role in shaping global disability advocacy with the 1975 UN Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons. This milestone set the stage for later international frameworks, most notably the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007, which emphasised not only fundamental rights like the right to accessibility and the right to life, but also focused on the socio-economic foundations that make political rights meaningful.Today, over 100 countries on Earth have enacted and implemented some form of legislation on disability inclusion. Still, the journey continues.Nationwide implementation of accessibility standards, increased participation of persons with disabilities in the workforce, politics, policymaking, and governance, inclusive education systems where children with disabilities and without disabilities learn together safely, and a societal culture that embraces rather than marginalises disability – these, and many others, are the markers of progress that remain ahead of us.On this journey toward true disability inclusion, we at TAF Africa, our donors and partners, and team, are committed to walking every step of the way.

TAF Africa Donates 45 Assistive Devices to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Delta State

TAF Africa Donates 45 Assistive Devices To Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Delta State https://youtu.be/e6x2D3BTkAs?si=XkkbjX34ICdRB2hc TAF Africa, in its efforts toward progress on inclusivity, has donated forty five assistive devices to Persons With Disabilities in Delta State.  This initiative is aimed at improving access to mobility for beneficiaries across the state. “For us, we are looking at promoting the rights of persons with disabilities”, says Dr. Andrew Adaji, Project Coordinator of the D-RAPID Project in Delta State, “One of their rights is access to mobility. So we’re using this to support them”. The Nigerian Police Force was on ground to remind everyone that their doors are open, specifically through the Disability Desks that have been setup across the country. Better access + Better Protection = A Better Nigeria.  Stakeholders, like the Delta Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), express gratitude for the timely intervention and noted that the devices will significantly ease their daily movement and enhance their participation in social and economic activities. CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, Ambassador Jake Epelle, remarked, “What we have done here to do was to move or shift from mere conversation to concrete tangible commitment that we envisage will produce expected outcomes”. CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, Ambassador Jake Epelle, remarked, “What we have done here to do was to move or shift from mere conversation to concrete tangible commitment that we envisage will produce expected outcomes”. Wheelchairs and Prosthetics were distributed to Forty Five Recipients.  Moving Forward, more work needs to be done, more people need to be reached, the net needs to widened, and we need more inclusive reportage. You can support TAF Africa’s work through donations on our website, volunteering, and sharing our work to your network. 🔗 Support TAF Africa.

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