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.
The European Union Ambassador, Samuela Isopi has lauded the Albino Foundation for championing the cause of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), describing the Foundation as a worthy partner of the European Union.
Speaking on her private visit to the Foundation in Abuja, Ambassador Isopi said the EU is happy and proud to partner with Albino Foundation, noting that through the foundation, the EU has been able to promote and impart values dear to the union, including ongoing political and human rights inclusivity in the country.
With enduring partnership and commitment such as has been demonstrated by Albino Foundation, Isopi hinted that Union would not hesitate to expand its engagement with the disability community to include support in education, healthcare, and empowerment.
In her words, “You know that human rights inclusivity is something which is very much part of the DNA of the European Union, this is very much of our union, our values on which the European Union is founded. And this is why the promotion of these values is also something which is always at the centre of what we do, in our partner countries, or what we do with our partner countries, is always something that is the centre of our actions, of our policies, and of our cooperation with our partner countries. and institutions.
“And we are very happy and also very lucky here in Nigeria, to have the Albino Foundation but also all of you as one of our partners or our allies in this journey. In this long journey. So, I have to say thank you because our role is actually to support you.
So please, I really want to thank you and congratulate you. There had been a foundation, the commission and all of you for the impressive achievements that have been made possible by your commitment by your action.
Speaking on the expanded interest in PWDs inclusion Ambassador the EU Ambassador said it was a direct fallout of recommendations of the 2019 election observation missions geared towards ensuring that no one, especially the disability community, is not left behind in 1023 and future polls.
“As you know, this was one of the key recommendations of the European Union Election Observation Mission. Observe the elections in 2019. And this more exactly, to be more precise is recommendation number 30 of the final report, which indicates that parties be legally required to have policies on the political participation of persons with disabilities and also require INEC to provide devices in all polling units and Information and accessible.
