Ending Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities

by Fred Nwaozor

3rd December each year remains International Day of Persons living with Disabilities. Hence, last Friday, the global community commemorated the 2021 edition of the remarkable event. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Leadership and participation of Persons with Disabilities”. The United Nations (UN) Decade of Disabled Persons was held from 1983 to 1992 to enable governments and organizations at all levels to implement measures to improve the life of disabled persons all over the world. On October 14, 1992, as the decade drew to a close, the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 3 of every year as the International Day of Disabled Persons. This day was first observed on December 3, 1992. Subsequently, on December 18, 2007, the Assembly changed the observance’s name from the International Day of Disabled Persons to the ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’. The new name was first used in 2008.

Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, emotional, developmental, or a combination of these. A certain disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime. Disability is an umbrella term covering impairments, participation restriction, and activity limitations. Impairment is a plight in one’s body function or structure; participation restriction is a problem experienced by a person in involvement in life situations; whilst an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action. This indicates that disability is indeed a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he/she lives or belongs. For instance, various forms of chronic disease may also qualify as disabilities.

Some advocates object to describing certain conditions such as deafness, vision impairment, or autism as disabilities, arguing that it is more appropriate to consider them as developmental differences that have been unfairly stigmatized by the society. In the same vein, others argue that disability is a result of exclusion from mainstream society and not because of impairment. The term ‘disability’ broadly describes impairment in a person’s ability to function as an individual, caused by changes in several subsystems of the body or in mental health. The degree of disability may range from mild to moderate, severe, or profound. A person might also be suffering from multiple disabilities. Irrespective of the degree or nature of the disability, it can be measured objectively or subjectively. Considering the causes of disability, the condition could be inherited or genetically transmitted; congenital, meaning literally caused by a mother’s infection or other diseases gotten prior to or during pregnancy as well as soon after birth, or via embryonic/fetal developmental irregularities. It could also be acquired, such as conditions caused by illness, injury, or accident; or even of unknown origin, as the case may be.

There are currently several classes of disability including physical disability, sensory disability, vision impairment, hearing impairment, olfactory and gustatory impairment, balance disorder, somatosensory disorder, intellectual disability, mental disorder, pervasive developmental disorders, and developmental disability, among others. Whichever type that is involved, it is worth noting that an individual with any form of disability can function as effective as, even more effective or efficient than, able-bodied individuals if given the needed support or encouragement. Against this backdrop, based on our individual/corporate social responsibilities, we are expected to always endeavour to do everything within our reach and humanly possible to ensure that persons living disabilities at our respective jurisdictions are duly given a sense of belonging starting from the classrooms to working places with a view to strengthening nation building. At the various institutions of learning, from primary to tertiary level, rather than discriminating the said set of people, they are meant to be given special attentions by the teachers and management of the schools. For instance, those suffering from vision impairment such as the albinos are supposed to be provided with special sunglasses and also meant to sit at the front of their classrooms or closer to the board. Such treatment ought to be replicated during their various examinations, either internal or external.

Similarly, during electioneering eras, the electoral umpire is expected to make a different arrangement towards the sensitization of the electorate with disabilities in line with the nature of their challenges. And, on the election days, the persons in question deserve a preferential treatment throughout the polls to enable them cast their votes properly and at ease as demanded. More so, it is no longer news that in the labour market as well as political settings, the degree of discrimination faced by persons living with disabilities is presently on the rampage. In view of this, there’s a compelling need for the legislators to enact a strict law that would stipulates a basic statutory percentage of persons with disabilities expected to be found in any public sector, or a certain minimum number of persons with disabilities that must be employed or appointed in the civil service or political arena, respectively, in accordance with the directive of the UN. Establishing a separate ministry coupled with an agency for persons with disabilities would go a long to resolving the anomaly. Worse still, it is obvious that recently, several prospective students with disabilities such as HIV/AIDS or physical challenges of most citadels of learning across the country, especially the privately owned tertiary institutions, are invariably deprived of their chances of securing admission thereby making most of them lose interest of furthering their education. Undoubtedly, the level of post-traumatic stress disorder attributed to the aforementioned stigmatization cannot be overemphasized that if adequate and drastic approach is not taken by the appropriate authorities towards ending the anomaly, it is liable to degenerate into an untold societal menace.

Above all, acknowledging that persons with disabilities easily fall victim of any disaster or crisis owing to vulnerability, there’s no need reiterating they are meant to be attended to, or treated, as priority during any disaster management. To this end, any personnel/expert involved in the management of any form of crisis ought to ensure that individuals with disabilities that are resident in the affected area are first attended to as well as duly catered for before any other resident. As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I enjoin every citizen and civil society organization to in their respective capacities endeavour to protect the rights of persons living with disabilities. We can actualize this by confronting any norm, cultural belief or perception that condones any kind of discrimination against them. In addition, thorough education cum reorientation among the citizenry as regards ending the menace remains inevitable. Think about it!

On Elimination Of Violence Against Women

by Fred Nwaozor

The last time I checked, November 25 annually remained the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. This signifies that today, the global community is commemorating the 2021 edition of the lofty event. From November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to December 10, the Human Rights Day, the sixteen days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. Undoubtedly, no society in existence can be said to be complete if a woman is yet to be found in it, regardless of its nature or size. We can testify to this fact by considering how a woman came into the world. Of course it is no longer news that having created man, God the creator thought it wise to form a woman from the rib of a man. This was so, because God realized of what benefit a woman could be to a man in any society/arena he finds himself. A family for instance – a nuclear family precisely, which remains the smallest society on earth, can never strive successfully or attain to its anticipated height if a woman is missing. Realistically, a family cannot be formed in the first place if a woman is nowhere to be found.

Having formed a family with the help of a woman, if she eventually dies, the affected family will live to suffer the vacuum her eternal demise has created. This implies that, psychologically, no widower can boast of being a happy man, especially a situation where the late wife left some kids behind. Sometimes, even when the widower has gotten married to another woman, provided the late wife left some indelible footprints on the sand of time, he shall remain in an unending emotional trauma, perhaps for eternity. In such a situation, it is only his creator that can provide a lasting succour. Ab initio, the womenfolk has been considered to constitute the integral part of the wider society. It is obvious that a social union cannot achieve an effective goal if the female members aren’t carried along. It might sound a bit controversial but the truth remains that nature had ordained woman to be the most attractive being in any society she belongs. This is the reason whenever a social group of people intends to pay a courtesy visit to a certain office holder, if they fail to include at least a female member among the delegate, the said outing might end up fruitless. This is so, because the presence of a woman has a natural tendency of arresting the heart of any man irrespective of who he is. The political terrain is not left out. Any man occupying a political position could boldly testify that his beloved wife is the reason he is thriving assiduously and successfully. This implies a woman is in charge of any leadership position, though her impact might seem invisible.

The advisory role, both morally and otherwise, a woman plays in the life of her spouse who occupies a political post supersedes whatever counsel he receives from his appointees, friends, or well-wishers. Considering the church, which is an institution as well as one of the oldest societies across the globe, there’s no need reiterating that its sustainability from the outset has been possible owing to the effort of the womenfolk. Noting that women are closer to the church, the easiest way to conscientize a married man, or any man whatsoever, toward the uplift of a church project is through the woman in his life, since it is obvious a woman has the key to a man’s heart. Similarly, a woman has been proven to be more pious than a man. This is the reason she remains the engine room towards the uplift of the children’s spiritual lives. It is worth noting that someone or a family whose spiritual life is porous is apparently living like a tree without root. Frankly, the role of a woman both in her immediate and wider society cannot be overemphasized. From the aforementioned facts, it can be pinpointed that without a woman, the children cannot be properly raised, be it morally, academically, religiously, and what have you; a man’s social, political and emotional life shall remain incapacitated and in shambles; above all, the affected society would remain seemingly stagnant and retrogressive in its day-to-day activity. In view of the above analysis, as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, it is our civic responsibility to ensure that women or girls whom are ubiquitously vulnerable owing to their nature are duly respected and safeguarded at all cost, with a view to strengthening our respective societies and the nation at large.

We can contribute our quotas, either individually or collectively, by acknowledging that women are the backbone of any society in existence. We can showcase our respective supports in all fora we find ourselves. It is estimated that about 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by a non-partner at some points in their lives. On the other hand, some studies show that up to 70% has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner. It’s noteworthy that, either domestic or not, such form of violence has lingered in various countries, particularly Nigeria, thus making people insinuate that it is an acceptable tradition. Violence against women/girls is a human rights violation. It’s a consequence of discrimination against women both in law and in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women. It’s arguably impedes progress in many areas of human endeavour including poverty eradication, curbing contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, strengthening peace and security, thereby crippling nation building. The monster, which continued to be a global pandemic, is not inevitable. Prevention is possible and essential too. Everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girl children, starting by challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to exist.

Legislation also has a vital role to play. There ought to be a stiff law to ensure that anyone at all levels found guilty of any violence against women/girls to include rape, battering, female genital mutilation, subjection into prostitution, or what have you, is duly brought to book. Violence like rape deserves life imprisonment, or any other form of capital punishment, because such ruthless act can lead to murder. Parents and guardians on their part should equally cough up reasonable time for their wards, particularly the female folks, to enable them know their left from right when they grow up. The various schools should as well revive their guidance and counselling unit towards providing the needed guideline and caution for both the male and female students. The schools can create a strong impact via this measure. The religious bodies are not left out in this crusade. They are expected to devote much time in letting the worshippers realize the dangers inherent in the menace. They ought to equally create enough time to preach salvation rather than material prosperity as it is presently the case. Women and society are interwoven. If you remove either of them, the other one would be ostensibly meaningless. Needless to say that the former is as crucial as the latter, thus must be treated as such at all times. Think about it!

On 2021 World Diabetes Day

by Fred Nwaozor

The last time I checked, November 14 annually remained World Diabetes Day. This signifies that last Sunday, the world over commemorated the remarkable event. The day, which is an annual and international commemoration, was instituted in the year 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) to help in raising public awareness on the dangers and control of diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations (UN) Day in 2007 through the passage of the UN Resolution. The day was chosen in honour of the birthday of Frederick Banting who along with Charles Best first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921.

It’s noteworthy that the campaign attached to the World Diabetes Day draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes community and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. The theme of this year’s anniversary is “Access to Diabetes Care”. It acknowledges that millions of people with diabetes around the world do not have access to diabetes care. It emphasizes that people with diabetes require ongoing care and support to manage their condition and avoid complications. The theme therefore stressed that we cannot wait any longer, hence urging stakeholders at all levels to provide the needed medicine, technologies, support and care for all people with diabetes that require them. It also enjoined governments to increase investment in diabetes care and prevention. Diabetes is a lifelong medical condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. It is often caused by the insufficiency or lack of the hormone known as insulin, which is produced by the pancreas – a gland found behind the stomach.

The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by insulin. When food is digested and enters the bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into the cells where it’s broken down to produce the required energy. However this implies that, if one has diabetes, his/her body is unable to break down glucose into energy; because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose or the insulin being produced doesn’t work properly. There are two main types of diabetes namely: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. The former is usually more delicate than the latter which is far more common. In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. As no insulin is produced, the victim’s glucose level increases, which can seriously damage his body’s organs. Type 1 diabetes is often regarded as Insulin-dependent diabetes; it is also sometimes recognized as Juvenile diabetes or Early-onset diabetes, because it mostly develops before the age of forty (40) or usually during the teenage years. If one is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he would need insulin injections for the rest of his life. He would also need to pay very close attention to certain aspects of his lifestyle and health, to ensure that his blood glucose levels stay balanced at all times.

Type 2 diabetes takes place when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or it cells don’t react to insulin. This type of diabetes is generally known as Insulin-resistant diabetes. Since Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, the patient may eventually need medication mainly in the form of tablets. Type 2 diabetes is in most cases associated with obesity. Obesity-related diabetes is sometimes referred to as Maturity-onset diabetes owing to the fact that it is more common in older people. During pregnancy, some women possess high levels of blood glucose, which makes their body unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. Such condition is known as Gestational diabetes and it affects up to 18 in 100 women during pregnancy. Pregnancy can as well make existing Type 1 diabetes worse. Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of health problems developing in an unborn baby, therefore it’s very necessary for a pregnant woman to keep her blood glucose levels under control. Record has it that diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths per year. In several cases, gestational diabetes develops during the second trimester of pregnancy, which is weeks 14 to 26, and disappears after the baby is born. But the truth remains that, women who suffer from gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. The general symptoms of diabetes, which often take place simultaneously, are: feeling very thirsty; urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night; feeling very tired; weight loss and loss of muscle bulk; cuts or wounds that heal slowly; blurred vision, caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry; itching around the private part or frequent episodes of thrush.

Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days; whilst, many people may have Type 2 diabetes for years without realizing it because the early symptoms tend to be friendly. Statistics, according to World Health Organization (WHO), show that about 347 million people worldwide are presently suffering from diabetes. In 2004, an estimated 3.4 million people died from consequences of high fasting blood sugar. The most devastating aspect of diabetes is that, almost half of the people suffering from it do not know that they have the disease. In view of this, WHO stipulates that diabetes would be the 7th leading cause of death by the year 2030. Many more people worldwide have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is referred to as Pre-diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above the normal range, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased. Thus, it’s absolutely very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it would get progressively worse if left untreated.

In general, diabetes carriers are advised to eat healthily, take regular exercise and carry out regular blood tests in order to ensure that their blood glucose levels remain balanced. Above all, they are also advised to maintain a very cordial relationship with their doctors or health experts. As the global community commemorates the World Diabetes Day anniversary, I’m using this avenue to urge the general public to endeavour to live a life that would keep them away from contracting this dreaded disease that has claimed hundreds of millions of souls as well as maimed several lives both in the past and present. They can achieve this by ensuring they consume balance diets or staying away from constant intake of starchy or sugary foods without supplementing them with other required classes of foods. The sufferers of the disease ought to also note that they can live as long as possible if necessary precautions are always taken, or if they continually stick to the modus operandi surrounding the disease, such as eating healthily, indulging in regular exercise, carrying out blood tests regularly, and consistent intake of the prescribed drugs or frequent consultation of a physician, among others. Diabetes has no absolute cure but can be prevented, or managed if contracted. Hence, it’s worthy to acknowledge we have every opportunity to live without the disease, or live healthily if eventually infected with it. Think about it.