But Daniel Onwe, who is the president of the Association of Lawyers with Disabilities, said lack of ramps is not the only problem PWDs face in court.
“This is most worrisome for junior lawyers with disabilities who do not have cars and who cannot employ aides to accompany them to courts. The situation is more frustrating to them. I used to be there and I know how it feels. Handling cases for PWDs are majorly probono, as most of them are not of means,” said Onwe.A lawyer, Ishaku Adamu lamented that judges in the country lacked the requisite knowledge to preside over PWDs cases, adding that many of them are always impatient.
Efforts to get the Media Assistant to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Umar Gwandu were unsuccessful. He neither picked up calls to his lines nor responded to messages sent to him as of the time of filling this report.“The experience for normal people in prison is not palatable let alone PWDs,” the former resident pastor of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, David Godfrey, who regained his freedom in October 2021 after 14 years in prison, told this reporter.
“One thing is this, we loved ourselves and helped them. For instance, if the blind wanted to walk around, one of us helps him around. From my experience, the government should try and give them special treatment.” “The correctional centres are overcrowded and it makes it difficult for the inmates, especially PWDs to get all the attention required during their stay.”