The Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) has called on government at all levels to ensure public information and healthcare messages regarding COVID-19 were made accessible to the blind and partially sighted Nigerians.
Mr Ishiyaku Adamu, National President of the association, made the call in Lagos on Wednesday.
“Essential information should be made available for us in accessible formats such as braille, audio, large print, plain language and in easy to read formats.
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“As the virus continues to spread to other states in Nigeria, we want essential services to be accessible and inclusive to all persons with disabilities.
” Accessible hygiene health services, relief packages and other support facilities should be made available to the poor and the vulnerable,” Adamu said in a statement.
He also urged governments and key stakeholders to involve persons with disabilities in developing contingency plans to ensure that their specific needs were considered.
He advised the blind and all to adhere to the preventive measures directed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to be able to curtail the spread of the virus promptly.
“The Nigeria Association of the Blind is actively monitoring the spread and potential impact of the coronavirus but we need the neccesssary information in braille format, audio, large prints and more.
” This will help us to keep our members updated, the health and safety of our members are our top priority,” he said.
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