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BEYOND WHEELCHAIRS: WHY POLITICIANS MUST RETHINK EMPOWERMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
By Otunba Wale Akintade of Renewed Hope for the Disabled Initiative (REHFODI)
Across Nigeria, it has become a common political spectacle: public officials distributing wheelchairs, crutches, or hearing aids to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and calling it “empowerment.” While these devices are crucial for mobility and accessibility, they do not address the systemic poverty and exclusion facing the disability community.
According to the World Health Organization, over 15% of the world’s population lives with a disability, and in Nigeria, over 80% of PWDs live below the poverty line. Mobility aids are important, but they only meet immediate needs. They do not provide sustainable livelihoods. True empowerment means economic inclusion, not token donations.
> “A wheelchair helps me move, but without economic opportunities, I remain trapped in poverty,” says Wale Akintade., the Executive Director of Renewed Hope for the Disabled Initiative.
True empowerment requires skills training, access to capital, entrepreneurship support, and employment opportunities. Yet, most government programs exclude PWDs or treat them as an afterthought. This charity-based approach reinforces dependency instead of building independence.
Policymakers must shift towards a rights-based approach, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Nigerian Disability Act 2018. Economic empowerment programs must actively include PWDs, ensuring they can contribute meaningfully to society.
Wheelchairs change how PWDs move. Economic empowerment changes how they live. It is time for leaders to move beyond token gestures and create policies that deliver real change.
Strong Call-to-Action (Closing Paragraph for Advocacy Use).
We call on all levels of government, particularly the Ondo State Government, to:
* Integrate PWDs into all economic empowerment initiatives as a matter of policy.
* Allocate dedicated funding for entrepreneurship and vocational training programs for PWDs.
* Work with disability organizations to design impactful, inclusive programs.
* Implement and monitor the Disability Act 2018 to ensure no one is left behind.
Empowerment should no longer be about charity or photo opportunities. It must be about rights, inclusion, and economic independence.
“Wheelchairs are not empowerment. They are necessities.
True empowerment for Persons with Disabilities means economic inclusion, access to jobs, and financial independence.
Let’s move beyond token gestures—PWDs deserve more than charity; they deserve equal opportunities.”
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