Cripples are another highly stigmatised group in the country.The roads, markets, banks, transport system, public buildings and employment methods are opposed to this group.Tadaferua Ujorha reports on some of the experiences of the physically challenged. They seem to have been lumped into an unreal 37th state of Nigeria:

Land of the fitA visitor to Nigeria may easily imagine that there are no cripples in the country, and that Nigeria is a country of well formed human beings. Or even if Cripples exist, the visitor would guess that there is an official policy which sneers at their existence. This is because the architecture of most public buildings is not friendly to cripples or the physically challenged. The regular staircase is a big hindrance to the cripple, both in terms of those moments when he makes his ascent or descent, and sometimes as in modern banks, the cripple in his wheelchair cannot pass through the electronic doors, because the space is not wide enough. An unfortunate implication here is that Cripples don't need banks and that they are poor. So how should a Cripple access our modern banks, or is it modernisation for a select crowd of' fit' human beings? Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi, Administrator AMAC makes a case for disabled friendly architecture. According to her' It is also true that most public buildings are not disabled friendly, but I think also we have to sensitise or compel all those approving building plans, that entrances are actually disabled friendly. That would be the responsibility of any component of government that is responsible for approving buildings.' Even when the Cripple can access a building, in some instances it is soon made clear to him that he is not wanted, especially if he is seeking a job and has arrived with his certificates. Sometimes people would suddenly begin to offer him twenty naira notes, thinking that he has come to beg. On the other hand he may have come to offer his services, rather than to beg. Indeed the Cripples are also a learned group who can contribute much to the economy. It is true that they beg, but they are also mobile tailors, shoe repairers, street comedians, guards, emergency traffic wardens, fruit sellers etc.What this means is that they help to keep the economy alive, even if they are largely shunned by the same society that needs them to keep its shoes clean, or to bring order to a chaotic traffic situation. Cripples have also been great artistes and performers. And what about the roads? Cripples have a hard time crossing our roads. In a country where Zebra crossings are always ignored, it is extremely difficult for a Cripple, who is at the same time a victim of the most cynical running commentary, to cross the road and get home. It's a long way home for the Cripple.

A new architecture

Architect Umaru Aliyu is President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. He comments on the architecture of public buildings in Nigeria' All countries now acknowledge the fact that all public buildings must adhere to architecture which respects the needs of the physically challenged .I cannot remember when the UN passed a resolution on this, but I know that during one of the national council of Works and housing meetings, a resolution was passed that all public buildings must provide access for the physically challenged.'He also informed this reporter that most public buildings coming up now have made provision for access by physically challenged persons. An example of this is a ramp with a gentle slope at such buildings, which guarantees access by the physically challenged. According to him before any approval is given for the construction of a public building there has to be evidence that the physically challenged have been considered in the plan.His words' This is done by the planning authority, and is embodied in the recently published national building code.Now that the code has come into being ,first and foremost any design that does not provide for the physically challenged would not be approved.The question of allowing for penalties does not even arise.If you start an illegal structure,it would be pulled down at your expense.The next issue is to make existing structures to be adopted for use by the physically challenged'. In his opinion the new form of architecture implies that 'all the comfort you provide for the physically unchallenged in any public building, will now have to be provided for the physically challenged, with a similar degree of comfort as well, in the same building'. He told Daily Trust that architecture relating to the physically challenged forms part of the course curricula at Departments of Architecture at our Universities. He added that now the Building Code is in place it would have to be enforced by all the planning authorities and that it is difficult to arrive at a census of all public buildings in Nigeria. But he stressed that the new architecture would be slightly more expensive than the earlier type.

Idowu's great escape

The story of Idowu Abdulsalam, an undergraduate beggar at the University of Lagos graphically illustrates the storms a cripple goes through, as well as reveals the indomitable will the group possesses.In a land where people like him are largely shunned and scorned, his story unfolds like a Jewel, a sign and a metaphor of inestimable worth. As reported in The Guardian, Idowu is a physically challenged fresh Undergraduate, and he moved about Lagos on roller skates begging.But he had a strong vision of passing his Ordinary Levels and getting to the University to read a course of his choice.He is now a fresh student in the department of political science of the University of Lagos, and his transition from being a beggar on the streets to a University Undergraduate, owes largely to his strong will power.Idowu was born into a poor polygamous family and lost his mother at the age of three years.An attack of Malaria left him crippled shortly after.He travelled to Lagos to seek his fortune,and with nobody willing to employ him ,he took to begging.As a beggar he sat for the GCE O/L and passed. He performed well in the University Matriculation Examination and gained admission into the University of Lagos.Idowu's story embodies a serious challenge: an underprivileged person rising highly in life in spite of serious challenges. His story also captures the absence of any form of social security in the country. Again the system in Nigeria alienates the physically challenged in virtually every respect. This reporter also gathered that the authorities of the University of Lagos recently gave Idowu Abdulsalam a wheelchair, which would no doubt aid his movement around the campus as well as within Lagos.

A cripple finds love!

Lawal Isa 47,was born as fit as any other child, but a fire incident which occurred when he was 11 has since left him crippled for life and crippled progress in other directions as well.He says that he was poorly treated at a dispensary and this resulted in his subsequent crippling. Having realised from painful experience that he would not easily get jobs like other people, he learnt early enough that he would have to begin an independent trade if he is to properly look after himself and family. Today, he sits by a table in zone 6 Abuja where he sells a number of items to the public. His words'There is no need waiting for a society which would never provide a job for me'.He has a wife and five children.In making this point he added that initially it was difficult finding a wife. His words'It was initially difficult getting a wife, because the woman would say that she cannot marry a man with one leg.The woman I married came and introduced herself to me and said she loved me.I have been married now for twelve years'. So he can speak of deep pain and also the joys of true love! He mentioned to this reporter that the group of cripples are no longer sure of a positive response from government, and this explains why they had to form a union called the Multipurpose Cripples Association (MCA) Abuja. This association has some 370 members and many of them are tailors, welders and shoemakers. In other words they have no option but to carry out a variety of menial jobs, since they cannot get proper employment. He also made an appeal to government to the effect that it should provide employment in each local government for at least two cripples. He believes that government has the political will to ensure that this is done.

Crippled maker of Tricycles

Mohammadu Aliyu 43, has a tricycle from which he sells recharge cards at the Wuse market Abuja. He has no legs and this was in consequence of an illness he experienced in his childhood. His is a remarkable story of courage and initiative making it slightly similar to that of Idowu above. Some years ago he went on a course in Sokoto state where he learnt how to make Tricycles. Today, he rides a Tricycle which he made himself, and he implies that he does make Tricycles from time to time, as the demands come, and this has provided a little income for him. According to him before he relocated to Abuja, there was a time when he used to bring Tricycles all the way from Sokoto to Abuja. To an extent the Tricycle which he made himself has empowered him somewhat. He can trade in recharge cards, as well as make Tricycles for others, which guarantees a fairly steady income for him and his wife and two children.

Bold as a Lion

Gaius Abdul Ibrahim had an accident in 1995.This was when his problems started, for he suffered a spinal cord injury which has rendered him paralysed, but this has emboldened him too. Now he has a wheelchair and sits everyday by one of the gates leading into the FCDA at Area 11, Abuja.Like Mohammadu Aliyu above, he is into the recharge card business, and this moves ever so slowly for Gaius. He has a catalogue of complaints on the plight of the physically challenged. His words'These people are being neglected, and the society does not treat them like real human beings.Some of the disabled are mentally fit, perhaps much more than those who claim to be fit.They look down on them,and do not make any provision for them.There is no plan for employment of the group even though they are fit to work,and excel in many areas.'He also drew attention to the nearby public toilet which cannot be accessed by people who move about in wheelchairs. He states that architecture even snubs the weak.His words 'Because of the way they built it without taking into consideration the physically challenged,I cannot make use of the toilet'.When the physically challenged persons go to a ministry the experience there is quite painful ,he says' If you go to offices now, there is no way you would be allowed to enter, because of the steps.You therefore cannot go there with a wheelchair'.He also would like a situation where there are buses specially built for the physically challenged ,and this would assist the movement of the group in the city. As it is now the large buses plying all the routes in Abuja do not attend to the physically challenged.'The attitude of the average Nigerian to the physically challenged also received his attention. According to him'The attitude of the average Nigerian to the physically challenged is unacceptable.For instance if you want to go to an office to see somebody, the fact that you arrive in a wheelchair or you are disabled, makes people to look down on you.The securityman at the gate would like to stop you, even if you have an appointment with an officer.We are treated as inferior human beings,its as though we don't exist.Disabled human beings are also human .'Gaius stressed that he thinks and imagines much more than other able bodied human beings, and the fact that he is handicapped is not a weakness.

'I don't need pity '

Paul Ariwodo who works at FCDA emphasises that physically challenged persons do not need pity, rather they need encouragement.His words'I can achieve whatever other people can do.I don't need pity, what I need is encouragement. He uses crutches to move around his workplace as well as outside his office.He goes down memory lane and shows what life was like as a physically challenged person.His words'From the secondary school up to the tertiary institution and various places of work ,the government of the country has not borne the disabled person in mind as regards infrastructure. In my secondary school days I endured a lot to make sure I went to school, because the environment was unfriendly. If they see you walking differently they would call you names. So we managed but it was not easy' Later when he was at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede,the hostel manager's always made sure he was given a room on the ground floor.But he indicates that the facilities there were not friendly.His words'I was competing with able bodied young boys and matured people who came from different backgrounds. Then the toilet was always so dirty.It was not easy, and provision was not made for the physically challenged people or the disabled.' He laments that whenever a disabled person is seen coming it is felt that they are coming to beg for alms'.He added that between 1999 to date the number of disabled persons who have found employment in Abuja has increased'. In terms of the employment possibilities for the physically challenged, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi opines' There's a 2% workforce usually set aside for persons with disabilities. Nobody is tracking that this is being done. It is part of the social development policy. Because of their level of education, and because nobody is tracking, nobody has been bold enough to actually take anyone to court, for actually denying them employment, because he is disabled. If physically challenged persons have the opportunity where they can be employed and encouraged to rise to the top, then such persons can indeed become president of the country.'

To be continued

Inside Nigeria's 37th state: