Emeka Aginam
8 November 2009
WITH the number of physically challenged groups of persons constituting 25% of the total Nigerian populace, the Senate Committee Chairman on Communications, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu has said that the Senate and other arms of government would ensure that relevant policies and regulations are put in place to provide specially designed ICT needs of these groups.
Senate Committee Chairman on Communications, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu , and the Engr. Ernest Ndukwe holding brief last week in Abuja at the just concluded National Summit on "ICTs and Accessibility for Persons with special needs and the elderly" organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission
Senator Anyanwu who spoke in Abuja at the just concluded National Summit on "ICTs and Accessibility for Persons with special needs and the elderly" organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission said that there was need to evolve an all inclusive policies and guidelines that will give equal opportunity to all to have access to "ICT regardless of ages, gender, and persons with disabilities.
Anyanwu who is very passionate about equal opportunities told the gathering that physically challenged people may not survive the 21st century knowledge economy unless specially designed ICT tools are provided to assist them.
"Those with disabilities as well as the elderly were Nigerians, and have equal rights like every other Nigerian.You are entitled to necessary communications tool like computers, phones, and internet connections among others, he said. According to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu2 "you may be handicapped, but not less privileged.", he said.
Earlier in his address, the Executive Vice of NCC, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe said that NCC was determined to empower the disabled and the elderly people with necessary e-gadgets that will enable them face the knowledge economy.
This summit, he said will afford the Commission the opportunity to evolve policies and regulatory guidelines that will address the concerns of these people with respect to ICTs accessibility.
"ICTs and accessibility for persons with special needs and the elderly ' concerns the design and supply of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products and services with particular regard to ensuring that they can be used by people with disabilities and others (e.g. many older people) for whom the technical features of ICTs can pose barriers to their usage. "The full spectrum of ICTs needs to be accessible if everyone is to have equal opportunities for participation in everyday social and economic life in the Information Society.
"This includes ICT products (such as computers, telephones and the wide range of other ICT devices now part of everyday life), ICT-based network services (such as telephony and TV), the many web-based and phone-based services that are in everyday use today.
(such as online government and shopping, call centres and so on) and other ICT-based modes of service delivery (such as self-service terminals like ATMs and ticket machines).
"Today's Summit is a great opportunity to partner and collaborate with stakeholders here present to discuss and deliberate on technical framework and possibilities that will assist the government, regulator, and other policy makers to evolve an all inclusive policies and guidelines that will give equal opportunity to all" Ndukwe said.
According to him, chapter II section 16 (2) of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that "The state shall direct its policy towards ensuring: (d) welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens", adding that the the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 provides for persons with special needs in Section 1 (h) "ensure that the needs of the disabled and elderly persons are taken into consideration in the provision of communications services"
In recognition of the requirements of the Act regarding this group of people and also in line with the NCC's Consumer Centric approach to regulation, Ndukwe said that the the Commission has taken a number of initiatives geared toward assisting persons with special needs and the Elderly in the areas of telecoms service provisioning.
"Lately, the Commission held fact finding meetings with the challenged group to establish areas of difficulty, expectations from service providers and for the regulator to initiate friendly policy that will address their concerns.
"To holistically bridge the existing digital divides, we should embark on a number of initiatives that will transform our society from "Social Exclusion" to an all Inclusive Society that will guarantee level playing ground to all regardless of age or disabilities" the Telecoms Engineer said.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
