The Delta State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, has called for stronger action to remove barriers preventing persons with disabilities from fully participating in society.
Erebe said the rights of persons with disabilities should be protected through law and effective government policies rather than left for them to demand.
He spoke as a panellist at an advocacy session organised by the Nigerian Bar Association Lawyers with Disabilities Forum during the NBA 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The session, titled “Beyond Barriers,” was held under the theme of the conference, “Beyond Limits.”
Erebe said greater awareness and effective implementation of disability policies were needed to address the institutional, physical and social challenges faced by persons with disabilities.
He stressed that persons with disabilities were entitled to equal rights, dignity and opportunities under the law.
According to him, government institutions and other stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure that these rights are protected and that persons with disabilities can access public services without unnecessary barriers.
He particularly called for functional sign-language communication systems in courts and hospitals to assist people with hearing disabilities in accessing justice and essential healthcare services.
“The rights of persons with disabilities should not be demanded. Everyone is just a step away from disability, and everybody should be a disability-inclusion advocate,” Erebe said.
NBA President seeks inclusive legal profession
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible legal profession.
Badejo-Okusanya recalled attending an earlier NBA Lawyers with Disabilities Forum summit in Asaba, where she represented the immediate past NBA President.
She said the experience exposed her to the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and changed her understanding of their daily experiences.
“I became converted for life. I realised that we who think of ourselves as more able are actually completely oblivious of the things that less able people go through,” she said.
The NBA President said the association had taken an important step by securing the passage of its Disability Policy by the National Executive Council.
She, however, said the priority was now to ensure that the policy was properly implemented and became part of the association’s institutional structure.
Badejo-Okusanya pledged to work with the Lawyers with Disabilities Forum and the Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria to ensure that the policy was fully implemented within the legal profession.
She also encouraged lawyers with disabilities to speak more openly about their rights and advocate for reforms.
According to her, years of societal attitudes towards disability have sometimes made persons with disabilities accept limitations as unavoidable.
She assured members of the forum of her support for programmes aimed at removing barriers and improving inclusion within the NBA.
NBA President urges empathy over sympathy
Badejo-Okusanya also called for recognition of people who have contributed significantly to disability advocacy, particularly the outgoing Chairperson of the NBA Lawyers with Disabilities Forum, Ms Patient Itumudo.
She described Itumudo as a committed advocate who had consistently worked to promote disability rights and inclusion.
The NBA President urged lawyers and members of the public to replace sympathy with empathy when responding to the challenges faced by persons with disabilities.
She explained that while sympathy could result in temporary expressions of concern, empathy required people to understand the experiences of persons with disabilities and take practical steps to address the barriers they face.
Badejo-Okusanya said genuine inclusion would only be achieved when persons with disabilities could participate fully and equally in society.
She called for sustained efforts to make disability inclusion an established practice within the NBA and across the wider society.
