YES Programs

MENU  

STORIES


ADA 30th Anniversary Inspires Nigeria Disability Act Awareness Campaign

Ada

On July 26, the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was celebrated not only by Americans, but also by YES Alumni in Nigeria. This act, which prohibits discrimination based on disabilities, made a phenomenal impact on people with disabilities (PWDs) and also greatly impacted alumni in Nigeria. 

In 2018, after years of advocacy by disability rights groups and activists, Nigeria passed the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, a legislation similar to the ADA. Under this disability act, Nigeria has made inclusion, equity, and accessibility a priority for all individuals.

This legislation, which was a long time coming, was very welcomed by people with disabilities across the country, including YES alumni. According to Nehemiah Danjuma, the inclusion and access he enjoyed while in the YES Program, his community, and his school, can be attributed to the passing of the ADA 30 years ago. He believes that this new law, if fully implemented, will put Nigeria in a position to provide the same level of accessibility and rights to PWDs as their peers in the U.S.

For the ADA 30th anniversary, Nehemiah led a social media campaign with other Nigerian alumni with special needs to raise public awareness about this important piece of legislation.

Ada 2

These alumni started a “DID YOU KNOW?" campaign on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp. Eleven fliers were made to promote the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, and two fliers went over the ADA and its impact on the Nigeria's Disability Act. 

The goal of this social media campaign was twofold: educate people on key provisions of Nigeria's Disability Act and foster better compliance with the law. Alumni and people with disabilities were not excluded from the impact this campaign had either. Through this campaign, many of them had the chance to learn what their rights are and to what extent the law protects those rights and privileges. 

This social media campaign was only a small part of the celebration of the ADA 30th anniversary and the movement to create awareness about the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act. Alumni have also designed and implemented numerous projects aimed at empowering persons with disabilities (PWDs) through education such as the Sign Language Acquisition Program in Kaduna and teaching blind children how to use typewriters and computers in Plateau State. All of these projects may not have happened without the inspiration of the ADA and without the hard work from YES alumni.


Share: