Uche Andrew, while boarding an aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital territory, was given a wheelchair as a form of assistance for her disability. The problem, however, was that she did not have mobility issues but a hearing impairment.
Hassan may have moved on from that incident because it is no longer a shocking development. She is used to it. However, such treatment contradicts the 2015 Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Regulations on Consumer Protection. Obinna had taken all the necessary steps to ensure his mother’s comfort, notifying the airport of her need for assistance in advance. Yet, when they arrived, they were met with a disheartening reality.The wheelchair was eventually provided, but it was a pitiful sight, barely functional, and reminiscent of a relic from a bygone era.
The bill, which sought to protect their rights by curbing discrimination and promoting inclusion, also required public buildings to make necessary adjustments for those with disabilities. The Abuja airport has an elevator which is meant to assist those with disabilities or passengers who do not wish to use the stairs or escalator. However, the elevator was not working at the time TheCable visited the local airport. Passengers with mobility issues were forced to use either the stairs or the escalator.
Check-in and booking processes are another uphill battle for passengers with disabilities. The absence of lowered counters creates significant obstacles for individuals with mobility constraints, especially wheelchair users. Navigational challenges persist as well, with a lack of sufficient signage disproportionately affecting those who are visually impaired or have cognitive disabilities.
The absence of audio beacons compounds the struggles faced by visually impaired travellers, depriving them of vital guidance within the airport. Even announcements in multiple languages often remain unintelligible to those with hearing impairments probably due to subpar microphone and speaker systems.
“Sometimes, the person that brings a disabled person to the airport is allowed to follow them to the boarding gate, or the PHC just takes over. Alex said it was not the sole duty of FAAN to provide assistance as “the airline has to play its roles”. According to him, the airport has facilities such as wheelchairs and elevators to assist those with disabilities and elderly people. He pointed to a dark room filled with wheelchairs.
Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)
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