LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Disabled access, or the lack thereof, is a very important conversation in today’s socio-political climate. In other parts of the world, it is a trending topic amongst celebrities like the Paralympians at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, or amongst ordinary people trying to thrive in various stifling environments. This is a tale of one differently abled person navigating her way through one of the most limiting cities in the world, otherwise known as Lagos, Nigeria, and her quest to make it a better place for all the disabled people in her environs.

On the 21st of April, 2014, a road traffic accident caused a spinal cord injury, leaving me paralysed from the waist down. After three and a half years away from the place where the accident happened, (Lagos), I returned, worried about my future and how I was going to figure out a life in this constraining place. My fears were completely valid because Lagos is what I like to call“The Land of Steps.”Technical architects, civil and structural engineers and interior designers currently do not consider the needs of mobilitychallenged people who have to struggle just to get into banks, bars, restaurants, friend’s houses, and even their own houses. These physically challenged people are forced to stay at home because they do not feel included in the architecture of the commercial and residential buildings they are trying to gain access to.

Everything is a struggle. Nearly everywhere is limiting. That is why I decided to start a Foundation called Light at the End of the Tunnel (L.E.T.). I have a fighter’s spirit, perseverance, determination and willpower. I thought if I could just get my foot in the door and spread awareness of the difficulties disabled people have to go through in Lagos City, things could finally start to change for the better. The first port of call was to establish the Foundation, the second was to introduce and launch it, the third was to engage and work with the Lagos State Office of Disabilities Affairs and the fourth was to organise an international Conference with three other physically challenged persons who possessed the knowledge and experience to compare disabled access across continents. The inaugural L.E.T. Foundation Conference successfully took place in October 2020 and a second is being planned.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel Foundation was birthed out of another mantra, “Always

Keep Fighting,” started by the awesome Jared Padalecki, one of the stars of the TV show, Supernatural. He struggled with depression during the third season of the show and launched a campaign to remove the stigma of mental health. Being influenced by such an important message, I came up with my own slogan: “There is Always Light at the End of the Tunnel.” It is a reminder that no matter what you are going through in life, you should always fight to get to the other side. There will be light in the darkness.

Being a disabled person in Nigeria is a very complex and problematic experience. I decided to work with different people to ensure that there is a significant change on the policymaking side of things. It is actually written in Lagos State law that commercial establishments should be wheelchair accessible and they have two years to make the necessary modifications as soon as they have been notified by the relevant authority. The main problem is because disability access is not a top priority of the Federal government, despite the fact that equality for all (I am paraphrasing here) is part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 10,

the Federal and State authorities in charge are currently ineffectual. Implementation and monitoring are virtually non-existent.

Did you know that 25 per cent of the Nigerian population is disabled and 15 per cent of those living and breathing in the world are differently abled? Surely the fact that these people make up a sizeable proportion of our country should mean their rights are protected? That their voices should be heard and they should be considered in the urban and town planning of a city?

Back to the issue at hand. The Foundation was created with four main goals in mind:

• The first is to spread awareness of spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

• The second is to influence disability policies in Lagos State, and eventually, Nigeria.

• The third is to mobilise donations to cover living and medical expenses for those that are differently abled.

• The last, but certainly not the least, is to start a scholarship fund for disabled children in Lagos.

They are indeed noble goals but one question remains – how do I go about achieving them? Firstly, collaborations with the ‘right’ people are the way forward because I cannot fight this battle alone. Working hard and putting my all into the Foundation is the second thing I must do. Third is simply to believe in myself and my capabilities. It is going to be a long, hard road because there are obstacles at every turn. It is going to be an uphill battle, fraught with dark twists. People are apathetic because it does not concern them directly. There are many little hills to die on but the show must go on.

In conclusion, the right to be treated as an equal in the eyes of the Federal and State governments in Nigeria is something that we need to work on. We need to band together and ensure that we give voices to the voiceless. Awareness must be raised through hosting as many hybrid Webinars and Conferences as possible to ensure that we bring this salient issue to the fore front. Inclusivity must become a top priority. Exclusion must become something of the past. We will conquer this beast of restriction and lift up those that are physically challenged. Let us start today and become forerunners in this race. As I always say, there is light at the end of the tunnel.