For many Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, in Edo State, government laws have often felt distant , written in complex language and locked away in documents they could not easily read or use. This narrative has changed as the Edo State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo,has unveiled an accessible version of the Edo State Persons Living With Disability Law, 2022.
The goal is simple: move the law from government files to the hands of the people it was made to protect.
The unveiling ceremony, held in Benin City, was organised by the Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, EDSCPD, in collaboration with the Network for the Advancement of People with Disabilities and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, RoLAC. The hall was filled with Persons leaving with Disabilities (PWDs,) caregivers, community leaders and advocates who have long called for clearer information on disability rights.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary to the State Government,Umar Musa Ikhilor, represented by the Functioning Permanent Secretary of his office ,Mr. Ernest Ohunyon, said the initiative has addressed a major barrier in understanding.
“The strength of any society lies not only in its physical structures but also in the extent to which it guarantees equal opportunities for all citizens,” Ikhilor stated. “By making the law accessible, we are strengthening public awareness, encouraging compliance, and empowering citizens with the knowledge required to claim and protect their rights within the framework of the law”.
He reaffirmed that the Okpebholo administration remains committed to building an inclusive Edo where persons with disabilities are not viewed through the lens of dependency or limitation, but as equal contributors with the right to thrive.
The moment drew excitement from stakeholders. In his goodwill message, the Executive Director of the Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities, NAPVID, Barr Melody Omosah, said the accessible version gives families a fighting chance. He called for radio programmes in local dialects to push the message further into communities.
Omosah then walked the audience through key provisions that now feel less like legal jargon. Section 18, he explained, guarantees the right to education for persons with disabilities from primary to tertiary levels. The law also mandates at least one special school in each of Edo State’s 18 local government areas and makes it an offence for parents or guardians to deny children with disabilities access to education.
Earlier, Chairman of the Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Theophilus Egbodion, described the accessible version as a tool for dignity. “When people understand their rights, they can demand them. This version puts that power directly in the hands of PWDs,” he said.
With copies of the accessible law now ready for distribution across the 18 LGAs, the government says the next phase is grassroots sensitization.