VOICE Persons with Disabilities Community of Practice Network Marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) 2025
The VOICE Persons with Disabilities Community of Practice Network (VOICE PWD CoP Network) joins the global community in commemorating the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) with a renewed call for urgent and concrete action to dismantle barriers facing over 27 million Nigerians with disabilities (NBS, 2020).
This year’s theme, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” underscores a critical truth: Nigeria cannot achieve true development while persons with disabilities remain excluded from education, employment, digital access, and public life.
Despite years of advocacy and the passage of Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, millions of Nigerians still face daily obstacles, ranging from inaccessible health facilities and non-inclusive schools to policy gaps and limited participation in governance.
The VOICE PWD CoP Network emphasizes that disability inclusion is neither a favour nor charity but a matter of human rights, social justice, and smart national investment. When persons with disabilities have equal access to opportunities, society benefits from stronger communities, increased creativity, and more resilient economies.
Key Calls to Action
The VOICE PWD CoP Network is urging government, private institutions, and development actors to mainstream disability inclusion in all policies and programs, supported by evidence from Nigeria’s 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey highlighting lower school attendance and poorer health outcomes for children with disabilities. Specifically, the network calls on the Nigerian government to:
- Ensure full accessibility of public infrastructure by modifying government offices, health facilities, and public transportation in line with the National Disability Act 2018.
- Effectively implement the Inclusive Education Policy 2023 to integrate children with disabilities into mainstream schools.
- Expand economic opportunities and vocational training for persons with disabilities and rigorously enforce the 5% minimum employment quota mandated by law.
- Domesticate, strengthen, and fund disability-inclusive policies at both state and national levels.
Nationwide Initiatives for IDPD 2025
Through its national learning community, advocacy campaigns, and capacity-strengthening initiatives, VOICE PWD CoP continues to support organizations, activists, and young leaders in dismantling discrimination and promoting rights-based inclusion. This year’s IDPD activities will focus on:
- Bridging the digital divide and building inclusive online communities.
- Promoting safer online and physical environments for women and girls with disabilities, in solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2025.
- Amplifying the voices and lived experiences of persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls, in decision-making spaces.
The network calls on government agencies, diplomatic missions, civil society, donors, media platforms, and the private sector to take sustained action to drive meaningful inclusion. Real inclusion requires accessible infrastructure, inclusive programming, effective laws, genuine consultation, and long-term investment in the empowerment and leadership of persons with disabilities.
About VOICE PWD CoP Network
The VOICE PWD CoP Network, an initiative of the linking and learning component of the VOICE Project in Nigeria supported by Oxfam, is a coalition of non-profit organizations dedicated to mutual learning, advocacy, and amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities. The network provides a collaborative space for the disability community to connect, share experiences, and innovate solutions to the challenges PWDs face, with a focus on inclusive education, healthcare, employment, climate action, and economic empowerment.
Since its establishment in 2021, the network has remained committed to advancing the rights, dignity, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Nigeria by leveraging inclusive legal frameworks, building capacity among PWDs and stakeholders, providing accessible services, and partnering with key stakeholders to drive systemic change.
For More Information:
Email: connect@voicepwdcop.org
Phone: +234808181749
Voice Persons with Disabilities CoP Network social media channels:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/VoicePWDCoP/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/voicepwdcop/
X – https://x.com/voicepwdcop
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@VOICEPWDCoP
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voice-pwd-cop/
Website – https://www.voicepwdcop.org.ng
