Students with disabilities at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) are living in hazardous conditions at the Village Hostel, according to a new report.
Some of them are forced to stay awake at night when rainwater enters their rooms.
Ms Joseph, Mr Patrick and hundreds of other students with disabilities at the university continue to struggle with the situation. Some names in the report were changed to protect the identity of the students.
The university management has so far kept quiet on the matter.
Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, provides for access to public buildings. The findings raise questions about how the university is meeting those obligations.
The report also compares the Village Hostel with Westfield Court, a student residence for people with disabilities at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. The UNIJOS Vice-Chancellor, Tanko Ishaya, once worked there as a lecturer.
A response was sought from the commission on what steps it could take to hold public institutions accountable for accessibility failures. The aim is to ensure students with disabilities have equal access to safe accommodation and education.
For an institution whose motto is “Discipline and Dedication”, the report describes the conditions as a troubling test of those principles.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
