Mr Nick Bebiem, Project Director, Ability in Disability (AID) talent hunt show and Miss Health Beauty International Foundation, has said that persons with disabilities (PWDs) deserve to have good jobs and a sense of belonging in society.
He stated this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
According to him, most PWDs have suffered lots of neglect and discrimination, while their talents and skills are left unharnessed due to a lack of opportunities in society.
He noted that many of the PWDs were intelligent, talented and with great potentials and skills that could be of economic benefit to the country.
Although Bebiem described signing into law of the Disability Act as a step in the right direction, he, however, called for proper monitoring of the law to ensure implementation of the five per cent employment opportunities for the PLDs.
He noted that as part of efforts to ensure an all-inclusive system for PWDs, his organisation would be hosting the first Nigerian reality TV show, tagged “Ability in Disability” (AID) and packaged exclusively for PWDs to harness their potentials and talents in the entertainment industry.
“The AID talent hunt is the brain child of “Miss Health International Foundation,” packaged to give opportunity for PWDs to show the world that they too can become “super stars”.
According to him, the talent hunt is designed to discover, develop and promote the gifts and talents inherent in persons with disabilities that will boost their self-esteem and make them independent.
“It will be a dream come true seeing 50 contestants with disabilities groomed and trained in an in-house camp for 13 weeks and given great opportunities to express themselves through their unique gifts and talents,” he said.
Bebiem called on well-spirited individuals and organisations to join hands in the fight for humanity by giving people with disabilities a future they can look forward to in society.