17th October, 2019
The Swedish embassy has documented the lives of some Nigerians living with disabilities to promote conversations on their rights.
The documentary photographs were exhibited at the ongoing Abuja International Photo Festival. The 2019 edition of the festival, tagged ‘Engaging Realities: Examining visual stories in a global world’, featured several exhibitions on topical issues.
Presenting the photographs, the Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Carl Michael Gräns, said that the entire collection was about improving the accessibility of disabled Nigerians.
The photographs, titled ‘AccessAbility: Beyond Physical Environments’, were taken by Andrew Esiebo and featured 14 Nigerians, who were photographed and interviewed.
Gräns said, “The embassy is proud to be part of the festival this year we are proud to contribute with the exhibition titled Accessibility. The theme is beyond the physical environment. Accessibility goes beyond wheelchairs. It is about democracy and human rights.
“Rights of people with disabilities are still not taken seriously in Nigeria. The people featured in this exhibition have been interviewed and photographed. An estimated 19 million Nigerians are living with disabilities and the individuals photographed are not the end of the story. They are just snapshots.
“The exhibition attempts to raise awareness while capturing their everyday life, dreams, and hope. It is summed up with one word – dignity,” he said.
The exhibition tours the world intend to raise questions of accessibility and inclusion in society for people with mental or physical disabilities.