Cllr Kangar Urges GoL To Set Accessibility Standards For PWDs
The Chairperson of the Office of the Ombudsman, Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Findley Kangar has urged the Government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. to set an Accessibility Standard for People With Disabilities (PWDs) in Liberia.
Accessibility standards are guidelines and regulations designed to ensure that products, services, and environments are usable by people with disabilities aimed at removing barriers and creating inclusive experiences for everyone, including those with wheelchairs, visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairment.
In his keynote address during the official program marking the observance and celebration of the International Wheelchair Day held Wednesday March 26, 2025, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, in Monrovia, Cllr. Kangar explained that there is a need to set accessibility standards to guide infrastructural and policy development by the government and stakeholders of the disabled community.
Cllr. Kangar admonished the members of the disabled community to work with the Office of the Ombudsman to include qualified members of the disability community on its staff to create an accessibility task force, if one has not been created to redesign premises and train staff to rebuild the country inclusively.
According to him, the nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable people.
He said the recognition of the vulnerable populations is the reaffirmation of the Government principle to support the vulnerable and physically challenged as enshrined in Section 4.4 of the code of conduct.
According to the Chair of the Ombudsman, “Wheelchair Day reminds us that mobility devices are more than tools, they are symbols of freedom and independence as they enable individuals to pursue their passions, careers, and dreams.
"Today we gather not just to discuss buildings, but to reimagine Liberia's future-a future where every citizen, regardless of physical or sensory ability, can access the halls of governance with dignity as in the 21st century where accessibility is not a privilege, but a fundamental right as the day also calls us to reflect on the barriers that still exist and recommend breaking them down," Cllr. Kangar indicated.
He added that Liberia has taken steps forward to improve the welfare of PWDs, referencing the establishment of the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD); the Code of Conduct; and the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
These policies, according to him, are ensuring equality in principle, but equality in practice requires us to look closer and deeper.
