Disability Rights Activist Urges President Boakai to Appoint Senior Adviser on Special Needs

A Liberian Disability Rights Activist, Dakpannah U-Thant Nicholas Smith, is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. to appoint a Senior Special Assistant on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities within the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.

In an open letter addressed to President Boakai, Smith argues that the appointment would help ensure that issues affecting persons with disabilities are given greater attention at the highest level of government.

He says persons with disabilities in Liberia continue to face widespread poverty, limited access to education, inadequate social protection and exclusion from economic and political opportunities.

Smith also points to what he describes as gaps in the implementation of Liberia’s disability-related laws and policies, despite the country’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the establishment of the National Commission on Disabilities.

According to him, the absence of a senior presidential adviser dedicated to disability inclusion risks leaving efforts across government ministries fragmented and under-resourced.

The activist proposes that the proposed Senior Special Assistant would advise the President on policies affecting persons with disabilities, coordinate disability-related programs across government and promote inclusive budgeting for areas including special education, assistive devices, accessible infrastructure and social protection.

He also wants the position to strengthen collaboration between the Presidency, government institutions and disability organizations, ensuring that persons with disabilities are directly consulted in decisions affecting their lives.

Smith says the proposed position would not replace existing institutions but would elevate disability inclusion to the level of the Presidency and make it part of Liberia’s broader national development agenda.

He further argues that the appointment would demonstrate that persons with disabilities are rights-holders and active citizens whose concerns should be reflected in national decision-making.

The Disability Rights Activist has appealed to President Boakai to consult the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, the National Commission on Disabilities and disability organizations on the establishment of the position.

Smith says he and other disability advocates are prepared to support efforts aimed at strengthening collaboration between the government and communities of persons with disabilities.