Originally published here.

The United Nations and its agencies such as the International Labour Organization, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have made efforts in addressing concerns of Persons living with Disabilities (PLWD) and Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) at the workplace. Municipal and regional frameworks with case law interventions have complemented the above effort, which has now expanded the legal jurisprudence on anti-discrimination in the world of work. It is against this background that this research discusses the Nigerian response to contemporary issues on the rights of PLWD and PLWHA.

Models of Disabilities.Over the years, writers[1] identified several models as responsible for the treatment of PWDs. The models are charity, biomedical, economic and socio-political models. 2. Reasonable Accommodation.The principle of reasonable accommodation espouses the modification and adjustment of a job application process or a work environment to enable a qualified individual with a disability to be considered for available jobs.[2] 3. Vocational Rehabilitation. [3]Vocational Rehabilitation means programs designed to restore or develop the capabilities of people with disabilities to secure, retain and advance in suitable employment – for example, job training, job counselling, and job placement services.

The protection of the rights of persons living with disabilities and HIV/AIDS remains a collective goal. There is need for Nigeria to drive a genuine and comprehensive national policy towards the protection of these vulnerable groups, to ensure public and private sector participation. The provision of reasonable accommodation, vocational rehabilitation, awareness programmes, is inevitable in addressing the several challenges of these vulnerable groups at the workplace.

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