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When Identities Collide
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‘My disability, gender identity, and queerness are not separate parts of me. They are parts of what makes me whole.’
November 7, 2022
ABUJA, Nigeria – 32-year-old Olúwáṣeun Oníyídé Olútòni says she first became aware of the “otherness” people assigned to her during her formative years. “There was an unspoken family history where each child from the home attends the same school and performs tremendously well,” she says. “We were notably called ‘efiwé’ [genius], but that was not my case. I was stringing letters together in a meaningless way. I struggled with numbers and memory, I was behind in class, and was beaten repeatedly and thoroughly for being lazy.”
Oníyídé says navigating childhood with a learning disability was grueling, with no reasonable accommodations made for her. She describes one instance where, at their teacher’s urging, her classmates formed a circle around her and sang ‘olódo ràbàtà’ (loosely translated to mean with someone with low academic performance). While navigating school, family, and adolescence, Oníyídé was also getting reprimanded for her gender expression: “At 16, I had broken the standards of expected and assumed gender expression for a girl. I refused to wear skirts, do my makeup, or do my hair. I wore trousers, played football.”
With an estimated population of 206 million, Nigeria has over 25 million people with at least one disability. While there are few statistics on the demographics of disability in Nigeria, available evidence indicates that women are significantly more likely than men to be disabled. Northeast Nigeria also has the highest concentration of disabled people due to the insurgency there. However, what’s missing from available data is the intersecting and overlapping identities or experiences of persons with disabilities and the types of discrimination they experience.
Social and Legal Discrimination
In 2022, the Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER) Initiative conducted a study on the intersecting and lived experiences of LGBTQI+ persons with disabilities in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The study highlighted critical gaps ranging from social and legal discrimination to inaccessibility. “Living at the intersection of several marginalized identities gave me a lens through which to view how different types of inequality frequently interact and exacerbate one another,” says Oníyídé. “I couldn’t choose between my learning disability or my gender identity. I couldn’t choose my sexuality. I felt the repercussions of both issues. My disability identity and being queer have influenced how I navigate the world, which is political and personal. I face discrimination on all three levels, and I cannot separate these identities from one another.”
The depth of inequality Oníyídé faced came with great losses of friends, school, and family. It also ushered her into a family she chose after she left her home when she was 20. She found her way into the NGO sector in Nigeria and currently works as the program officer for empowerment health and wellbeing at the WHER Initiative. “I have found my home and community,” she says. “I think that queer and disabled dissent has a lot of power.”
A Criminalized Identity
But while Oníyídé navigates the intersection of sexuality and disability, her identity is criminalized by Nigeria’s laws. She remembers when the president signed the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act in 2014, banning any “public show of same-sex amorous relationship” in Nigeria. It was a historical moment that significantly increased the impunity and human rights violations committed against LGBTQI+ persons in Nigeria, including unlawful arrest, lynching, mob attacks, technologically assisted gender-based violence, and even death. “My disability, gender identity, and queerness are not separate parts of me; they are parts of what makes me whole,” says Oníyídé. “My human rights are not negotiable. There are no ifs, no buts, and no howevers.”
DJP Fellow Benedicta Oyèdayọ̀ Oyèwọlé is an intersectional feminist passionate about disability and women’s rights. She currently works as a program officer of diversity and inclusion at the Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER) Initiative, a nonprofit focused on promoting the rights and well-being of lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women in Nigeria.
@2022 WHER. All rights reserved.
News From the Global Frontlines of Disability Justice
Rwanda’s Marburg Crisis
As Rwanda confronts its first-ever Marburg virus outbreak, people with disabilities face heightened risks — not only from the virus but also from the lack of accessible health information. “Without proper accommodations, such as sign language interpreters, captions, Braille, or visual aids, the Deaf and DeafBlind community may miss crucial information about how to protect themselves, symptoms to watch for, or where to seek help in case of infection,” says Joseph Musabyimana, executive director of the Rwanda Organization of Persons with Deaf Blindness.
Capturing Vision Through Sound and Touch
Last summer, the DJP trained Indigenous activists with disabilities from the Pacific on the iPhone camera to create a documentary series on disability and climate change. With VoiceOver, the iPhone provides image descriptions for blind and low-vision filmmakers and offers other accessible features. “If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense for a blind person to use a camera,” says DJP filmmaker Ari Hazelman. “The iPhone gives you more avenues to tell your story in a more profound way as a blind person.”
Work for All
The We Can Work program equips young Rwandans with disabilities to navigate barriers to employment through education, vocational training, and soft skills development. By fostering inclusive workplaces and advocating for policy changes, the program aims to reduce poverty and promote economic independence. Participants like Alliance Ukwishaka are optimistic that the program will enable them to achieve their dreams and showcase their potential. The initiative is part of a larger effort to support 30 million disabled youth across seven African countries.
Global Recognition
Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo’s film “Dramatic Waves of Change” has been named a finalist in the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. The film, completed during a Disability Justice Project workshop in Samoa, highlights the impact of climate change on people with disabilities in Kiribati. Utumapu-Utailesolo, who is blind, used an iPhone with accessibility features to create the film. “Do not leave people with disabilities behind when [you] plan, implement, and monitor programs regarding climate change and disaster,” she says. Her achievement is a testament to the power of inclusive filmmaking.
Advancing Democracy
Rwanda has made significant progress in making its elections more accessible, highlighted by the July 15 general elections where notable accommodations were provided. This was a major step forward in disabled Rwandans’ quest for equal rights and participation. “You cannot imagine how happy I am, for I have voted by myself and privately as others do accessibly,” says Jean Marie Vianney Mukeshimana, who used a Braille voting slate for the first time. “Voting is a deeply emotional and meaningful experience for a person with any disability in Rwanda, reflecting a blend of pride, empowerment, and hope.”
Barriers to the Ballot
Despite legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act, barriers at the polls still hinder — and often prevent — people with disabilities from voting. New restrictive laws in some states, such as criminalizing assistance with voting, exacerbate these issues. Advocacy groups continue to fight for improved accessibility and increased voter turnout among disabled individuals, emphasizing the need for multiple voting options to accommodate diverse needs. ““Of course, we want to vote,” says Claire Stanley with the American Council of the Blind, “but if you can’t, you can’t.”