Liberia: Disability Rights Activist Urges Boakai to Appoint Senior Disability Adviser

Monrovia — Disability Rights Activist Dakpannah U-Thant Nicholas Smith has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. to appoint a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities to ensure that issues affecting persons with disabilities receive greater attention at the highest level of government.

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By Patience M. Jones,patiencejones@frontpageafricaonline.com

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Smith made the appeal Monday through an open letter addressed to President Boakai and posted on his official Facebook page, arguing that disability inclusion must become a central part of Liberia’s national development agenda.

In the letter, Smith urged the President to establish the proposed position within the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, saying the appointment would provide direct and expert advice to the Presidency on policies, programs and decisions affecting persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

According to Smith, persons with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in Liberia, including poverty, limited access to education, inadequate economic opportunities and exclusion from political and social participation.

He also pointed to persistent cultural stigma surrounding disability, noting that some people continue to associate disabilities with curses, witchcraft or punishment rather than viewing them through a human rights and development lens.

Smith acknowledged Liberia’s progress in establishing legal and institutional mechanisms for disability inclusion, including the country’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the establishment of the National Commission on Disabilities, and the adoption of a National Action Plan on Disability.

However, he maintained that implementation remains uneven and fragmented across government institutions.

Smith said the absence of a senior disability adviser at the presidential level risks leaving disability-related initiatives disconnected from broader government policies and programs.

“A Senior Special Assistant on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities would, at minimum, be mandated to provide direct, expert counsel to the President on laws, policies, and programs affecting persons with disabilities,” Smith said in his appeal.

He proposed that the adviser coordinate disability-related initiatives across key government institutions, including the Ministries of Education, Health, Gender, Children and Social Protection, Labour, Public Works, Transport and Justice.

The proposed office, he argued, should also help promote inclusive budgeting, particularly for special education, assistive devices, accessible infrastructure and social protection programs.

Smith further called for stronger disability data collection and evidence-based planning through collaboration among the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), the National Commission on Disabilities and disability-focused civil society organizations.

‘Nothing About Us Without Us’

Another major responsibility proposed for the position is to serve as a formal link between the Presidency and organizations representing persons with disabilities.

Smith specifically referenced disability organizations and networks, including the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) and the Liberian National Association of the Deaf, stressing that persons with disabilities should be directly consulted on policies that affect their lives.

He argued that the proposed appointment would not duplicate the work of existing institutions but would instead elevate disability concerns to the highest level of national decision-making.

Smith also noted that advocacy groups have previously called for the appointment of a dedicated disability adviser, particularly as the President’s advisory structure includes experts covering several areas but lacks a dedicated adviser focused specifically on disability inclusion.

Appeal to President Boakai

Smith commended President Boakai for what he described as commitments toward inclusion and social justice, including the President’s engagement with deaf students and educators and his support for inclusive education.

However, he said stronger institutional action is needed to translate such commitments into sustainable policies and programs.

He urged the President to initiate consultations with the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, the National Commission on Disabilities and disability organizations to determine the appropriate steps for establishing and filling the proposed position.

Smith said the appointment would send a strong message that persons with disabilities are not merely recipients of charity but rights-holders and equal citizens whose voices should influence national policy and development.

He further argued that placing disability inclusion at the heart of the Presidency would strengthen Liberia’s compliance with its international human rights commitments and demonstrate the government’s commitment to building a more inclusive society.

“Persons with disabilities and special needs will see their rights, voices, and aspirations more fully reflected at the heart of governance,” Smith said, expressing hope that President Boakai would give serious consideration to the appeal.

The activist concluded by assuring the President that disability advocates, organizations and families remain willing to work with the government to build stronger bridges between the Presidency, ministries and communities across Liberia.