I Was Told I Won’t Get Admission To UI, Today I’m A Proud Staff Of The Varsity- Physically Challenged, Titilayomi

PWDs Celebrity of the Week 002:

Akolade Ruth Titilayomi’s story is not only touching but also inspiring. Like many other persons living with disabilities, she has had her fair share of challenges. For her, her situation is not a limitation. Hence, from her struggles to get education to being rejected in finding employment, she holds firmly to the mantra, ‘Quitters Never Win’. She tells INN in this interview how she was earlier rejected admission into University of Ibadan, but became a proud staff of the University years later. Excerpts:

Let’s meet you

I am Akolade Ruth Titilayomi. I was born on the 4th of August some decades back. Both my parents are late.

What was growing up like?

I lost my mother at the age of six years old. So, growing up was not easy. I and my siblings grew up living with my maternal grandmother.

Tell us about your education?

I attended Atanda Olu School for the Handicapped in Surulere, Lagos where I obtained my First School Leaving Certificate. I proceeded to Aunty Ayo Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Obalende, Lagos State. Afterwards, it was very difficult for me to continue with my education. None of my family members believed in my ability to embark on tertiary education journey as a person with disability. I was abandoned. Nevertheless, I have always had a very strong passion for education. This strong drive to succeed prevailed over my family’s negligence. I strived and got admitted to Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo State. I studied Computer Education/ SRE. Upon completion of my National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme, I applied for a Direct Entry admission to the University of Ilorin but it didn’t click through. The failure was however a blessing in disguise.

I later learnt of Distance Learning programme offered by the Distance Learning Center (DLC) of the University of Ibadan. I applied for the programme and got admitted to study Special Education. Some years after I obtained my Bachelor’s degree, I returned to the same institution to undertake a Master’s degree studies. By the grace of God, I am a Master’s degree holder today.

What disability cluster do you belong to?

Physically Challenged

Can you tell us about it?

I was told that when I was about two years of age, I suffered from Measles and it resulted to the disability.

What intervention or remedial measures did your parent sought to correct the damage?

My parents, especially my mother, took me to different places like Baba Obadare Church and several other churches for healing. We visited Islamic religious and trado-medical houses too. Upon reflection now, I recall one of these visits where the clerics read from the Bible, prayed in the Islamic way then consulted the spirit in traditional way. All these efforts yielded no result. However, after I have grown older too, I took it upon myself to search for miracle everywhere I could. The search continued till a fateful day, one of the members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Mass Choir counseled me against seeking for miracle. Rather, I should allow God to use my disability to preach the gospel to the world. And that is what I am doing now. I believe that disability is not a barrier, and if one does not give up, a disabled person will surely get to where God has destined him for.

How did the disability affected your growing up and educational experience?

Disability really affected my growing up because people believed that disability is a disease and those who are disable cannot do anything in life. My educational experience was very tedious. When I was in primary school, I went to school by public transport and it was tedious because our house was very far from my school. I used to leave home as early as possible. The experience was the same at secondary school. When I was running the part time programme at Distance Learning Center, University of Ibadan, I was also working in Lagos State. I had to work to get money in order to support my education. I was always travelling from Lagos to Ibadan and it was not easy at all. But I pressed on so that people can look at me and have a positive mind transformation about people with disabilities.

So, what was your motivation to go to school those days when you were younger seeing all the difficulty you pass through to access school, did you not feel like quitting?

Initially, it was difficult and I used to cry all the times but God, I just believe in God. Though, I was not a church-goer. So I used these two motivations to encourage myself; 1. Tough times never last but tough people do. 2. Determination leads to success. Quitting was not in my dictionary at all.

At that tender age, how did you know all that?

At the tender age, I always cried but I have my siblings who stood by me and encouraged me to move on.

So, we can say that your siblings motivated you to strive on while you were young?

Yes

Relationship, what has been your experience like?

Relationship – Hummmmm! It has not been easy but I have adjusted to it. Please, I don’t like talking about it. Sorry for not giving you information about it.

It is alright ma. Can we talk about the accommodation service you have used and/or currently using?

Initially, I was using armpit crutches. I later changed to ankle crutches. Sometimes, I have pain in my shoulder when I walk too much. The devices were acquired by buying it. My parents and family were bearing the cost at first, but now, I buy it myself.

Tell us about your career life.

I worked at Bamgrayor Nursery and Primary School, Lagos from 2006 – 2009 as a class teacher. Creative Academy, Ifako, Lagos State from 2009 – 2010 as an Adminstrative Officer. Fundas Nursery and Primary School, Barika, Ibadan. I worked temporarily at the DLC, University of Ibadan between October 2010 – December, 2010. After which I secured a permanent appointment as Non-Academic staff at the same institution in May 2011. I worked there till December, 2018. In January 2019, I was transferred to Human Resource & Development unit at the University of Ibadan.

In all the places that I have worked, initially, they believed that person with disability should be exempted from duties at work. This is a handicapped treatment, and it should not be so. Indirectly, opportunity that belongs to one will be given to another. I always proved to them that disability does not stop one from doing what is expected of one.

I also learn different handwork like bead making, hat and fascinator, hair dressing and now bag making.

How are you contributing to the society, especially to alleviate discrimination attached to disability?

My contribution now is encouraging people with disability that I know very well about how to make use of their disability. Also, I educate family of persons with disability to help them bring out the ability in their child with disability. I also have a school called God’s Best Education where I assess children with disability and take case study for the purpose of referral to appropriate Special education resource available and fitting for their condition.

Where is the school located? And is it registered?

We don’t have location yet but I am using my office for now. First step has been taken towards registration. It remains the payment for the certificate.

That is commendable. Which category of disability is your school catering for?

All categories of disability. I have some Special Educators who studied different areas of disability. I focus on person with hearing impairment.

So, let’s say your institution right now serves as a resource centre for children with different types of disability to get connected to available services.

Yes, correct

Share your experience of any discrimination moment.

I have experienced so many discriminations but the one I can remember was that because of my disability, I was denied some things. And when I started working, those I worked with believed that because of my disability, I cannot do some things. Some of the things I supposed to benefit from were given to another people. I just don’t know why, people have turned pity to discrimination without them knowing, they felt let’s have pity on them so what a disabled person is entitled to will be given to another.

So also, I can never forget the day I was told that ‘I am not the kind of person University of Ibadan will give admission’. But thank God, it is in the same University of Ibadan that I am now a staff.

Your word for the government, the society etc.

My word for Government is that they should try and include person with disability in all they are doing and they should always stand up to meet the needs of the society. The government should also advice everyone about employing persons with disability not discriminating. The society should try and change their mentality about disability and always include them in everything in the society, accept us the way we are and also treat us as human beings not like animal, no discrimination. To my fellow people with disability, they should believe in themselves and prove to people that disability is not end of the world but there is ability in disability.

With my disability, I can do all things through Christ that strengthen me. I believed that disability is not limitation but there is ability in disability.