Nigeria-born, Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, (MCDHH) Executive Director and second Nigerian Deaf Lawyer, Dr. Opeoluwa Sotonwa has received the Judge Arnold Krekel Trailblazer Award for Human Rights.
He promised to impact Missouri’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Community by ending language deprivation for Deaf children and providing them access to English and sign language literacy resources, as well as evaluation tools that will ensure they have the foundation to receive a quality education that is comparable to that of their hearing peers, amongst other things.
Dr. Sotonwa accepting the award during the virtual Missouri Human Rights Conference
He made the disclosure after receiving the award presented by the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) at the 2020 Missouri Human Rights Conference, a virtual event organized to celebrate International Human Rights Day, Thursday.
While emphasizing on the award presented to Dr. Sotonwa, and other recipients, the MCHR Executive Director, Dr. Alisa Warren, remarked that Mr. Sotonwa and other honorees at this year’s event “exemplify the characteristics of Missourians working for positive change in our State, and their actions serve to inspire us all.”
Dr. Sotonwa holding a framed proclamation for Human Rights Day and the Judge Arnold Krekel Trailblazer Award
In his acceptance remark, Dr. Opeoluwa Sotonwa said that he was very thankful, humbled, honored, yes, even a bit overwhelmed to be selected as a recipient of the Judge Arnold Krekel Trailblazer Award for Human Rights.
He recalled that like himself, Judge Krekel was an immigrant, among the foremost abolitionists who were pivotal in the drafting and ratification of Missouri Emancipation Proclamation of 1865 which abolished slavery.
He said, “As a fellow immigrant, it is thus gratifying to be honored in the historical emulation of exemplary life of service to others that Judge Krekel led.”
Dr. Sotonwa listed several people, to include Governor of Missouri State, USA, Mike Parson for their contributions to the success.
The grateful awardee then delved down memory lane: “While I am thankful for the recognition, I wouldn’t be here today if not for the generosity of Professor Konyin Ajayi, the man who God used to sponsor my education. I must also use this opportunity to recognize individuals who are the backbone of the successes of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, namely; Emily Morrison, Laurie Lister, AJ Housewright, Jessica Kallenbach and Jeffrey Spinale – without them, moments like this wouldn’t be possible. Their hard work, commitment to the true ideal of public service, and their beliefs in my philosophy of servant-leadership provided me the ineeded impetus to deliver. I thank the Missouri legislators for their unwavering support of MCDHH. I thank Governor Mike Parson for making sure we have the resources to serve Deaf Missourians. I am grateful to my partner, Cassandra and my three boys, Bolu, Lekan, and Konyin for providing me the love, warmth, and inspiration I need to stay motivated, energetic, and innovative in serving the 600,000 people that make up Missouri’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community.”
Recalling his experience as a Deaf lawyer in Nigeria which ensued his passion to fight for human rights of all Deaf people, Dr. Sotonwa cited “Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” While “all human beings” is inclusive of people with disabilities, this group is often missing from the conversation. I personally felt it an assault on my rights when I was first denied admission to study law in Nigeria because of my deafness. It was experiences like this that lit my passion to fight for the human rights of all people with a hearing loss.”
Dr. Sotonwa displaying his award and proclamation along with the MCDHH staff (left to right: AJ Housewright, Jeffrey Spinale, Jr., Laurie Lister, Opeoluwa Sotonwa, Emily Morrison, Jessica Kallenbach)
“I am proud that my team at MCDHH has made great strides in improving opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Missourians over the last six years. Our new Hearing Aid Distribution Program allows low-income people to access vital technology that empowers them to be gainfully employed and to engage meaningfully with their communities. Our support service provider program gives people who are DeafBlind independence through self-determination. Our work to bring House Bill, 1963 to life this year will remove discriminatory barriers that have prevented Deaf drivers from obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License.”
“While we celebrate our successes on occasions like this, we must continue to work diligently to keep making progress. In the next year, MCDHH will be taking on more issues that continue to impact Missouri’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. These include ending language deprivation for Deaf children and providing them access to English and sign language literacy resources, as well as evaluation tools that will ensure they have the foundation to receive a quality education that is comparable to that of their hearing peers. High speed internet and accessible software are necessities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people to be able to utilize modern services, such as telemedicine. These front burner issues represent only a minute fraction of the important work we advocates have cut out for ourselves to truly guarantee equal rights for Deaf people.”
Dr. Sotonwa, concluded his speech on an inspiring crescendo which clearly mirrored the innate passion that merited his award:
“The challenging times we face today may distract us from having hope; but, in the words of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, “it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” On this occasion of International Human Rights Day, I want to encourage us to commit in doing our part to improve our world. Our purpose in life is to be useful, to be compassionate, and to make a difference. Thank you and God bless!”
1 comment
[…] Also Read: Nigeria’s Dr. Sotonwa wins Trailblazers Award in the US, Promises Quality Education, an En… […]