Persons with Disabilities have lamented the level of exclusion they experience in the provision of basic needs, access to infrastructure, and non recognition in the Badagry environments.
The group made the disclosure in a live interview with Devoice Newspaper on Saturday.
Chairman of the Association of Persons with Disabilities, Badagry chapter, (APWD), Mr. Raji Barnabas says attitude of the community towards Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) was very poor. PWDs in Badagry have been suffering from the community for long. They are not recognized.
Barnabas noted that adequate provisions are needed for PWDs in the areas of education, employment, empowerment and scholarship – lamenting that persons with disabilities were not considered among beneficiaries during distribution of JAMB forms among students in Badagry.
He gave instance of a politician who organized an empowerment program last December.
According to the chairman, no Person with Disability was among the beneficiaries. Odd enough, this took place at a time the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was being celebrated.
The visibly indignant chairman called for recognition of persons with disabilities. According to him, “the Local and State Governments should first recognize the PWDs in their various demographics.”
Barnabas urged the State Government to establish branches of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) in all Local Governments of the State. He said: “We can’t be going to LASODA at Alausa to register.”
Public Relations Officer of the Association and CEO, Inclusive News Network, Sejoro Ekundayo, called for appointment of a Special Assistant to serve chairmen of Local Governments and LCDAs in Badagry.
Mr Sejoro believes that by appointing a PWD as Special Assistant, the interests of over 2,000 people with disabilities in Badagry will get better representation in Government. Besides, that would be making the concept of inclusion more real for these vulnerable persons.
He went on to reiterate: “We want recognition because in our Local Governments and LCDAs, we are not recognized. This is unlike what obtains in another Local Government like Bariga, where there is a Special Assistant to the Chairman and LCDAs.
“There are many brilliant and smart Persons with Disabilities in Badagry. Well meaning Badagrians should consider ways of including our people in community/Government activities through appointments. We want Inclusion”
“We appreciate the All Progressive Congress, APC, for doing the right thing by appointing some of us to represent them in each ward and local Government in Badagry. That was laudable. However, since these same people are in power in Badagry, they will do well to take the gesture a notch up by appointing us in Local Governments and LCDAs as Special Assistants”.
Ekundayo, a member of the Badagry Welfare Association of the Deaf and a special teacher, lamented the inadequacy of specially trained teachers and teaching aids for children with disabilities in Badagry special schools.
Citing instance of the Methodist Junior and Senior High Schools in Badadry, the teacher of the Deaf revealed that there are just four sign language interpreters and no special teachers. He lamented the situation, saying: “that’s not how it should be”. Children with Disabilities require specially trained teachers for learning to take place.
“The Deaf child, for example, need specially trained teachers who understands sign language. The Blind learner needs Braille and recording devices to assist learning. The mentally disabled child needs a certified instructor who understands that teaching this child requires more time for learning to take place.”
Ekundayo notes that the situation is the same at Muslim primary school and L.A primary school, both in Badagry. Very few special teachers are available.
A member of APWD, Hungavu, Olawole Ola emphasized that people with disability are capable of handling some offices in the organizations and Local Governments. He urged the people not to ignore them because of their disabilities.
According to Ola: “People with Disabilities are declined for employment owing to wrong attitudes of some politicians and members of the community. The situation in Badagry isn’t at all encouraging. There is too much stigmatization of PWDs”.
A sign language interpreter, Abdullahi Busari, disclosed that Methodist High School is the only inclusive secondary school in Education District V. He therefore called for establishment of more Special Schools in Badagry.