The Foundation for Social Innovation (FSI) has initiated a campaign to address mental health disparities affecting persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria.
INN reports that the virtual event was organized by FSI to commemorate World Mental Health Day on 10th October, which took place on Saturday, 26 October, 2024.
During the event, facilitator Jesulademi Lucinda Ogunlade highlighted the complex mental health challenges faced by Persons with Disabilities, emphasizing that these issues could be mitigated if given the right priority.
According to Ogunlade, “Mental health is the right of every Nigerian citizen; it’s our responsibility. You have the right to access mental health care.” She added that Persons with Disabilities often experience multiple forms of discrimination impacting their mental well-being, including stigma, social isolation, and anxiety.
Ogunlade further explained that “some healthcare providers don’t recognize the need to provide mental health services to PWDs because they may not fully understand the daily challenges Persons with Disabilities face. This limits access to essential mental health support for PWDs.”
Citing statistics, she stated that “32.9% of adults with disabilities experienced frequent mental health issues in 2018, compared to their counterparts without disabilities.” Additionally, she mentioned that “17.4 million adults with disabilities reported poor mental health days recently.”
Ogunlade underscored that “everyone—government agencies, NGOs, family members, friends, society at large, and even Persons with Disabilities themselves—has a role to play in promoting inclusive mental health services.” She advocated for Persons with Disabilities to receive access to peer support, professional counseling, and training, which can enhance mental health accessibility for them.
In his welcome address, FSI founder Mr. Ezenwa Okoro described the foundation as a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering vulnerable and marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, marginalized women, underserved youth, and the elderly.
“Our program themed “Breaking Barriers: Mental Health awareness for persons with disability” is our strategic response to providing PWDs with the right knowledge, information and tools to navigate through their everyday lives, the stress and complexities that comes with living in a challenging environment such as present day Nigeria.
“We are poised to roll out several empowerment initiatives focusing on not only mental health, but also includes entrepreneurship, advocacy, medical and educational outreaches.”
Omolara Daniel, Programme Manager of the Foundation for Social Innovation, said, “Most people in Nigeria experience mental health challenges due to the country’s economic situation, and because of this, we deal with many issues every day.” She added that persons with disabilities face more challenges compared to their counterparts. The event was organized to help ease the disparities faced by persons with disabilities during these times.