The founder of Star Children Development Initiative (SCDI), Grace Alexander, on Saturday, said the organisation had achieved a lot since its establishment as a non-governmental organisation 10 years ago.
The founder said this during a book launch to mark the 10th anniversary of the organisation.
She added that the initiative had changed the narrative of people with disabilities in Nigeria, describing disability to be uniqueness which must be embraced.
“We have been able to change narratives about what disability is. For me, disability means uniqueness and another way of life which we need to embrace because as we grow older, we will live with disabilities,” she said.
Alexander urged the Nigerian government to give more support to people with disabilities, appealing that the welfare of persons with disabilities should be included in budgets.
“The government should help people with disabilities more and there should be an inclusive budget, inclusive education and inclusive health. There should be more accessibility to health and they should change the module from medical to social module.
“There should be fair representation of people with disabilities as they are about 30 million in population in Nigeria who are not ably represented.
Book reviewers at the event said the book titled, ‘Living with the unexpected: Cultivating joy in the midst of multiple challenges’, must be embraced by all.
Speaking on book, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development, at the University of Lagos, Ayodele Atsenuwa, said, “What I have highlighted in this book is the loneliness of the author in the midst of everybody which brings about stigma and shamefulness.
The event also witnessed panel discussions and Grace Alexander also used the opportunity to donate assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches to many children with disabilities and some organizations providing services to children with disabilities.
