Litinin Adegbite is a woman with disability, she became a person with disability at the age of five years old as a result of wrong injection. She is from the family of five children, she is married with three male children.
In a chat with our correspondent, Bulus Bala Izang, she talked about her family, her education and the way she being treated by her family and other people
TQM. Is your husband a person with disability?
He is not a person with disability
TQM. What are you doing for a living?
I am working with Bassa local government education authority.
TQM. Can you tell us a little about your educational background?
Yes, l did my primary school at Zagon primary school, from there l went to Government Secondary school Jos, after that, l later on have NCE with College of education Gindiri in Mangu local government of Plateau state. I completed it and got married.
TQM. What would you say is the level of your acceptability by your family, being a person with disability?
I thank God for the family l come from, they are good and loving. They treat me well.
TQM. Your family members treat you well, What about the treatment from other members of the society?
Some treat me with respect, but some treat me as if l am not a human being, for a example, our church branch in Bassa local government, we were to go for a certain program and a bus was stationed for us, l went and entered the bus, but a woman from another branch, told me that, l am in the wrong bus, l kept quite, she repeated the statement again, and l responded that, l know where l am going, because l knew she is doing this because of my disability.
When the bus was ready to move, the chairperson point to me, and said financial secretary, pray for us, after the prayer, that woman was in shame for the treatment she gave to me.
This and others are the kind of treatment people with disability get from some members of the society.
TQM. What do you do, when ill treated by people?
I sometimes ignore them, while sometimes l try to point out to them the need to respect human dignity in respective status.
TQM. Are you aware of bodies the government have put in place to help protect the rights of persons with disabilities, such as, the National Disability Rights Commission?
Yes.
TQM. Do you have the intention of approaching such bodies for help, when your right have been violated?
I pray it would not get to that point.
TQM. As a woman with disability, what unique challenges do woman with disabilities faced?
Women with disabilities face a lot of challenges, like when we become pregnant, people look at us with surprise, wondering why we should be putting ourselves in such a position. They forget that we are human with sexual drive and desire of having a family. And When we are in Hospital to give birth, some medical personnel don’t want to come close to us, not to talk of attending to us because of our disabilities.
TQM. Apart from your work with the local government, do you engage yourself with other activities?
Yes , l do some tailoring and sometimes l keep poultry birds.
TQM. In these your tailoring and poultry business, Have you received any assistance in form of grant or loan from the government or other people?
No.
TQM. But have you applied for it?
Yes, l have applied, more than two different occasion without success.
TQM. Before we go, what will be your personal appeal for assistance to the government and other people?
I am appealing for financial assistance to boast my business, so that ,l would be able to earn more money, to pay for my children’s education and to take of myself.
TQM. Thank you so much for your time.
Thanks you for coming.
