By Ndidiamaka Ede,
The Association of Students with Special Needs (ASSN) University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) chapter, has called on authorities in higher institutions across the country to make learning and living environments more conducive for students, especially those with disabilities.The Association made the call during her first awareness /sensitization programme tagged, “Breaking Barriers Towards an Inclusive University for All” held at the UNN Faculty of Arts Lecture Theatre on Thursday, 22 June 2023.
The ASSN UNN president, Chukwuebuka Martins, in his welcome address, thanked the school administration for efforts so far in making sure that Students with Disabilities excel academically.
In the address read by John Adoyi, also a member of the association, he however, lamented about challenges facing Students With Disabilities in the institution such as: finding it difficult to navigate the school environments because of the attitudes of some drivers, falling into drainage channels in the school environment, being mandated to buy hard copy textbooks amongst others.
“We use this auspicious occasion to plead with the school to make learning and living more inclusive for all. Provision of textbooks and exam questions in soft copy or Braille, giving extra time during handwritten exams, provision of speed bombs around certain areas like the library road, and ramps in school buildings to aid mobility and easy stay of persons with disabilities in the institutions,” the association pleaded.
In the same vein, a guest speaker and the president of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, (JONAPWD) Enugu, Comr. Onyebuchi Mba, who is also battling with the challenge of visual impairment, urged the university to empower disabled persons and implement policies that will mitigate their challenges.
Mba stated that the attitudes of some Nigerians towards Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) have contributed to aggravating their challenges.“When you empower a person with disability, you have empowered many people. Former president Muhammadu Buhari had in 2018 signed an act for PWDS, but it is yet to be implemented. How about the policies to take them up because what PWDs suffer in Nigeria is not really the challenges that come with being disabled but, the attitude of Nigerians towards this group. The challenges usually start from primary schools down to higher institutions. We lack training personnel in the special school. How do we continue in such environment? Many classrooms are no-go areas. This is dehumanizing,” Mr Mba lamented.
Mba, who is also the coordinator of South East National Association of Blind Persons encouraged the Students With Disabilities (SWDs) not to allow anything to weigh them down, telling them that their destinies are in their hands.
“But I was told that whoever happens to be a lion, is forever a lion no matter the challenges. You may not value what you have until you lose it. Your destinies are in your hands; know that God is not done with you yet. You should know that Onyebuchi Mba was not born blind, I lost one of my eyes at eleven, later on, I lost the other and my parents died when I was still young. Being the only child of my parents, I was left with nobody to take care of me. Since I made it to this point, you too can make it” Mba told the SWDs.
Also speaking, the coordinator, Human Rights Volunteer Corps (HRVC) Enugu, Dr Larry Oguego explained what it means to have an inclusive institution.
“What does it mean to build an inclusive society? How do you make the lion den more inclusive? It means designing an environment that will take care of everybody”
Dr Larry, who is also the Patron of students with disability in Enugu, stated that he is a die-hard friend of people with disability, and pointed out things that the university should do to curb the suffering of SWDs.
He said the first step is “building infrastructure.”
According to him, it is not just about building houses, but having people with disabilities in mind while constructing these things.
“In this case, infrastructure is the key. In building, you have to consider if people using wheelchairs can actually enter the door. Can they climb the staircases?
*Another way of making the university inclusive for all is by providing study materials for persons with disabilities. The essence of the name university is for a holistic study. Since you have admitted them to the university, provide materials for them, if you know that you are not ready to teach them, do not admit them. The school should consider providing these people with laptops, smart phones and applications to navigate their studies. People should be trained to handle Braille and to interpret for the deaf” Larry added.
