…Urges Parents of Children with Disabilities to give access
to Education
By O'Seun Ogunsakin
A Non-Governmental Organization in Ekiti State, Disability
Not a Barrier Initiative (DINABI), has trained selected media practitioners in
the State on empowering inclusivity and bridging communication gaps between the
society and people with disabilities (PWDs).
Speaking in Ado Ekiti at the one-day training, the Executive
Director of DINABI, Mr. Funso Olajide said the training became necessary in
order to correct the derogatory descriptions used by people especially the
media for people with disabilities (PWDs).
Olajide who noted that people might not be aware of the
appropriate terminologies for PWDs said the training was aimed at strengthening
the capacity of the media which he described as partners in progress.
The Executive Director listed words such as cripple,
imbecile and people living with disabilities, among others as inappropriate;
noting that these words could make PWDs lose their self esteem and engage in
nefarious activities.
He equally appealed to parents who have children with
disabilities to grant them access to quality and formal education as
disabilities do not affect creativity and intellect of PWDs.
Olajide who noted that people had in the past stereotyped
and confined PWDs to learning shoe cobbling and street begging, stated that
many PWDs are already making meaningful contributions to the society as some
are practising as professionals in different fields of human endeavours.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the chairman of the Nigeria
Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the State, Mr Kayode Babatuyi had assured PWDs of
proper reportage and accessibility to the various media platforms across the
State.
Babatuyi expressed optimism that the one-day training would change the perception of both journalists and the public about PWDs as the trainings acquired would be replicated among members of the Union.
The training workshop was funded by Disability Rights Fund (DRF).
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