A Professor of intellectual and developmental disability, Professor Olubukola Christianah Dada , has emphasized the need for stakeholders in the education sector to address the growing number of out-of-school people among the People Living with Disabilities (PLWD) in the country in order to ensure the attainment of the sustainable development goal four (SDG4).
A statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Thursday noted that Professor Olubukola Christianah Dada said this on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, while delivering the 13th Inaugural Lecture of the Kwara state University, Malete, which was titled “Despondency, Despair and Hope, Tales of Intellectual Disability in Special Needs Education”.
She also submitted that children with intellectual disability should not be denied qualitative education that would make them productive members of society.
Professor Dada, who is the 1st female Professor to deliver an inaugural lecture, and the 1st woman to become a Professor at the institution’s Faculty of Education , noted that more often than not, persons living with disabilities are marginalized and disproportionately poor because they are excluded from education, employment, and political processes because of their communication, physical, and sensory impairments, making them more dependent.
The inaugural lecturer, who noted that persons with disabilities suffer more abuse from parents and other adults, also identified the abuse to range from physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect.
She added that while persons with disability are sexual beings and deserve equal rights and opportunities to have access to their sexuality, misconceptions about disability have negatively affected many from marrying persons with disabilities.
‘To think or vehemently oppose the idea of persons with disabilities getting married means the society considers them as lesser human beings who are not fit to mingle with those without special needs.
This is not only gross injustice, but violation of their fundamental right like any other person.
Although marriage is a personal issue between two interested people, once they show interest, they should not be discouraged; they should rather be encouraged and supported’ she said.
Professor Dada also recommended greater societal acceptance of people with special needs, emphasizing the importance of school curriculum that will ensure that no child is left behind.
While commending the management team of the Kwara state University for taking the lead with the establishment of the disability support office for staff and students at the institution who have disabilities, she also called for increased funding of special and inclusive schools in the country with periodic evaluation of the schools and personnel.
Dada also advocated prompt rehabilitation and upgrade of special and inclusive schools to be fitted with modern facilities to create enabling learning environments for children with special needs, pointing out the need for appropriate technology to improve the quality of life of persons living with disability.
“No doubt persons with disability would continue to be a part of humanity as people can acquire a disability status at any age.
Having a disability, especially intellectual disability, should not exclude people from discovering and pursuing their aspirations in life, a way to change despondency and despair to hope, to make life more meaningful for persons living with disability’ she submitted-Team@orientactualmags.com
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