Disabilities
Prof Oguejiofo Ujam, the Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has said that his administration is committed to making the university’s teaching, learning and environment disability friendly, by removing all barriers.
Ujam said this in Nsukka on Friday during a one-day Dissemination/Training Workshop on providing educational support for People With Disabilities (PWDs) in UNN.
The event was organised by UNN Ford Foundation Research Group and sponsored by Ford Foundation
He said that UNN prides itself as an institution that gives priority to PWDs to ensure they have smooth academic journey from admission to graduation
“We are determined to make UNN disability friendly in teaching and learning as well as making our infrastructure accessible for PWDs
“UNN prides itself as an institution that gives priority to PWDs, we have a special consideration for them on our admission, examination, among others,” he said.
The VC who was represented by Prof. Romanus Ezeokonkwo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, however, reminded PWDs that there is ability in disability, noting that if they work hard to discover their potentials the sky would be their limit.
Speaking, Prof. Anthonia Achike, the Leader of Ford Foundation Research Group said that the workshop was aimed at creating awareness and sensitising the university community on how to enhance education support for people with disabilities in the university.
She said that the workshop would also be used to present the group research findings in the baseline-friendly status of survey on PWDs in UNN
“Our research findings show that there is a noticeable presence of PWDs in UNN but most of the buildings in the university are not disability friendly.
“Also, there is no special staff, no training of staff as well as poor representation of disabled people in the university management and at faculties and department levels,” she said.
She disclosed that the research group was working together with UNN management to have a policy frame work document that would address all barriers against PWDs
In a remark, Prof. Nkadi Onyegegbu, Director of the Gender and Development Policy Centre (GEN-CENT) UNN, who chaired the occasion, said that some persons with disabilities were some times stigmatised in various ways.
“Some people with disabilities at times are treated in Nigeria as if they are taboos, they are overlooked, underestimated and they face all kinds of discrimination in our society.
“These barriers prevent them from assessing their rights in social services, economic opportunities among others.
” Most institutions of higher learning in the country have not done enough to make their environments disability friendly,”she said
She, however, expressed optimism that the workshop training would address issues the PWDs are facing in society, especially at the UNN campuses, as well as providing educational support for them.
In a keynote, Prof.Emeka Ozoji, from Department of Special Needs Education, University of Jos, appealed for acceptance and support for people with disabilities, stressing that such treatment would help to remove barriers that make them to feel rejected as well as not being carried around.
In a Lead Paper presentation, Prof. Adaka Ahon, Head of Department, Special Needs Education, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, who spoke on the “Rights of persons with disabilities on campus for both staff and students” identified some of the rights to include;
“The right for physical accessibility, that ensures every structures must have ramps for disable persons to access buildings, right for curricular which ensures that the curricular meets the needs of PDWs.
“There is also right for accommodation, which give every disabled person the right to have an aid who will assist him or her at any point in time.
“This right of accommodation also ensure that PWDs are considered first in giving hostel accommodation in any institutions,” he said.
The Don explained that the disability act was signed into law in 2018 by Federal Government and had five years grace for compliance, this was as he rated UNN low in terms of disability-friendly compliance
“I discovered that the administrative block of the university among other buildings are not disability-friendly in terms of accessibility because they have no ramps,” he said.
Earlier, Prof Vicky Onu, head of Special Education Unit in UNN, commended the organisers for the workshop as well as the university management for the special attention now being given to PWDs and urged the management to keep it up.