CAI4SR Calls for School Adjustments to Accommodate Children With Disabilities

A non-governmental organization, the Community Advancement Initiative for Self-Reliance (CAI4SR), has called on government and private individuals in education sector to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate children with disabilities.

Speaking at the Media Engagement Advocacy and Training of Journalists on Awareness Raising about Inclusion and Disability Rights, held in Osogbo, State capital, the Executive Director of CAI4SR, Mrs. Eni Ayeni, emphasized the need for promoting inclusive education for children living with disabilities to foster a sense of belonging among all students.

Ayeni argued that advocating for the establishment of special schools could be seen as perpetuating segregation rather than promoting inclusion.

According to her, ”When you say if I’ll advocate for the establishment of special schools, the drive now is inclusion, I’m saying that because we are preaching inclusion.

“The mainstream schools that are already established can be made to be inclusive. For instance, in Osun state, my organization did a project 2 years ago where we selected 4 schools in Osun state and we renovated some of the toilets for children who are wheelchair users to be able to navigate themselves into those schools.

“The drive is that don’t seclude them we are preaching inclusion so instead of establishing schools for special needs, why not make it inclusive. We already have schools on the ground, let’s make what we call reasonable adjustments so that children with disabilities can equally learn with children without disabilities. By doing that you are giving them a sense of belonging.

“If we removed all the barriers persons with disabilities can function the same way with persons without disabilities.

“What is remaining in the Osun State Persons With Disability Law is to be implemented. It is not something that can be done in a day so it is a gradual process so for me once a law is domesticated, the next action is for the law to be implemented. If it is not implemented, it will just be on paper.

However, the representative of Justice Development and Peace Maker Centre, (JDPMC) Barr. Veronica Ene Onoja charged the government to do all the necessary things in ensuring implementation for Persons with Disabilities law in the state.

She said, ”Government have fundamental role to play. We have talked about public buildings, adjustment of public buildings so that it is accessible to persons with disabilities.

“All these things are necessary for the government to do to ensure that these law is implemented in Osun state,”