A non-profit organisation in Osun State, Community Advancement Initiative for Self-Reliance (CAI4SR) has selected five schools in Olorunda and Osogbo Local Government areas of the state to pilot an initiative to make public schools accessible for children with disabilities.

The Executive Director of Community Advancement Initiative for Self-Reliance Eni Ayeni disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting in Osogbo which was organised by CAI4SR.

The meeting was attended by, representatives of Ministries of Education and Works and Transport, health workers from Osun State University Teaching Hospital and teachers from selected schools.

Stakeholders in Osun State called on the state government to make public schools accessible for Children and Young Persons with Disabilities.

Ayeni urged Osun State House of Assembly to pass disability Bill into law to curb discrimination and protect the interest of persons with disabilities.

She said that her NGO trained some teachers in the state to strengthen their capacity to conduct simple early detection and diagnosis of disability among children.

Ayeni said the meeting was aimed at strengthening the partnership between education and health sector workers and other stakeholders.

Ayeni added that the objectives of the project funded by The Leprosy Mission Nigeria through the Lilian Fonds is to facilitate and support the process of making school environment more accessible for effective teaching and learning of children and young persons with disabilities in the selected schools in the state.

She said four existing government primary, secondary and one tertiary institution in Olorunda and Osogbo Local Government areas with high population of students with disabilities would be used to pilot the project.

According to her, “The project goal is to ensure increased enrolment and retention of children and youth with disabilities in mainstream schools through accessible teaching and learning environment in four pre-tertiary schools and one tertiary institution in Osogbo and Olorunda local government areas of Osun State.

“We appealed to the House of Assembly to pass the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 in Osun State so as to stop discrimination against persons with disabilities in the state.”

The Chairman of the Osun State chapter of Joint National Association of Persons with Disability, Stephen Oluwafemi appealed to government to provide facilities that will make it easy for children with disabilities to attend schools.

In his presentation, a Social Development Advocate, Benjamin Ayeni noted that when the law is in place, whoever that discriminate against persons with disabilities would be punished.

He said: “Persons with disability have the right to access physical environment and buildings. With the law in place, offenders would be fined N1,000,000 or two years imprisonment or both.

“Person with disabilities should have access to education, health and first consideration in queues, accommodation and emergencies and their liberty and right should be guaranteed. They should be given employment opportunity and be encouraged to participate in politics and public life.”

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