Children living with disabilities in Lagos State and its
environs may now heave a sigh of relief as Lagos State Government, some parents
and medical experts have agreed to take concerted efforts against disabilities
in children.
They reached the consensus at the first ‘Stakeholders Summit
on Disability’ organized by the office of the Special Adviser to the Lagos
State Government on Social Development. The Summit, whose theme was Ability
in Disability: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine, was held at the Civic Centre,
Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday.
Addressing participants at the occasion, the Executive
Governor of the State, Mr. AkinwunmiAmbode,
represented by Her Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Dr. IdiatAdebule, said the
state government had decided that every category of people necessary must
henceforth align forces to make life more meaningful for children living in
disabilities.
The governor said early intervention of disability in the
affected children would help a lot in giving hope of a meaningful life to those
children. As a result of that, he said the concept of early intervention was
targeted at parents and guardians of the target children.
His words: “Early
intervention of disabilities in children will afford you the opportunity to do
what is needful medically. Since nothing can be done to change the
circumstances of those children, you must show them the abilityto support them
in harnessing their potentials.”
In her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor
on Social Development, Mrs. Joyce Onafowokan, disclosed that the governor’s
inaugural speech in which Governor Ambode advised that our circumstances should
not be obstacles to our dreams with the promise that the issues of disability
will receive greater attention this year necessitated the Summit.
According to her, too often, some professionals make the
mistake of telling parents what they need only, in handling disability in
children. However, she said with the Summit, the State Government was beginning
a new journey because we are putting systems in place to be better at early
diagnosis and intervention.
She said: “We are here to ask you to join us. We want to
listen to you. We want to know how we, all, collectively, in partnership can
better the lives of our children.One thing I want you to know is that being
here at this Summit, is our first step in the mandate that His Excellency gave
to us.We will get there but we must agree to move. We must agree on where
we want to get to and how we intend to get there.”
In his keynote address delivered at the Summit, Professor Julius
Ademokoya, Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, said there is no
person with disabilities without abilities for one’s good and the good of
humanity; provided necessary assistance is given.
He therefore advised that some programmes and procedures
must be put in place to ensure early identification of disabilities. Among the
programmes he suggested are: Antenatal Disability Screening, Newborn Screening
and Ability/Disability Assessment.
For the way forward, Professor Ademokoya said Intervention
programmes for managing disabilities should target establishing Special Needs
Education (SNE) that would provide the required education to curtail
disabilities, educate persons with disabilities and sieve out abilities from
disabilities.
He insisted that adequate support must be guaranteed for
persons living with disabilities through: Attitudinal change programmes,
Instituting necessary legislations and Highlighting capabilities and
achievement of persons living with disabilities.
Similarly, Dr. (Mrs.) BarakatAnimasahun, Associate
Professor/ Consultant Paediatrician, College of Medicine, Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, said disability in children can
lead to stigma and
discrimination; poor caregiver interaction; institutionalization; violence,
abuse and neglect; as well as limited access to programmes and
services.According to her, all these easily lead to poor survival, development
and failure to reach full potential.
Meanwhile,
Animasahun stated that there is ability in disability; as a result of that she
advised people to always highlight more the positive side of disability over
adverse side. She advised that prevention of conditions causing disability
should usually be prevented.
According
to her, some of the causes of disabilities in children can be reversed if they
are discovered early enough ad necessary intervention measures are taken.
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