Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
A former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has lamented that the neglect of persons living with disabilities (PWDs) has led to an army of beggars in the North.
To this end, he called on governors, development partners and philanthropists to invest more in persons living with disabilities to reduce begging in Northern Nigeria.
Ganduje, who is the immediate-past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the call on yesterday in Abuja during the 10th anniversary of Let’s Talk Humanity (LTH), an organisation caring for the education needs of deaf and blind.
He stated, “In the northern part of this country, people with disabilities are so much relegated to the background. That’s why we have an array of beggars across the northern part of this country day and night.
“Some sleep under bridges, some sleep on the road, this is a sorry story but looking at what we saw this afternoon, you can see that there is a silent revolution if what we have seen could be adopted by our executive governors, development partners and by various philanthropists, there’s no doubt there will be a big change in our society.
“Yes, they are neglected because they are physically challenged. This has affected their psyche, motivation and they cannot even think they are human beings like other beings but unveiling this kind of programme we are making them to be like any other human being in our society.”
Also, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard Doro, said that assistive devices or technology must be developed with PWDs in mind at the design stage.
Doro stressed that inclusion is not an option but a design imperative.
“We must recognise that for the global community of persons with disabilities, different is often the difference between isolation and independence.
“For a student with a visual impairment, a screen reader isn’t just a software, it is their sight. For a learner with a motor disability, eye tracking technology isn’t just an address, it is their house. For the neurodivergent with adaptive interfaces are not just features, they are the quiet focus environment they need to thrive.
“Inclusion is not an option, it is not an act at all, it is a design imperative. And I like what one of the contributors said earlier in today, that when we design assistive devices, or when we develop assistive devices or technology in general, this has to be done with people living with disabilities in mind at the design stage, you don’t wait until you do it before you begin to adapt it for people to use, and I believe it is an important point to make,” Doro stated
According to him, there was a need to move towards a future where accessibility is by design, and moving away from retrofitting tools towards building universal platforms that work for everyone from day one, stressing that dignity must be a priority.
He added, “Technology should empower individuals to navigate the world on their own terms, reducing the friction of daily life and education barriers are deconstructed, and that is very important.
“Whether it is a lack of captions for the hearing impaired or non navigable websites for those using assistive technology. These are not personal disabilities, they are societal design features that technology has the power to fix.
“Empowerment happens when we stop seeing disability as limitation to the market, and start seeing it as a perspective that drives innovation. When we design for the margins, we end up making better tools for everyone.
“Let us ensure technology starts as the ultimate equaliser, transforming the landscape of education into a space where every unique ability is recognised as a strength, as we discuss today.”
Speaking, the Founder of the Initiative, Ms. Fatima Ganduje-Ajimobi, said what started as a vision has grown into something tangible, with a 500 per cent increase in tertiary institution enrollment from Tundu Maliki Special School, Kano.
She noted that they are no longer speaking in hope, they are now speaking in evidence.
She added, “Today is a deeply personal moment for me, because this event, in a lot of ways, feels like I’m introducing a child, one I have kept protected for a very long time, one I have nurtured, guided and believed in, even in moments when the path I had felt uncertain for a long time.
“This vision lived quietly. It grew in conversation, in classrooms and in small but meaningful conversations. It was shaped by the people we met, the stories we heard, and the gaps we could no longer ignore.
“We have a blueprint, not just an idea, not just passion, but a model that has been tested, refined and proven. We have seen what is possible when intention meets action, and more importantly, we are confident in the scalability of what we have built.”
Ajimobi revealed that the organisation has been able to have a ripple effect in the last 10 years — training some of the students and the teachers of the institution.
She said the school is turning out over 1,000 students every year, because it has primary, Junior secondary and senior secondary all on the same campus.
“Most importantly, I will say that the greatest level of impact is providing our centre and our model of education as another solution, as another alternative to what we have presently going on, which is the almajiri crisis that is plaguing the northern country, northern side of the country.
“We believe that our ICT Centre is a great model that has been proven, and it has been tested,” Ajimobi noted.
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