The disability community in Kaduna State on Tuesday appealed for equal access to educational facilities and learning materials in state-owned tertiary institutions.
The community made the appeal in Kaduna during a one-day media chat on inclusive education organised by the Kaduna State chapter of the Joint National Associations of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD).
The media engagement was supported by the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment & Development (CALPED) and the Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board.
Suleiman Abdulazeez, state chairman of JONAPWD, said that despite an inclusive education policy in the state, most of the state-owned tertiary institutions were not accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Mr Abdulazeez complained that PWDs in the various state-owned tertiary institutions of learning, including the federal and private institutions, were grappling with physical barriers, making it challenging to access classrooms, laboratories and offices.
He added that there was also the problem of communication, particularly for the hearing and visually-impaired people in tertiary institutions.
Other barriers, he said, include attitude, perception and intersectional experiences, making it difficult for PWDs to study in tertiary institutions.
He, therefore, called for a transformation of the whole education system through the implementation of relevant policies and laws, funding, administration, infrastructure design, and education delivery and monitoring to ensure inclusiveness.
He disclosed that JONAPWD was currently implementing a project entitled “Advocacy and Capacity Strengthening of Young Persons with Disabilities on Inclusive Education Framework in Nigeria” in the state.
Rilwan Abdullahi, the national president, National Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities in Nigeria, said only a few PWDs transited from secondary schools to tertiary institutions because the facilities, the delivery system and the attitude of the education managers were not friendly to PWDs.
He added that some PWDs were limited to studying specific courses in tertiary institutions because of disability, which he described as “unacceptable”.
The executive secretary, Kaduna State Disability Affairs Board, Aliyu Yakasai, added that the state government was doing all it could to address the concerns.
Mr Yakasai said much needed to be done, considering the complex nature of disabilities that many still do not understand, including high-ranking government officials and academics.
He stressed the need for a massive media campaign to sensitise the public on disability inclusion in education and other spheres of life.
