BENIN CITY – The Salvation Army has called on educational institutions to promote Inclusiveness in schools to accommodate Persons With Disabilities.
The Supretendant, Salvation Army Benin, Major Bramwell Chukwunwem made the call during this year’s 2018 “We Ring The Bell” event at midweek in Benin city.
The event which is in collaboration with Liliane Fonds Foundation, harped on the need for individuals, organizations, parents association as well as policy makers to always consider vulnerable groups when planning.
Major Chukwunwem who reiterated the need for all children, including children living with disabilities to go back to school, lamented that, these groups are “Commonly left behind” at home, asserting “If we do not act, they will also be left behind in life”.
Chukwunwem, while urging the society to change their perception about persons living with disabilities, especially children, noted that the annual event is in line with United Nations programmes on vulnerable groups.
“This children with disabilities deserve equal opportunities as they have equal rights like other able persons in our society”, He said
On her part, Edo State Coordinator, Advocacy for Women With Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), Janet Omole called for public enlightenment work in schools to begin the process of educating the school and the general community in order to eradicate superstitions about causation of disabilities.
Public enlightenment, the Edo AWWDI Coordinator explained would modify the fears and myths about children with disabilities that create misunderstanding and inhibit normal interaction.
In a lecture titled, “Improving Education For Children With Disabilities – Quality And Access”, Omole stated that, the National Policy on Education provides for inclusive education for all children, hence children with disabilities have the right to qualitative, functional and effective basic education.
According to Her, “the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004 provides that basic education is free and compulsory for all school-age children.
“Even if enough schools were to be provided to accommodate all children in Nigeria, children with disabilities would still be excluded if those schools are not designed, constructed, equipped, staffed, administered and managed in a disability-inclusive and physically accessible manner”.
High point of the occasion was the ringing of bells and waving of flags to signify that all children, including those
with disabilities are welcome to school.
