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•Some children living with disability. Source: http://www.pacellischoolfortheblind.org/team.html
The Lagos State Government, through the Office of Disability Affairs, has urged stakeholders to cater to children living with disabilities.
This was stressed on Thursday at the year 2024 celebration of Special Needs Children in Lagos, held at the Abayomi Finnih Recreational Park, Ikeja, with the theme: “Every Child With Disability Deserves Inclusive and Quality Living.”
The General Manager, Office of Disability Affairs, Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, said the state was working to ensure that children with disabilities were catered for in all spheres.
Oyetunde-Lawal said, “Our children are our pride, regardless of their disabilities. Their unique needs are to be celebrated, not marginalised. Sadly, many children with disabilities continue to face barriers in accessing education, healthcare, social inclusion, and even basic dignity.
“These barriers extend beyond the physical; they are societal and attitudinal, stemming from a lack of understanding, prejudice, and a system that too often views these children through the lens of limitation, rather than possibility.
“We must shift this mindset and recognise that they are integral members of our society, deserving of the same rights, opportunities, and respect as any other child.
“Inclusivity builds a culture of mutual respect and understanding, where everyone feels empowered to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Social inclusion demands that our communities embrace diversity, challenge stigma, and create accessible spaces and opportunities for all,” she said.
She emphasised that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu government would continue to be dedicated to the needs of the special children by ensuring they experience the unwavering support that would foster an inclusive society where they enjoy the same opportunities as every other child.
Some of the resource persons at the event, including a psychologist, Mabel Okereafor, and a therapist, Oni Oluwa, took turns to enlighten participants on how to best cater to the unique needs of these children.
In June, some medical professionals and child development experts called for a concerted effort to enhance support for children with special needs.
The experts, who were speakers at the YBC reunion event organised by the 2002 alumni of the University of Lagos College of Medicine, lamented that there was discrimination against children with special needs.
