Dearth of inclusive education policy threatens over 20 million Nigerians
Dearth of inclusive education policy may exclude over 20 million Nigerians living with disability The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) world population disability ratio has revealed.
The greatest asset of any nation lies in its human capital development policies, which converts raw talents and potentials into value-adding skills. People with disabilities (PWDs) seem the most neglected in the formulation of National Policy on Education in Nigeria.
Nigeria has ratified the United Nation Convention on the right of people with disability making it necessary to provide equal right, access and opportunity to everyone with disability regardless of religion, race or ethnicity.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) world population disability ratio, estimates that over 20 million of Nigeria’s over 170 million live with some form of disability. According the World Bank’s statistics, of the 12 million out of school children in Nigeria, 4 million live with disability. There is no policy instrument designed to harness this latent human capital source.
A research conducted by an organisation of PWDs and 3600 Connect Tech, a start-up technology hub for PWDs, shows that devices used by people with disabilities is capable of earning Nigeria over $2 billion annually. Adekoya Rasak, visually impaired CEO of 3600 Connect Communication, says “one single user license screen reader software used by a visually impaired (blind) person cost over two hundred thousand naira. In the south west of Nigeria only, there are over fifty thousand visually impaired people. The guide cane used as a mobility device by the visually impaired on an average cost is five thousand naira each. One brailing machine used for writing Braille cost over N150, 000.”
Rasak added “the software, guide cane, and brailing machine are all imported into Nigeria. This is only for the visually impaired. What about the wheel chair used by those with spinal cord injury? The speech recognition used by the amputees? All are also imported into Nigeria. And these are devices that Nigerians could develop and build which would reduce the amount spent on importation”.
He surmise, “the reasons for the reluctance of investors or Nigerians who have the requisite resources and skills to tap into this industry is lack of inclusive education policy and willingness of government to invest on the education of PWDs in Nigeria. Such policy will address inclusive education curriculum, funding of special education, accessible school building facility, technical aid and assistive technology.”
Experts say when one person living with disability is educated; she has the ability to discover herself, think productively, and be innovative and creative. When engaged productively, she can contribute to the socio-economic development of her state through the taxes she pays. And she can as well feed her family rather than been fed.
In the United States of America, 65% of their 54 million people living with disability are gainfully employed. In Nigeria, less than two thousand of its 20 million plus disability population are gainfully employed.
As the world rides on with the fourth industrial revolution, revolution 4.0, powered by artificial intelligence, education systems analysts raise questions about inclusiveness for Nigeria’s over 20 million PWDs. The productivity of PWDs would depend on the quality of education and skills that would effectively integrate them into the society.
John Wall, who died in 2008, aged 78, a British lawyer and the first visually impaired judge at the High Court of Justice of the 20th century narrated, “in my lifetime, the attitude of the general public in the United Kingdom towards disabled people, and their rights, has undergone a radical change. This has meant that it has been possible for lawmakers to confer a large collection of ‘rights’ on blind (and other disabled) people”.
Wall continued, “At the age of eight, I joined the disability movement when glaucoma finally resulted in my becoming totally blind. I moved easily from a sighted elementary school into a residential special school for the blind. From there, my transition to Oxford University was far from easy – a major and challenging culture shock. I previously had little contact with my sighted fellows.
“Academic demands and the need to acquire social graces made life hard. But I survived; took my degree safely; and became a solicitor. I got a well-paid job; married; have four sons; was widowed; and was appointed a deputy Chancery Master (the first blind person in modern times to be appointed to judicial office)”, he added.
STEPHEN ONYEKWELU