Plight Of The Visually Impaired

December 3 is the day set aside as International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day is important to give filip to and draw awareness to the plight suffered by people with disabilities. Ours isn’t yet an inclusive society. People with disabilities are ring-fenced out of our society with too many hoops on their path. It must end.

I was invited to a gathering of the disabled and it was lovely to spend such a day and be with these special ones at LA Kings Hall at Stadium Road in Port Harcourt.

The event planner, Ngozi Clementina Osuagwu, a diamond counsellor of Exceptional Diamonds School (hope for persons with disability) came out with the aim to share stories to uplift and bring smiles to provide a platform for connection and to reflect on global events,

Interestingly Osuagwu,  the mission leader was not born blind but lost the use of  her sight at a later stage (whilst studying for her masters degree) in life but, regardless, she has developed the necessary sangfroid to be passionate about issues of disability.

Rivers State and Nigeria should be proud of this wonderful lady and staff members at Exceptional Diamonds School where they run the school based on charity without governmental support.

Their team includes professionals not limited to braille users, sign language instructors, special educators and properly trained counsellors.

The issue of disability in Nigeria has been described as one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time. We pity the disabled, forgetting that pity only de-values the relationship between us and the disabled. That shameful wall needs to be torn down. They don’t need pity but action, part of which is to help them “educate, advocate, build capacity and inspire the world and in the process build a harmonized society.” They need money, structure, human resources etc.

A school such as theirs makes it possible for the disabled to receive equivalent education which by the way is a right and not a privilege.

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful story if government joined efforts to provide them with a state-of-the-art facility with equipment  for the training of visual and hearing-impaired persons. Shouldn’t life at least be tolerable for all?

No nation can develop without the humanism of collective man, the groundswell of incredible community support has over the years helped shaped civilization positively.

Humanity refers to all of us and not just some of us. Humanity demands that we be responsive to those who suffer any form of adversity.

Without being overbearingly jaded people with disability need first class attention and need to be checked  for health problems like malnutrition, depression, suicidal ideation and post traumatic stress disorder etc.

You can’t be in a gathering such as this and not hear touching stories. Stories included denied access in banks, having to wait in queues for long periods of time without consideration by the physically-fit, denied loans in banks only because of their disability and refusal by taxi drivers leading them to engage in tortuous shanks-pony. Where are buses for the disabled?

Where is love? Even Draco would be appalled by the negative attitude of some people against the disabled today.

You can imagine the feelings of many who have experiences of horror and sadness. You can imagine how hard it would be to open the door of their hearts to a scene of love and grace by neglect. This can only be done by returning love.

Not one governmental person was there. They are probably in a campaign rally campaigning for causes for the abled. They could be in a gathering such as this, sharing bags of rice and groundnut oil. Issues about disability sadly haven’t moved away from welfare.

We must take responsibility for our own values. Nigerians believe in community. You needed to be here to see a lot of Stevie Wonders in the making. Trust me! There is ability in disability.

How Ngozi was able to put this together staggers the imagination. Even though she is visually-impaired she can see. She dreams and sees. What can you do?

Intervene, if someone is mistreating someone with a disability. Create the right ambience for their safety. Quit being ambivalent. Report discriminatory acts quickly, until they’re stopped. Show that you won’t tolerate xenophobia. Push authorities to take action and punish offenders.

Why the imaginary lines? Aren’t we all “perfectly imperfect?” It would be nice if we,  like Ngozi Clementina Osuagwu, are associated with role models for people with disabilities.

Imagine a life of wealth, with luxury cars, mansions and early retirement but with no impact on the life of others. It is a wasted life if it doesn’t touch the life of the next man. Reach out with a positive touch now.

Abah is TV Talk Show Host

Simon Abah