Naija, we need to gist about wetin dey happen for our country wey concern people wey no fit see. You go dey surprise say losing your eyesight no be the end of the world, but wetin dey pain pass be say di system dey treat dem like dem no matter at all!

Uche Olivia, na nurse wey ready to work for 2022, suffer this kin wahala when dem deny am beta treatment for entrance exam at Federal Neuropsychiatric School of Post-Basic Mental Health Nursing for Enugu. Dis babe no just want big print question papers or mercy; she also need make dem no waste her time. She come waka reach exam hall around 8 AM, but dem dey start accreditation like two hours later, and di exam self no start till 5 PM! Na wetin be dis?

As dem dey exam, Uche remember say she talk to dem people wey dey supervise di exam, but dem no gree help. One supposed examiner even ask her say, ‘If you no sabi read, wetin you come school come do?’ Ah! This one pain me well well. Uche no even fit hide her tears as she dey face discrimination wey we no suppose carry dey see in 2025. Even when she try show dem proof of her condition, dem blind her and tell her to just answer wetin she fit see!

Now she don decide say she go find another school wey dey inclusive, but she go need our support make di proper authorities know wetin dey happen to persons wey get disability for Naija. E good to remind dem say di laws dey clear: any school wey deny visually impaired candidates accommodations dey break di law!

Di 1999 Constitution don clearly talk say everybody suppose get equal chance for education. Di same goes for di Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018. Dis law dey demand say schools and institutions must accommodate disabled people dey for every aspect. If dem no gree give you Braille, audio formats, or any assistive device, dem dey do you wrong, and na serious matter. Dis is not just about feelings; action dey necessary!

As we dey celebrate dem disability advocates like Susan Ihouma Kelechi, we fit hear di voice of change. She tell say if we keep quiet, wetin go happen to other pipo? Leaders from JONAPWD don condemn di treatment wey Uche experience, as Abdullahi Usman, di national president, talk say di school’s actions be display of ignorance.

Even di local advocates don dey shout! Ondo’s Olusegun Abiodun talk say e be inhuman treatment while Bayelsa’s Mayo Ekpomomukor suggest say di school gatz apologise. Dem dey right jare, because everybody get right to education and dem no suppose suffer because of poor infrastructure or ignorance.

Naija Association of Women Journalists don also put mouth for di matter, especially as World Braille Day dey come on top our heads for 2026. Dem demand say all government levels suppose take serious action to ease di wahala wey disability people face. E no go hard make dem allocate resources for dem to produce Braille textbooks or for schools to train teachers wey sabi disability etiquette.

If we no fit invest in persons with disabilities, we dey short-change our national development. Dem dey call for adequate funding, accessibility, and partnerships so that no one go dey left behind. Alla we need na action; speeches no go help us if we no see results!

Dis matter no just dey slash for education alone, e dey affect whole society. As long as we dey sidon dey look, we dey deny dem di chance to fully participate in society. Therefore, we gatz make sure say education dey inclusive; na only den we fit call ourselves true nation. Blindness no be inability; wetin dey limit na exclusion.