TUNDE ADELEKE, Osogbo
A Non-governmental Organisation, Community Advancement Initiative for Self-Reliance (CAI4SR), has sensitized journalists on the need for accurate, disability-inclusive reporting in Osun State.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of CAI4SR, Eni Ayeni, stressed that the training focused on equipping journalists with the knowledge and skills needed to report on disability issues accurately and responsibly, in line with the provisions of the Osun State Disability Law.
She added that the programme which was supported by Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM), an International Organization, focused on training media professionals and journalists on the Osun State Disability Law to ensure accurate and inclusive reporting across various media platforms.
She said, “We are carrying out a training for media professionals and journalists about the Organisation of Persons with disabilities on Disability Law in Osun State.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, it’s a new law though we are into the second year since the enactment of the law, the major challenge as my own concern is accessibility, so when we get to a hotel to do training for person with disability, we discovered that there are no rams, environmental and structure is a major barrier as far as persons with disability is concerned, any facility we want me make sure they improvise movable rams for person with disability to have access to the buildings.
“The change that is needed is not a one man show, it is a collective responsibility, that is why we call all the media people can lay our hands on with the message of inclusion, when you see a public building that is not accessible, it is not out of place to say this is not right, with that, you have passed your own quarter information to whoever you need information.
“The government has done their own part; we as civil society should do our own part, so it’s a collective responsibility.”
Meanwhile, the facilitator of the event, Oluwafemi Balogun, Esq., stated that approximately 15 percent of the world’s population lives with a disability, making it impossible to create effective policies without including them.
He explained that the Osun State Disability Law provides special protections for persons with disabilities (PWDs), including specific rights within the transport system, and noted that individuals must obtain a certificate from the Osun State Bureau of Persons with Disabilities to be officially recognized under the law.
According to him, “There have been massive improvements in Disability Law and Post Disability Law. Majorly the implementation of some aspects of the law that the public is not yet aware of is a public institution to make facilities accessible to people with PWD, also parking lots for people with disabilities, and all other facilities.”
Also, the Head Teacher of the School for Special Needs in Iwo, Osun State, Salau Mutiu, stated that continuous advocacy has begun changing public and parental attitudes.
He observed that parents who previously kept their children indoors have started enrolling them in school, noting that some still struggle to meet admission conditions.
He, however, urged parents, teachers, and society to work together to ensure that children with disabilities are allowed to fulfill their life purposes.
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