Don't hide your disabled children – Don begs parents

Prof Bolanle Olawuyi, of the Department of Social Sciences Education, University of Ilorin, has appealed to parents of disabled children against hiding them due to shame or stigma.

Olawuyi made the call in Ilorin while delivering her paper presentation at the 255th Inaugural Lecture of the University, entitled: “People With Disabilities and the Celebration of Life Beyond Limits”.

The don, who teaches in the Faculty of Education of the University, submitted that parents should desist from hiding their children who had one form of disability or another.

She asserted that when these children were brought out on time, they would be able to access quality education and improve their lives.

Olawuyi also postulated that people should also be conscious of the causes of disabilities and take precautions, especially for the adventitious causes that could be controlled to an extent.

She said: “If the societal limitations and barriers are removed from the people with disabilities, they will be able to contribute a greater quota to national development wherever they find themselves”.

The don said that research was conducted to compare the outcome of individuals with hearing impairments and their counterpart with normal hearing on several tasks and abilities, including creativity.

“Findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the creative thinking abilities of pupils with hearing impairment and pupils with normal hearing,” she said.

Olawuyi called for the need to include Special Education in General Studies in higher institutions, so that the society could be aware of their counterparts with disabilities and causes of disabilities.

She also stressed the need to employ other professionals that would provide inclusive education for people with disabilities.