Adebayo Adenrele
The Ekiti State Government said over 2,300 Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state have registered for the comprehensive free medical policy initiated by Governor Biodun Oyebanji.
The Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Adetoun Agboola revealed this in Ado-Ekiti on Monday while featuring an audience participation programme on radio, Ekiti Loni/Ekiti.
She said the free health programme was part of concerted efforts of the Oyebanji administration to improve the quality of lives of PWDs in the State through a comprehensive free health care and Education programme as well as through provision of employment and empowerment opportunities for them amongst others.
She urged PWDs who have not registered for the free health programme to do so in any of the Primary Health Centres across the 177 words in the state to enable them access free medical treatment in Government Hospitals and health Institutions in the state.
Speaking on the impacts of the policies of the present administration on people living with Disabilities and the Special Education Sector in Ekiti State, Agboola stressed the commitment of the Governor to providing equal opportunities to all children of school age to access quality education in respective of their backgrounds and challenges.
According to her, the Oyebanji Administration had in the past one and half years made significant investment in the upgrading of facilities as well as in the area of procurement of working and educational tools such as wheel chairs, hearing aids braille machines and hearing aids in the Government owned Special Schools at Ido, Ikere and Ikoro
The Special Adviser disclosed that Government had also established therapy rooms where pupils of the schools with speech disorder undergo speech therapy while those with physical challenges undergo occupational therapy in order to acquire daily living skills.
Agboola disclosed that the in line with global best practices ,the Oyebanji administration had also employed physiotherapists ,speech therapists , occupational therapists and rehabilitation scientists in the special schools as part of efforts to ensure that students and pupils of the schools have a better chance of living a better life.
She disclosed that as part of steps to ensure that PWDs in the State have access to public buildings without any hindrance, the State Executive Council recently directed that “all public buildings in the state
including malls and supermarkets, churches, mosques, educational institutions (schools), banks, and official buildings, among others
must comply with the Ekiti State Disability law, in creating access to people with mobility difficulties, by providing ramps and equipment to help them access the buildings with ease by the end of 2025.”
The Special Adviser called on parents , community leaders religious leaders and other stakeholders in the State to advocate to parents and guardians of children with special needs to enrol them free of Charge in Government owned special schools instead of concealing them at home .
While restating the commitment of the Oyebanji Administration to mobilize and enlighten various stakeholders to ensure their commitment and participation in the special education delivery process ,Agboola said parents of children with Special Needs can visit the Office of the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion at the Governor’s Office Complex in Ado between Monday and Friday or call for further enquiries.