By Abimbola Joseph
CITIZENS COMPASS – Mr Tosin Kuku, Chairman, Ikorodu West Deaf Development Association (IKWDDA), on Wednesday, appealed to governments at all levels to prioritise issues concerning the deaf, and involve them in their administrations.
Kuku made the appeal during the celebration of the second edition of Ikorodu West Deaf Awareness Day, themed “Building inclusive communities for all”, at the council secretariat in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
“The importance of celebrating the day is to bring into public consciousness and the society as a whole the plight of the deaf.
“As a matter of fact, deafness is a silent ailment, with plenty of issues pertaining to deafness that the public is not aware of.
“This day will create an opportunity to bring to the front burner a public discourse on such issues,” he said.
He commended the chairman of the Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on his unflinching support and urged him to do more for them in the area of skill acquisition.
He said the activities called for participation and involvement of various stakeholders, including families, peers, governmental bodies, professional sign language interpreters, teachers of deaf and disabled persons organisation.
Kuku said that the 2023 theme was an initiative of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), which was first launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy, where the first world Congress of WFD was commemorated.
He said the day was celebrated through various activities by respective deaf communities in the state, and Nigeria as a whole.
The Chairman, Ikorodu West, LCDA, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, promised to continue to support the association, create an enabling environment for them, as well as train them on different skills.
Olanrewaju said the council would provide space where some of them would showcase their skills, and donated cash to support them.
The chairman also promised to attend to their requests gradually, and integrate them among people to solve the challenges of communication.
“I don’t count them as being challenged because I don’t segregate, I know communication is their challenge.
“I will empower them with different skills so that they will be able to have their own income,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Agbaje Johnson, President of the Rotary Club, Ikorodu West chapter, said the association was established to support the vunerable and less previledged in the society.
Johnson said that the Rotary Club was prepared to train them on skills like shoe making, catering and barbing.
He urged others to join the association to benefit from their kind gestures.
Mrs Mitchell Odunfa, who was the interpreter and participant at the event urged the council chairman to provide big shop that the group can collectively used to showcase their talent like a one-stoo shop.
Odunfa said this idea would discourage them from going to the street as begger and call on others to join the group for immense benefits.
