To facilitate learning for visually impaired individuals, particularly in Delta State, Optometrist Dr. Comfort Omo-Irabor has urged the Delta Government to establish specialized schools.
Dr. Omo-Irabor made this appeal during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Warri, the state capital, on Tuesday.
Highlighting the importance of specialized schools, Dr. Omo-Irabor emphasized that such institutions would help combat the stigma and discrimination faced by visually impaired students in neighboring states where they often pursue their education.
She lamented the mockery and harassment visually impaired children endure when sent to schools outside Delta State, underscoring the need for local specialized institutions.
Expressing concern over the absence of specialized schools, Dr. Omo-Irabor urged the state government to address this oversight, citing Delta’s financial capability and the potential to establish such facilities.
The optometrist revealed that whenever visually impaired children are sent to neighbouring states for academic purposes, they are always mocked and harassed.
“Neighboring states make a mockery of us that we don’t have schools for the blind. That despite Delta’s financial strength, the state government can’t establish specialised schools for the blinds,” she lamented.
Omo-Irabor, however, observed that this might be an oversight on the part of the state government, hence the appeal.
She added, “I am sure this is an oversight on the part of the government. This government is people-friendly and can establish such schools across the state.
“I tried to pull resources together to establish a primary school for the blind but it could not work out. Government should look in that direction because these people are human beings. What happens to them can happen to anybody.”
The Optometrist said that the former president of the Nigerian Association of the Blind, Delta State Chapter had a Masters Degree.
“Former president of the NAB in Delta, now Vice President of the association at the National level, holds a Masters Degree and is currently a lecturer at the College of Education, Warri,” he said.
The eye specialist, further decried the plight of those with visual impairment, stressing that a lot of people are suffering because of one form of disability or the other, adding that it would be a big plus if the state government considered her appeal.
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