The effective inclusion of all members of the population is very important for development to thrive. This is why people with special needs are deliberately being factored into internationally celebrated days to raise awareness of the significant contributions this section of the community can provide. Ideally, their obvious and non-obvious challenges do not make them less human or not capable of supporting their communities. And for that, they should not be looked down on.
World Braille Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of braille as a means of communication. It is also a day to celebrate the benevolent impact of braille, an outstanding invention by Louis Braille. His visionary discovery of the braille system is a giant stride that has enabled the effective inclusion of the visually impaired in planning, organizing and executing public policies and programs for development. The system adopts raised dots to represent, alphabets, words and numbers for easy identification by the visually impaired.
Having lost his sight due to an accident at a tender age, his unmatched commitment and vision outshined his disability to become the innovator of the most revolutionary systems in the world’s history. Today, his invention has been widely embraced by people with visual impairments for learning and communication. Courtesy of the braille, the world is proud of academics, entrepreneurs, tech experts, and leaders, among an endless list of achievers.
To contribute its quota to community growth, Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), in collaboration with Sight Savers and Kanova Educational Foundation Nigeria, graduated 15 students from its education community program in 2022, which was the second. The students, composed mainly of three different types of special needs, including visually impaired, hearing impaired and physically challenged, were awarded a diploma in computer skills.
The Educate Community Program is a part of the corporate social responsibility initiative of the university, centered on educating and training people with special needs in Kano communities. The students were trained with the basic computer skills required for a sustainable income and career progression.
It is paramount to keep an eye on raising awareness about the rights of the visually impaired around the world. Their social integration is literally an avenue for more development and inclusion, as they represent valuable facets of societies.