The increasing cost of our silence

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Administrator

Last month I went to a primary school to do a book reading. This book reading program is a pioneering initiative of The Winford Centre for Children and Women called ‘Inclusion Starts With Me’. As part of the initiative, we visit primary schools and read books about inclusion and disabilities to children. We also encourage them to ask questions and champion the inclusion cause.

So, at this particular school, the book I read to the kids was about a girl who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair but is thriving despite her challenges. At the end of the story, I asked if anyone would like to be the girl’s friend. Some kids said yes but some others said no. I then asked those who said no for their reason and one of them answered saying “I won’t like to catch what the girl has.” Yes, you read right! Some children (and adults) think disabilities are contagious diseases!

This is the whole point of my story and this post. Either due to the lack of information or as a result of being given the wrong information, these children have a perception of disabilities which affects the way they relate with other kids who have disabilities. A perception which if not corrected can lead them to become adults who are misinformed and result in a society which will still not be inclusive despite efforts through SDGs to change the narrative.

As parents, adults and leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that children have access to the right information about the realities around them. We have a responsibility to ensure that children are taught about empathy and kindness. Most importantly, we have a responsibility to ensure that these children grow into better adults than we ever could be. If we need to change the way we see the world in order to change the world, then we must be prepared to do it.

So here are my questions to you:

1. What are you telling the children around you about disabilities?

2. Are you willing to be an inclusion champion?

If you would like us to visit your school for a reading session, please send an email to basirat.rshuaib@thewinfordcentre.org

Encouraging schools to look beyond financial rewards and adopt inclusion

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Administrator

The child comes first, always.

The way to address an issue is to first talk about the issue. In talking about it, we want to understand why the issue exists. Beyond this, however, we also want to know how we can solve the problem. The issue of schools not being disabilities inclusive in Nigeria is a big one. Let’s face it, there are other socioeconomic complexities in the way of inclusion which can make its adoption quite challenging. The one I find most intriguing though is the associated financial reward for the school. In my inclusion advocacy journey, I have found a lot of private schools asking the question, “What does it cost and who will bear the cost?”

Quite frankly, I can’t blame them. They have invested money in the school and just like any other business venture, it must be profitable. So the bottom line is if it doesn’t make money it doesn’t make sense.

On the other hand, we have the parents of the child with special needs who have to carry the additional burden of healthcare cost and on many occasions have to sacrifice their career to fulfill their role as the primary caregivers. With reduced income and an additional burden from schools, how will these parents cope?

Ultimately who suffers? The child! The affected child gets left behind!

In places like the UK, there is a huge budget for Special Educational Needs Provisions (even though many still complain that the funding is inadequate). This is because when the government says no child should be left behind, they understand that the statement needs to be backed up by a series of actions which include legislating, funding and progress monitoring.

So I am using this post to open up the conversation. Policy makers, school owners, philanthropists, donor organisations, parents, caregivers, and good-hearted individuals. How do we move forward from here? From your perspective how can this problem be solved? How can we address the needs of the children, the parents, and the schools all at once?

It truly matters that we ensure no child gets left behind. Every single child counts.