Lagos State Government through the Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA), has trained select officers in the civil service and other critical stakeholders in basics of sign language to ensure a more inclusive society for hearing-impaired persons.
The state government says it will continue to renew its commitment to ensure social inclusion of all citizens, particularly those living with physical challenges.
General Manager, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Mr. Oluwadamilare Ogundairo, while speaking at the 2023 sign language training workshop held in Lagos, described the training as important towards achieving the THEMES+ Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
According to Ogundairo, the annual training tagged, ‘Bridging the Communication Gap with the deaf for an effective THEME+ Agenda in Lagos State’, is to introduce selected officers in Lagos Civil Service to the basic sign language skills, thereby creating an inclusive society for the hearing impaired individuals in the State.
He explained that the need becomes imperative to train the officers who interface daily with the public and to ensure effective interaction with them while discharging their official duties.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023 emphasized on the need for gender equality and social inclusion and this training is about making life comfortable for people and governance accessible.”
“We must know that communication is fundamental to humanity and sign language is an identity, as Lagos is not leaving anyone behind to be captured in this identity of communication,” he said
Sprit Awakening
He added that the training would serve as an awakening to make people understand the importance of effective communication with persons with hearing-impairment.
He said: “It gives me hope that the essence of the service charter in Lagos State is not in vain, but that we understand our role as a service provider. It is also good that we understand that public and civil servants are here to serve the people, even to the least and most vulnerable of the society.
“That is why this training is important if our service must be inclusive, especially if it must resonate with the THEMES+ Agenda of Mr. Governor, which encompasses youths, women and persons with disabilities.
“Many of us may have not had the opportunity to interact with persons living with disabilities. Also, other MDAs most times refer them to LASODA because they are unable to communicate with them. That is why it is important to equip ourselves with this knowledge so we can all work smart and fast.”
Social inclusion
Mr. Ogundairo said it is imperative to feel the presence of the Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) in all MDAs in order to have social inclusion.
“LASODA has a mandate in education, but no single classroom is managed by it. Persons living with disability have a right to healthcare, but LASODA has no single medicine shop it manages, so how do we achieve an inclusive government/society?
“All these agencies have a disability desk, and our prayer and hope is that we would one day have sign language introduced as a cadre in the civil service, the officer would not only be a sign language person, but also the disability and inclusion officer in that agency. This would then make the work of LASODA easier.”
Good initiative
A participant, Mrs. Cynthia Ibe, a lawyer and child advocate at the Cece Yara Foundation, lauded the government for the training initiative. She described it as timely.
According to her “This training is timely as we are trying to have an all-inclusive setting. The foundation I work with advocate for the rights of children who have been sexually abused, and we also encounter physically-challenged children. This training will thus aid us, as first responders, in communicating with them effectively.
“Just last week, we encountered a hearing-impaired child at our centre and we had to consult LASODA for help. Unfortunately, the child could not sign and so communicating became difficult and the case was stalled. So this training is very valuable and a good opportunity for us.”
Ogundairo maintained the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is all inclusive and will leave no stone unturned to discourage discrimination of people living with disabilities in the public space.
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