SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMMES AND
DISABILITY: THE CASE OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN NIGERIA
BY
ADEBIYI, Benedictus Adekunle,
Ph.D
Department
of Education for Learners with Visual Impairment,
Federal College of
Education (Special), Oyo
&
FAKOLADE, Olufemi Aremu, Ph.D.
Department
of Special Education,
University of Ibadan.
Abstract
Learners with
disabilities are no longer the responsibility of “Someone else”, like the
special education teacher and they are no longer those learners who receive
their education “someplace else”, like at the Special School.
Learners with disabilities shared responsibility of everyone. The developing
consensus and the major concern of this paper is the sustenance or the capacity
to secure a better future for individuals with disabilities into individual
realities, and to achieve dreams of normalization, positive outcomes,
independence, and a real community presence. The paper also emphasizes the need
for advance in technology, special education services, educational approaches
and validated practices to achieve basic sustainable development programmes
that should meet the needs of the people with disabilities in Nigeria. It
also suggested empowering persons with disabilities through vocational skills
as ways of sustaining persons with disabilities in Nigeria. Though, government,
non-governmental organisations and philanthropists are trying their best to
improve the living standard of persons with disabilities in Nigeria, but,
this gesture should be a continuous one in order to attain the expected
international standard. The paper concludes that sustainability as a term is
geared towards improving the quality of human life – in this case, the life of
the special needs persons. It is a call to action and a task in progress to
reduce the limitations confronted by disabled people in Nigeria.
Keywords:
Sustainability
programmes, disability, persons with disability and Nigeria
Introduction
A
definition
The idea
of sustainability has its roots in systems theory. Systems are sets of
interacting and adaptive structures and processes which together produce
functional outputs and outcomes. They are characterised by their capacity to
maintain their functional outputs and outcomes within desirable parameters
while adjusting and adapting to variations in inputs. Feedback mechanisms
adjust system processes and structures in response to input variation to
maintain outputs and outcomes. Change is an inherent feature of systems. While
systems are able to adapt to change in inputs they remain relatively
sustainable. When they cannot adjust, discontinuity occurs until a new
equilibrium is readied or disintegration occurs.
The
most widely discussed application of systems theory to sustainability has been
in relation to die natural environment (Allen, 2013). When disruption to environmental processes and structures
exceeds their capacity for adaptation, significant and potentially system wide
disruption to outputs may occur with widespread consequences for the system
functions. Environmental systems become unsustainable when the input variation,
such as the human introduction of green house gases, exceeds the adaptive
capacity of environmental structures and process to continue to produce stable
outputs and outcomes (e.g. temperature maintenance).
Systems
theory has been widely applied to the understanding social organisations
(Boulding, 2008; Luhmann, 2005). For human services organisations, programs are
organised sets of inputs (people, facilities, equipment) which earn/ out
strategies (processes) designed to achieve specific outputs and outcomes. In
large scale human services organisations, programs interact with each other and
changes to one program can have adverse effects on another. Organisations adapt
to maintain outputs and outcomes through feedback and control systems that
adjust organisational processes as variations occur.
Concerns
about sustainability in human services are driven by the common observation
that over time ii is often the case that programs are discontinued,
satisfactory outcomes are not achieved and adverse effects are observed.
Sustainability failure can be costly for funders, dispiriting for providers and
result in discontinuity, wasted effort and adverse health outcomes for
consumers. This is particularly a concern for new initiatives.
A
number of definitions for sustainability have been advanced and summarized by
Schediac-Rizkallah and Bone (1998). They have proposed that definitions can
reflect a focus on: maintenance of health benefits, program
institutionalisation and capacity building.
Definitions
that emphasise health benefits focus
on health outcomes for individuals and populations. These definitions propose
that the purpose of programs is to produce health benefits. If benefits are not
produced and maintained, programs fail.
Other
definitions focus on the institutionalisation
of programs. Institutionalisation involves the incorporation of new programs
into existing organisational and community structures. Definitions that focus
on program institutionalisation are concerned with ensuring that program
-Activities (rather than outcomes) are sustained overtime (Scheirer, 2005).
Concerns
about sustainable capacity emphasise
the importance of underlying organisational or community capacity to deliver
programs and, sometimes, more broadly, the sustainability of the underpinning
conceptual and ideological ideas and attitudes for programmes (Crisp and Shediac-Rizkallah).
For example, in the National Health Performance Framework, sustainability is
defined as the “system or organisation’s capacity to provide infrastructure
such as workforce, facilities and equipment and to be innovative and respond to
emerging needs (research, monitoring)”.
Here I
will argue that the three key attributes of sustainability are the benefits
that are produced over time for individuals and populations, the contingencies
which cause the benefits, and the costs of the program resources that are
required to achieve them. Programmess can be judged as unsustainable because:
(1) sufficient benefit is not produced; (2) the contingencies which cause
outcomes cannot be produced or maintained; and (3) the cost of the program
resources required to achieve the benefits are too high. I want to briefly
discuss each of these attributes of sustainability before advancing a
definition which incorporates them.
We live in a world full of diversities. Every form of
living and non-living being is quite unique and different from each other. At
times, we lack words to appreciate the unimaginable creativity of God when we
find that no single creation of His is an exact replica of the other. As a
result, a child comes to this earth with its own unique abilities and
capacities of body and mind. Some are fortunate enough to have extraordinary
abilities or capacities, while others are averages or even suffer from so many
deficits and deficiencies from birth.
The gap between the abilities
and capabilities of the children related to their learning, adjustment and
development found at the time of their birth may further be widened by the
nature of the environmental differences encountered by them in their
nourishment and education.
Disabilities can be congenital
– that means a person can be born with the handicap. It could be acquired soon
after birth, or at any other stages of life. It could result from disease and
infection, and could also result from an accident. Sometimes, the cause may not
be known. Whatever the handicap or disability, the important thing here is the
education, well-being, adjustment, rehabilitation and sustainability of various
programmes for the person with disabilities.
Disability is both a cause and
consequence of poverty. Eliminating world poverty is unlikely to be achieved
unless the rights and needs of people with disabilities are taken into account.
According to the United Nations, one person in 20 has a disability. More than
three out of four of these live in a developing country like Nigeria. More
often than not they are among the poorest of the poor. Recent World Bank
estimates suggest they may account for as many as one in five of the world’s
poorest (Ann, 1999).
Disability limits access to
education and employment and leads to economic and social exclusion. Poor
people with disabilities are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty and
disability, each being both a cause and a consequence of the other. People with
disabilities who are denied education are unable to find employment, driving them
more deeply into poverty. Breaking out of the vicious cycle of poverty and
disability becomes more and more difficult.
Thus, majority of people with disabilities find their
situation affects their chances of going to school, working for a living, enjoying
family life, and participating as equal in social life. It is estimated that
only 2% of people with disabilities in developing countries have access to
rehabilitation and appropriate basic services (Leandro, 1993).
The issue of disability in Nigeria, being
a developing country seems difficult to understand. The Nigeria National Policy
on Education and the Universal basic education programme guarantee education
for every child of school age without exception and indeed emphasis that a
child’s mental, physical, emotional or psychological limitations should be no
hindrance to his education. The desire to help correct certain wrong notions
about the handicapped is still disturbing us as a nation.
Some cultures like that of Nigeria in the
olden days view people with disabilities as having been cursed. In a developing
country like Nigeria,
where the literacy level is around the halfway mark, there are still widespread
primitive and superstitious beliefs about handicaps. People with disabilities
are very likely to be wrongly perceived and therefore treated in an unfriendly
manner; this may impinge on handicapped person’s right to life, education and
employment. The inclusion of sustainability programmes is very vital to the
achievement of goals designed for the persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
Disability and Sustainability
through Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Developing Nations like Nigeria
The Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) are the measurements set by the department of Economic and Social Affairs
of the United Nation to determine the level of achievement attained by the
International Community I an attempt to suppress different human catastrophes
caused by the incident of uneven sharing of the fruits of collaboration and
social injustice prevalent in the developing world (i.e. Nigeria). In the
United Millennium Declaration, endorsed in 2000, 189 countries, both rich and
poor agreed to an unprecedented pledge to eradicate human poverty. Promote
development and support sustainable development. The tenets about are related
to issues coming from disabilities among individuals. The only way out is the
concern for the provision of basic needs and rights of the disabled in
developing societies.
Also, the education of family
of the disabled and the disabled, the provision of food on their tables,
earning of a decent living, prevention and treatment of diseases and illness
are quite fundamental to the eradication and reduction of cases of disabilities
especially among people in developing countries of the world (Macha, 2004).
Reflection of Poverty with
Disability Perspective in Developing Nations
Experience shows that most
African countries like Nigeria
tend to ignore the issues of disability. The concept of disability is yet being
considered as a crosscutting and developmental one by most of the African
political leaders. This is why, especially in Nigeria, most of the local and
international development policies and programmes to sustain adequate
programmes to eradicate or reduce disability are not accorded reasonable
attention.
Two major factors are thought
to be the reason behind this trend of an oversight from the political
leaders. First, in the world cultural
background, when human society was in primitive stage and level science and
technology was still very low, an individual contribution to his/her society
was highly appreciated and respected. But disabled individual due to their
impairment and hostile environmental condition could not effectively engage in
productivity like their non disabled counterparts as a result of this, persons
with disabilities could not be accorded the same respect with their non
disabled peers. Secondly, most highly placed Nigerians in the helms of affairs
still consider disability to leave the supporting role upon the donor
community. Whereas, government spend a colossal amount of money in buying
luxurious cars, ammunitions and other trivialities. Most of them have forgotten
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Laws of 1948 that emphasize the
respect of human rights and equality for all mankind and the United Nation.
Way Forward/Recommendation for
a Better Sustainability of Disability Programmes in Nigeria
A lot of reforms have taken
place in Nigeria
in the last four decades in order to sustain disability programmes. Such
reforms are highlighted below:
— National policy on education
1977 first made direct reference to special education
— The creation of special
education unit at Federal Ministry of Education and a subset at the state
level.
— Establishment of Nigeria Educational
Research and Development Council which also researches on disability issues.
— Involvement of persons with
special needs in Paralympic games
— In order to sustain disability
programmes in Nigeria,
this paper suggest and recommends the following steps:
— Census: The essence of knowing the
statistical number of people in a country is to know the amount of people to
provide and cater for. The number of persons with disabilities should be known
in order to provide adequately for them.
— Attitude: The society must have right
attitude towards persons with disabilities. We are now in era of inclusive
education. They need to be included in the scheme of things. They must not be
sidelined in scheme of events
— Enforcement of existing laws in
special needs education: A
great number of decrees have been enacted and various policies have been
formulated on special education in Nigeria but most of them lack
proper implementation. Therefore, the already existing decrees and policies be
enforced and properly implemented.
— Funding: The Federal government has
been funding special education but this funding has been insufficient and
inadequate. The inadequacy of the funding is not unconnected with the fact that
special needs education requires colossal amount to fund and that government
sees funding special needs education as a charity and not a necessity. More funds should be allocated to the
education of persons with disabilities to facilitate equal participation and
effective contribution on issues allowing for societal development at large.
— Training and re-training of
professionals:
Special education schools, department and ministries must be alive to their
responsibilities. Workers with persons with special needs should be encouraged
to attend seminars, refresher courses and conferences to update their
knowledge.
Further, in order to promote
and sustain disability the following should be taken into consideration:
— Persons with disabilities
should have access to basic social protections, health care, access devices and
rehabilitation services.
— Persons with disabilities
should have a voice in discussion and policy making through processes of
participation.
— Persons with disabilities
should have access to quality education.
Conclusion
The entire population of
disabled people is expecting a world in which they can take their rightful
place as proud as participating citizens. They want their world today; tomorrow
is too late. Persons with disabilities are citizens of this great nation. They
need to be continually catered for and well nurtured so that they can
contribute their own quota to the progress and development of Nigeria.
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