By: Sonaike Peter

In a candid reflection on campus life, Biola Funwonton, a hearing impaired final-year student of Special Education, speaks about the pervasive inequality faced by students with disabilities. 

Without emotions, despite an initial hesitation due to heedless frequent media engagements to the plight, Biola revealed the stark challenges, an admixture of neglect and marginalization he and his peers face.

Lamenting over the glaring disparities in access to essential resources and opportunities, Bimbo highlighted lack of adequate facilities to academic success, and the daunting process he goes through in securing a residential accommodation in his hall of residence. 

His frustration occasioned by the slow pace of promised improvement of the welfare of special students on campus over the past four years is palpable, and has caused a sense of disillusionment in the expectation of a long promised support system.

“They haven’t cared about people with disabilities for a long time, and I doubt they’ll start caring now,” Biola expressed in an interview with IndyPress. 

“My friends and I have given numerous interviews on this subject since we began our journey at this school. We’re in our final year now, and the promised improvements to our welfare haven’t materialized in over four years. Frankly, we’re losing interest at this rate,” Biola said.

Advocating for a substantive change, Biola called for subsidized tuition fees for students with special needs and urged the establishment of merit-based scholarships to recognize academic excellence within the sphere of the special students as a marginalized community.

“The disparity in facilities between us and regular students is glaring, both here and elsewhere in the world. Just studying is a challenge,” Biola added. 

“Accessing accommodation is another hurdle we face. It’s time they subsidized fees for students with special needs and should award scholarships based on academic merit,” he concluded.

Similarly, Akolade, a visually impaired final-year student and presidential candidate in the last Students’ Union election reflected on his unique challenges. As a previous resident of Lord Tedder Hall, C Block, he narrated how he had to navigate the inconvenience of trekking to A-Block for water, at times when C and B Blocks lacked this essential amenity. 

Dissatisfied with his current living space, Akolade emphasized the difficulties faced by visually impaired students like himself. These challenges have been compounded by a lack of awareness of the presence of special students among fellow residents, leading to unsafe clutter in the hallways that poses risks to students with special needs.

“One of the challenges I faced as a special student was when there was no water in my block (C Block). I had to undergo the stress of fetching water in A block. Also due to lack of awareness among other residents that there could be special students in the hall, they littered it with hazardous items that could harm us,” Akolade told IndyPress.

He pleaded to the Students’ Union leadership and University management to prioritize the inclusion of special students in all programs and projects that currently benefit regular students. Curious about the Students’ Union Executive plans for inclusivity in the academic session, he requested for their plans for special students. 

“They should let us know how we can participate in the upcoming activities and projects, with this, they can foster inclusivity,” Akolade said.

Who Are Special Needs Students?

Special students fall into two categories; those with disabilities or impairments that may hinder their ability to function like regular students, and those who are gifted and talented. Some of the impairments of the former include visual impairment, total deafness, intellectual disability, autism, down syndrome, among others. Meanwhile, gifted students are individuals with an innate potential to significantly outdo the average in one or more of the four primary domains: intellectual, creative, social, and physical.  

According to a report in March 7, 2023, An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population. Also, According to human angle’ report in 2022, 95.5% of children with disabilities had no access to education.

According to the United Nations, around 25 percent of the population in each country comprises people with special needs, who often experience neglect in different ways globally. The Salamanca Statement, ratified at the 1994 World Conference in Salamanca, Spain by UNESCO and Spain’s Ministry of Education and Science, advocated for inclusive education. Regrettably, Nigeria illustrates the contrary.

Biola’s and Akolade’s concerns with campus observations reveal that these students receive minimal care from the University community. They lack the privileges enjoyed by regular students, such as interpreters at social events like inaugural lectures, dinner nights, press nights, student representative meetings, GES classes, among others.

In student politics, their participation is notably low, and, with little need for restatement, there is a lack of belief in their leadership capabilities. This trend was evident in the recent Students’ Union election where Akolade, a special student, received the fewest votes among the other three presidential candidates.

Additionally, some of these students encounter challenges in hostel accommodation, inadequate learning facilities, and other issues that exacerbate their existing conditions. It is important to emphasize that being a special individual is not an infirmity. Many individuals with special conditions excel beyond expectations across several fields. For example, Vijucik, a popular pastor and evangelist who has achieved remarkable success in ministry despite being born without limbs, exemplifies this resilience. 

The challenges and needs of special students on campus 

The needs of special students on campus are numerous. One of which is access to appropriate residential accommodation – a need which is a critical requirement for academic success. The need for an accommodation system that caters specifically for the needs of special students, which also would bring students in proximity to the necessary amenities and facilities that promote their living conditions, cannot be overemphasized.

Biola previously advocated for management to subsidize fees for students with disabilities. Given the recent fee increment, some of these students may face the risk of dropping out, highlighting the critical importance of providing financial aid and scholarships tailored to their needs.

Another need of special students is access to specialized support services such as assistive technologies, sign language interpreters, note-takers, and personal aides. Special students face a frustrating lack of these resources, such as the absence of interpreters at important campus events like inaugural lectures and GES classes, which severely impacts their ability to learn effectively. As an integral member of the University community, regardless of their conditions, all special students should have equal rights and opportunities to the University physical and social environment.

This situation warrants immediate response from the Students’ Union. Many student leaders make promises, but only a few of these promises have been fulfilled. It is crucial that Bolaji Aweda, and the entire Students’ Union leadership, address the challenges of the special community.

In an interview with IndyPress, Adediran Abdul Mujeeb, a final-year student of special education and the President of the student association, provided insights on how to improve the support for special needs students. He emphasized the crucial need for awareness and acceptance of their conditions.

Abdul Mujeeb highlighted the comprehensive support systems available for special needs students in developed countries, including access to facilities, scholarships, and opportunities, contrasting this with the current situation  in Nigeria.

He criticized the bureaucratic hurdles that special students face in Nigeria and called upon the government to allocate more funding to the education sector. This, he argued, would ensure sufficient resources, interpreters, facilities conducive to learning and inclusive education.

“We must continue to advocate for the acknowledgment of students’ needs, empathize with them, put them in our shoes and we should not perceive them negatively,” Mr. Mujeeb told IndyPress. 

He urged the government to increase funding for educational institutions to employ more interpreters and provide enhanced learning facilities and opportunities.