An optometrist, Dr. Comfort Omo-Irabor, has appealed to the Delta Government to establish specialised schools for the visually impaired in the state.
Omo-Irabor appealed while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Warri, Delta.
According to the physician, such an institution will help to ease the pain experienced by the visually impaired in the state.
The consultant said that the presence of such special schools in the state would help to address the stigma of the rejection of visually impaired students by institutions in neighboring states.
She said that whenever visually impaired children were sent to neighboring states to undergo academic training in their schools, they were always mocked and harassed.
“Neighboring states make a mockery of us by saying that we do not have schools for the blind.
“In spite of Delta’s financial strength, the state government cannot establish specialised schools for the blind,” she said.
Omo-Irabor, however, observed that this might be an oversight on the part of the state government, hence the appeal.
“I am sure this is an oversight on the part of the government. This government is people-friendly and can establish such schools across the state.
“I tried to pull resources together to establish a primary school for the blind, but it could not work out.
“The government should look in that direction because these people are human beings. What happens to them can happen to anybody,” she said.
The optometrist said that the former president of the Nigerian Association of the Blind (NAB), Delta chapter, had a Masters degree.
“Former president of the NAB in Delta, now Vice President of the association at the national level, holds a Masters degree and is currently a lecturer at the College of Education, Warri.
She said that a lot of people were suffering because of one form of disability, adding that it would be a big plus if the state government considered her appeal.
“Let us begin to think of what we will be remembered for, because today we are, but tomorrow we might not be,” Omo-Irabor said. (NAN)
