Lagos rewards winners of sign language training

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, LASODA has presented cash rewards to outstanding participants at the just concluded sign language training workshop for some government officials across the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The General Manager of LASODA, Dr. Babatunde Awelenje said that the cash reward was meant to stimulate the interests of the participants and encourage them to be more passionate about the plight of physically challenged persons.

He expressed the hope that the participants, having gone through the rigour of the sign language rudiments would be able to communicate non-verbally with the hearing-impaired members of the society.

He added that the Office was also planning to extend the sign language to other members of the public outside government establishments for wider inclusion.

The General Manager stated that the present situation whereby Lagos Television, LTV was the only television station that aired some of its announcements and news bulletin using sign language interpretation was inadequate to reach all members of the public, adding that plans were afoot to extend same to other television stations.

Awelenje maintained that the efforts of the state government towards a more inclusive society would go a long way in giving the physically challenged persons sense of belonging.

He called for more actions and support towards the physically challenged persons in the society, especially to those who fell under hearing-impaired category, stressing that hearing impairment was the second highest category of disabilities in the world.

Also speaking at the event, the National President of Deaf Women Association and member of LASODA Board of Trustees, Deaconess Adedoyin Beyioku advocated the inclusion of sign language in school curriculum.

“We want people to see us as a part of the society, give us equal participation in everything rather than seeing us beggars or nonentity” she added.

At the end of the workshop, Seyi Shobowale of Lagos State Water Corporation emerged as the overall winner and got a cash prize of N150,000 while Onadite Thomas of Public Service Office, PSO and Akinbo Oluwatohungbogbo of Ministry of Health emerged as joint second place winners while Omomowo Omolara of Ministry of Health as third place winner.