The National Alumni Association, Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo has charged government at all levels to design stimulus packages that will ensure that persons with disabilities are supported during this challenging time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

According to the Acting President of the association Chief Mrs Modupe Abiona,

“Most disabled people in Nigeria rely on the support provided by family and carers most of whose business activities have been affected by the lockdown and stay-at-home order by the Federal government and some State governments across the country”

“Disabled people and children with special needs are among the vulnerable for which the government must make adequate provisions.

In a statement signed by Ojo Olayinka, National PRO, they must be sufficiently included in the social palliative package of the government.

This demography of people must not become the weak link in our fight against the coronavirus pandemic’ Mrs Abiona advised.

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Children with special educational needs must be factored into all short time education plans of the government so that they can get all the help they need to keep abreast of their education at this worrying time.

“We appreciate the Federal Government adoption of total communication during some national broadcast on COVID-19.

This must be sustained and adopted at every level to ensure the deaf, the blind and other people living with disabilities are not misinformed” Mrs Abiona said.

Our alma mater, which is the only higher institution for special education in sub-Saharan Africa, and our members all over the world are ready to support the government at every level in designing short term policies that can help disabled people and children with special education needs during the coronavirus pandemic.