The rate at which people with physical challenges are begging for alms on the streets, markets and motor parks have become increasingly alarming. The activities of these destitutes have marred the image of Nigeria in the comity of nations. Unfortunately, there seems to be no social welfare programme for them by the successive governments.
Physical disability is a limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. It is an hinderance which limits other facets of daily living. Physical disability may be congenital or acquired. It may be due to diseases, embryonic or fetal developmental malformation, genetic disorders, obstruction of the respiratory tract, damage to the brain during birth, premature birth, genetic disorders, accidents or infection.
Succinctly, the deviation is a consequence of neuro-muscular and skeletal problem. As such, people with disabilities often rely for mobility upon devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, walking sticks and artificial limbs. Pitiably, some move on their knees and hands; padded by slippers.
From the above, it could be deduced that physical disability is a deviation which prevents full social or educational development. Unfortunately, the deviation relegates the physical disabled and places a stigma on them as they are referred to in the society as destitutes.
People with physically disability are incapacitated to get their means of livelihood due to be the deficiency or anomaly in their limbs, ears or eyes. The impairments have certainly placed a limit to want they can do. To most of them, the best job they could do is to go cap – in- hand. What a myopic view! This has; on many occasions, constituted public nuisance. The menace of destitutes got to a stage sometimes in Lagos state when the government was compelled to evict them from the streets. So many were banished to their states of origins.
For quite an age,
the disabled have remained neglected part of the society.
Conversely, social isolation or lack of close social ties with them has widened their poor health and increased mortality risk.
However, the knowledge of physical and Health Education has awaken the consciousness of the nation and the world to the fact that physical disability does not in any way compel one to resort to begging on the streets. Both able-bodied and those who have physical challenges have potentials inherent in them which could fetch them money and put food on their tables if well harnessed. One of such ways is paralympic games.
Paralympic games is a periodic series of sporting events involving athletes with a range of disabilities.
It is organized in parallel with Olympic Games. While Olympic is exclusively for the able-body,
athletes competing in para-sports have an impairment that leads to a competitive disadvantage. Consequently, the essence of this special sports is to minimise the impact of impairments in the disabled with a view to making them become independent and contribute to societal growth.
In a bid to cater for the impediments, paralympics rules and regulations are modified. The modifications may be in form of durations, dimensions, facilities and a host of others. All these are adjusted to ease the inconveniences associated with their deformities. Adjustment is essential to remove any barrier.
Precisely, paralympic plays a triumvirate roles in the lives of the physically- challenged. It rehabilitates, serves as a means of livelihood and remove the stigma. Verily, verily, it offers them a new lease of life.
From the evolution of paralympics,
the purpose was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during world war. In 1944, at the request of the British government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital using sports as a therapeutic and rehabs measure. With time, rehabilitation sports evolved to recreational sports and then to competitive sport.
It was not until after World War II however, that it was widely introduced.
The intent of this write up is to passionately appeal to the government to show compassion to the plight of the disabled. They need a respite and affection. They certainly need government attention which could bail them out of humiliation.
Like in the developed nations, government could establish football leagues, basketball tournaments, athletics competitions, racket games and other activities that could attract public sympathy and spectators. These events have a direct bearing on their social lives and from there, national paralympics team could be chosen.
Funding paralympic games may not be as easy as olympics because of people’s apathy to the social welfare of these special species. It is not impossible to raise funds either. All it requires is counterpart funding from governments, NGOs, philantopic gestures, local and multi- national companies plus money realized as gate fees from spectators.
In summary, these people are part of the society who have always performed their civic duties during elections. Government should stop playing hypocrisy. If you can canvass for their votes, what stops you from organising activities that could enliven their spirits and boost their morales! This service to humanity is globally recognised and celebrated every December 3rd as International Day Of Disabled Person which was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly resolution with the principle of equalisation of opportunity.
As the world engages in 2020 paralympic games which will commence on August 24 and end on September 4, government needs to borrow a clue from other nations with a view to doing the needful.
Comrade Lekan Badmus is a freelance writer, Education and Sports Consultant.