By Damilola Oyeleke
Disability rights advocates on Sunday renewed calls for greater societal acceptance and inclusion of children with developmental disabilities.
They made the call in Abuja at the Fourth Inclusive African Children’s Runway (IACR), where children with disabilities and their neurotypical peers walked the runway together.
The event, organised by The Engraced Ones Prayer Support and Advocacy Initiative, attracted caregivers, partners and advocacy organisations.
It celebrated inclusion while challenging stereotypes about appearance, ability and the worth of every child.
Convener of the runway, Mrs Biboara Yinkere, said the initiative was designed to raise future leaders who will naturally embrace inclusion.
“We are grooming a future generation of leaders that will be interested in inclusion.
“Those children you saw today, when they become decision makers, nobody will preach inclusion to them because they have seen it,” she added.
Chairman of the occasion, AVM Lanre Oluwatoyin, described inclusion as a fundamental human right, not an act of charity.
He urged the society to stop hiding children with disabilities and instead give them opportunities to thrive.
“Today, we gather not just for an event, but for a movement that boldly declares that inclusion is not charity, but a right.
“It will also gain more recognition that physical or any mental disability should not be a limitation to how a child grows,” he said.
The National Provost of Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association, Mrs Loveth Ebiowe, said children with developmental challenges possess unique abilities that must be recognised.
“Each of them has special abilities and should not be written off or hidden,” she said.
A highlight of the event was the unveiling of a book titled “In My Mind: Mother-Daughter Resilience Through Down Syndrome” co-authored by 15-year-old Miracle Yinkere and her mother, Biboara Yinkere.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the runway uses African fashion and culture to promote inclusion among children from diverse and marginalised backgrounds.
Participants emphasised that beyond advocacy events, society must embrace acceptance, support and equal opportunities for every child.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Folasade Akpan
