Members of the Edo State Association of the Deaf yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Benin over alleged marginalisation and neglect by the government. The people bemoaned what they described as dearth of special education teachers, lack of employment to meet with the needs of their families and to cater for their children, need to provide hostels for the deaf students, absence of learning and reading (contemporary) materials in their school.
They also called for re-introduction of free West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) enrolment for the deaf and the physically-challenged students, among several other demands. The Chairman and South-South Coordinator of the association, Ekhorrutomwen Iyobosa, said “of all clusters of people living with disabilities, the deaf are the most neglected possibly because deafness, being a hidden disability, is shrouded in mystery”.
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