RETIRED school teacher at the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, Anastasia Koya, has called for an end to discrimination against persons with disabilities, urging parents to accept and support affected children rather than hide them.
She made the call in Lagos recently at the launch of her book, “Behold the Hand of God: My Decades of Teaching the Visually Impaired at Pacelli School for the Blind and How It All Began”, held as part of activities marking her 80th birthday.

She said the book drew on her decades of teaching visually impaired children and was intended to change public attitudes towards persons with disabilities.

“I wrote it for everybody in Nigeria because some people cannot sit with a blind person. They run,” she said.
Recounting her first encounter with the pupils, she said she was frightened but gradually learnt from other teachers and the Catholic sisters who ran the school. The experience, she added, taught her patience and the importance of listening.
She said some of the children had been abandoned by their families, while others were victims of war. Despite their circumstances, some went on to become lawyers and professors. Although she taught the children only at primary school level, Koya said the experience also changed her outlook on life.

The retired teacher said the idea for the book came from her son who had encouraged her to document her experiences and use them to teach others how to care for persons with disabilities.

She urged parents not to regard disability as a source of shame or a punishment for wrongdoing, stressing that children with disabilities could become doctors, lawyers, physiotherapists and other professionals if given the necessary support.
Koya also advised pregnant women to seek proper antenatal care and other medical services at health centres rather than rely on roadside chemists to reduce health complications that could lead to disabilities.

She warned that disability could affect anyone and urged the public to stop looking down on affected individuals and their families. While acknowledging government efforts, she said citizens also had a responsibility to promote inclusion and support persons with disabilities.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said the book documented Koya’s efforts to help children with disabilities live meaningful lives and become self-reliant.

Orelope-Adefulire pledged to buy copies of the book for homes she works with and urged families at the event to purchase at least one copy each.

A spokesperson for Friends of Mrs Koya of Pacelli School and former Permanent Secretary in the Ogun State civil service, Elijah Akinyemi, said the book could help government, religious organisations and the public address challenges facing persons with disabilities.
Describing the publication as timely, Akinyemi said ignorance remained a major obstacle to inclusion and criticised the limited efforts to educate the public.

He added that Koya’s work reflected the commitment to care and service demonstrated by Pacelli School’s founders, Sisters Camille and Rosario.

The Ajalaiye of Ilugun South, Ijebu, Ogun State, Oba Emmanuel Olusanu, described Koya as an amiable woman whose work had touched many lives and prayed for her continued good health and long life.