Ekiti unveils therapy centre for children with disabilities

Ekiti State Government has pledged to prioritise the welfare and well-being of People with Disabilities by providing an enabling environment for them to thrive irrespective of their circumstances of birth.

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, who made this commitment while unveiling the state’s first therapy Centre for Children with Disabilities built through a partnership with Premium Trust Bank, said he would not relent in his determination to ensure social inclusion for everyone living with one form of disability or the other until they are reunited with mainstream society.

The governor also disclosed that in the drive to reposition the sector for effective service delivery, his administration has employed speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists at the public special schools to ensure that the children receive specialized care necessary for their development.

He also gifted the centre a bus to ease transportation of disabled the centre

He added that the multi-sensory and therapy centre was tailored to meet the diverse needs of the children with disabilities noting that his primary desire is to see the children achieve their potential like their peers and develop into independent adults who can fend for themselves as well as contribute their quota to the development of the society.

Facilities at the centre include a therapy jungle gym, calming tents, hammock, Balance beams, TENS machines, Bikes, Calming swings, body socks, and educational equipment.  Some of the accessibility fittings include fully ramped swing bars and handrails in the rest rooms.

Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Premium Trust Bank, Mr Emmanuel Emefienim expressed delight that he was part of the commissioning of a remarkable project aimed at enlivening the lives of physically challenged in society adding that his organization’s contribution to the project was based on compassion and selfless service to leverage on ensuring necessary provision for the urgent needs of the children.

Emefie commended Governor Oyebanji for providing the necessary impetus and conducive environment to drive public/private partnership describing him as someone who is selfless and has a compassionate heart for the less privilege by leveraging on the platform he already provided to support his laudable initiatives.

He encouraged the children not to give up on themselves as they all have the potential to succeed and make it in life adding that the government was ready to continue to provide all the needed support that would enable them to fulfill their destiny.

In her welcome address, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Mrs Adetoun Agboola stated that the Centre was established to provide support for children who are out of school or at the verge of dropping out of school due to critical disability needs adding that the Centre is structured to also provide speech, occupational, physiotherapy, and educational therapy to serve as havens where children can access essential support, engage in therapeutic activities, and develop the skills they need to thrive.

Agboola, who disclosed that the Centre is equipped with 21st-century therapeutic and learning materials, added that the Centre will be fully accessible to individuals with a disability, as she used the opportunity to call on residents of the state to avail people with disabilities the use of the facility.