Lagos urges PWDs to register with LASODA for available opportunities

The Senior Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Persons Living With Disabilities, Adenike Lawal, has urged Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) to register with the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) to enable them get all information on opportunities.

This was disclosed at the launch of the first ever African comic book on disability, “The Iredians,” produced by The Irede Foundation (TIF) in Lagos.

She, however, said that there were lots of ongoing projects held by LASODA, which include education, women, agriculture empowerment, health, wealth creation, financial aids and others that had been running through the course of the year.

On the book’s launch, Lawal noted that The Iredians was a step in the right direction and an x-ray of what the realities are when it comes to disability education in the country.

Executive Director, TIF, Crystal Chigbu, noted that through the comic book, Africa is a step closer in building a more inclusive society.

She stressed the importance of children learning early the importance of inclusion for the society to know the best ways to relate with the PWDs and not repeat the pattern of confusion as to what to do around PWDs.

“We want you to understand how to act when you see people with disabilities. Our legend of hope, the five characters in the book, namely; Irede, Alheri, Ihunanya, Ireti and Ede are a representation of all of us, not our weakness, but the ability to rise above life issues when they are thrown at us.

“Iredians is the ‘first ever comic book on disability to be done in the whole of Africa’ with the use of a comic illustration starring a group of superheroes with disabilities. This project hopes to raise awareness and drive advocacy on the inclusion of children with disabilities, whilst also boosting activism among young people in general,” she stressed.

She explained that the Foundation intends to distribute 10,000 copies of the book to children within the next six months.