By Brave Dickson
The Otana Inclusive Centre along East-West Road in Rivers State on Saturday organised sports event to showcase the talents and potentials of those living with disabilities in the state.
The sports which include; rope race, table tennis, dancing, eating in the dark and counselling lectures among others were designed to unveil the sporting and intellectual abilities of those living with disabilities.
Speaking with our correspondent who was there, the Managing Director of Otana Inclusive Centre, Mrs Rachael Allison Otana said: “The sports that took place here were to demonstrate the inclusiveness of the physically challenged people in the scheme of things in our society.
“We want everyone to feel the need of carrying those with disabilities along.
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“We are nurturing the physically challenged persons today so that they will be self-reliant and be very useful to our society tomorrow.”
Speaking on behalf of parents, Barr Mrs Emenike Worlu said:”Today is a day where the abilities in disabilities were displayed through sports and it was quite exciting.
“Efforts should be made by governments, companies and individuals to assist the organizers of these sports because they are doing good works in developing the physically challenged people.”
On her part, a UNIPORT lecturer and the Rivers State, Chairperson of the Counselling Association of Nigeria, Dr Joy Ugwu said: “If this sports event can go beyond where we are, it will give a lot of understanding to the society at large that persons with disabilities can be easily developed if supported with technologies and education.
“And such empowerments will make the physically challenged persons not to be a burden to the society but would rather make them independent and be able to work and make a livelihood.”
The counselling expert also urged parents to take the development of the physically challenged children seriously as she described parents as very pivotal in the giving of education and other forms of empowerments to those with disabilities.
