Foundation Pushes For Integration Of Sign Language In Curriculum For Persons With Disabilities

A non-governmental organisation, the Kehinde Oshilaja Foundation for Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs), has called on governments at all levels to integrate sign language into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools across Nigeria, as part of efforts to promote inclusivity and equal access to education.

The appeal was made by the foundation’s coordinator, Comrade Kehinde Olawale Oshilaja, during a charity outreach programme held at Evans Square.

The event featured the distribution of food items and Zakat to vulnerable members of the community, particularly persons living with disabilities.

Oshilaja stressed that making sign language a standard part of the educational system would significantly improve communication, learning opportunities, and social integration for hearing-impaired individuals.

He further urged government authorities to provide adequate shelter and social support systems for persons living with disabilities, noting that many remain underserved and vulnerable.

According to him, the Foundation’s activities are rooted in the religious principles of compassion and charity, as enshrined in Islam’s teachings.

Also speaking at the event, the Chief Imam of the Ahmadiyya Central Mosque, Lagos Mainland, Imam Rasaki Bello, emphasised that the distribution of Zakat and other charitable acts align with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet.

He noted that while acts of charity have increasingly been reduced to mere social gestures, true adherence requires sincerity and compliance with divine instructions.

Imam Abdullah cautioned against insincerity in charitable giving, stressing that individuals cannot deceive God and must strive to follow prescribed religious obligations to attain spiritual rewards.

He also appealed to governments at all levels to extend support to persons with disabilities, assuring that such humanitarian efforts would not go unrewarded, both in this life and in the hereafter.

The outreach programme attracted members of the community, religious leaders, and beneficiaries, highlighting the growing need for inclusive policies and sustained social interventions to improve the welfare of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria.