As the world marks World Braille Day, the challenges faced by persons living with disabilities especially those with visual impairment has again been brought to the front burner as the key digital tool - Braille, used by the partially sighted and blind people are not readily available to aid learning in Edo schools for pupils and students with disabilities.

The Day, celebrated January 4 every year, in honor of Louis Braille, who brought about braille machine after he became blind at childhood, is another opportunity to call on the the state government to pay close attention to schools catering for visually impaired as well as other students and pupils who need the writing system that has empowered millions across the world.

With approximately 285 million persons living with major visual impairments worldwide, including 39 million individuals who are completely blind, digital braille machines remains the game changer for the education and empowerment of Edo students with special needs. However, access to braille is limited as the few in use in the schools are never enough for the number of visually impaired students, underscoring the urgent need for advocacy and expanded resources.

A former student in one of the few school for persons with disabilities, Uyiosa Efionayi told BENDEL Mirror that the students lacks the necessary reading materials that comes in braille, hence they struggle with studies using their manual slate and stylus.

Efionayi said, "We need textbooks; and they supposed to be in braille so that we can access them, but they are not available and if they are available, they are not even enough",

According to the chairman, Edo state chapter of Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), Evangelist Lucky Imafidon, there are less than a hundred children with visual impairment in Edo schools for persons with disabilities apparently due to lack of learning materials like the braille machines that helps blind students read their numerical symbols and alphabets including mathematical, musical and scientific symbols.

"The challenges visually impaired students are having in Edo state is that braille machines is out of reach for the common man; it's so expensive to buy, however there is a manual machine which you can use to write braille which is slate and stylus. It is rigorous in writing;

"So, because of the expensiveness of the braille machines many can not afford it; and the very few available that were donated to the schools by organizations and well-spirited individuals were looted from the schools by hoodlums.", Imafidon frowns

A critical look at the situation with the key learning tool further revealed, it non availability has made schooling unattractive for Edo children with visual impairment. Also, parents and guardians of persons with disabilities prefer to lock in their children and wards away from the society since they cannot afford the braille as the few available special schools are not equipped with the digital learning machine.

This calls for awareness and deliberate effort by the state government to prioritize the welfare of people with disabilities, with the construction of more special schools across the three senatorial district, equip them to encourage enrollment as every Edo child deserve equal opportunities and access to education to enable them grow to contribute meaningfully to the development of their country.

"In primary school we have 24 pupils in the school for the blind. The only primary school in Edo state. In secondary level, we have two schools for the Visually impaired; that's Idia college and Ihogbe college. At Idia college, from JSS 1 to SS 3, we have 15, while at Ihogbe college they are about 12", the Edo NAB chairman further explained

However, in a bid to end the systematic exclusion of people with disabilities from scheme of things, the state government came up with the legal framework, in the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Law, 2022, which aims to eliminate any form of barrier and discrimination based on disability.

The disability law make for the creation of a disability Commission to cater for the educational needs of people with disabilities especially students with visual impairment, who continue to rely on painstaking manual methods that may further discourage many from going to school as they may feel unequal with other citizens. The law was clear on the construction of special schools across the 18 local government areas; equipping of the facilities with necessary learning devices including braille machines and engagement of special educators for the schools.

Melody Omosah Esq, executive director of Network for the People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID) who has been in the forefront in advocating for the rights of persons living with disabilities in Edo state, believes the disability commission when established can well solve the challenges of lack of braille machines, and other educational needs in the special schools.

"Unfortunately, the commission that will drive the implementation of that (disability) law is not in place.. . . Government need to take special interest in the education of persons living with disabilities through the commission for persons with disabilities, working in tandem with the ministry of education and other agencies of government in the educational ecosystem", Omosah asserted

With the theme of this year's 2025 World Braille Day being "An environment of joy, equality and camaraderie", governor Monday Okpebholo should as matter of urgency deliver on his electioneering campaign promise of inclusive government, by setting up the Edo disability commission to enable an environment of equality for all.