In times past people viewed physically challenged as helpless people deserving pity. Physically challenged are no longer beggars who ask for alms for survival, physically challenged are presently people who excel in their various fields to show that physical disability is a blessing and an asset in life. Our Correspondent BIMBO ADENRELE reports on how some physical challenged against all odds are making success in their various professions.
Quote – “It is actually a blessing in life where physically challenged can explore their strengths, creativity and talents to impact the society.”
Twenty year old Favour Rufus who became blind at age 8 won Miss Port Harcourt 2022 beauty pageant. She came out as the winner among 17 other women who also contested for the pageant. Thus she fulfilled her dream to become a beauty queen even with her blindness.
Omenegor Chidi Caesar, a young lawyer who came out with an excellent grade at the Bar exam despite his physical disabilities narrating his experience to success said he was born with a deformity in his right hand. He said while he was a year and half he had an eye infection called cataract. He said there was no cure then so the medical personnel so had to take out the whole eye because the medical personnel said it would infect the other eye.He said it was a common disease for children back then. He disclosed that at first his mum cried over the issue but his family were all encouraged when the doctor who operated him also had one eye. The doctor said “being physically challenged does not mean being mentally retarded, it means only physical defects and even with the challenge you can achieve whatsoever you want to become like me.”
Furthermore, recalling his childhood experience, Chidi said between ages 2 to 4 years he didn’t realize then that he was different because he was handicapped until later in his childhood when he started hearing demeaning things from his fellow children which later made him traumatized. He noted that he realized that some parents do not caution their children when they say demean words, some were nonchalant while some laugh. He recalled an end of year party in his primary school when he and his classmates gathered together to take pictures and one of his classmates protested that he should not join them because his deformity would spoil the pictures.He said he had to build up his self confidence to cover up his timidly and fear so he would not be unduly exploited. He had to show he is not a weakling that he is strong and he is an agile man.
He explained futher his upbringing at home. He said that when he was growing up as a child his mum taught him how to use his left hand to write. He said he was showered with love by every member of his immediate family and his parents gave him and his siblings household chores without discriminating him that he cannot do them because of his physical challenged. He said the love he received from his immediate family and the equal treatment his parents melted on him and his siblings helped in boosting his self confidence. He advised parents with physically challenged children not to present their children as a weakling or prevent their physically challenged children from participating in household chores like their siblings because this action would speedily demoralized the moral of the child that he is a weakling.
According to Chidi when he gained admission to the University and thereafter the Nigerian Law School, he said he had earlier heard a lot of negative things. For instance how people ran mad which made him afraid. He staed that he knew he had to intensify his effort education. He pointed out that a lot of people do what others do without giving regard to their capacity and personality. He said he had to do things in his own way and he realized he could only do two hours at a stretched. He said he would take a break watch TV or engaged himself in a chore like watching his clothes then he would come back and read for another two hours at a stretched. He said that he was consistent in his readings.
He noted that he felt fulfilled to become a lawyer and he intended practicing in a law firm for a few years. He noted that thereafter he would go into the academics to further his education and become a lecturer another passion he hoped to achieve with God granting him the grace. He noted that he loved to impart knowledge. He advised the physically challenged not to live in set pity but to see themselves strong and capable of achieving whatsoever they desire to become in life. He noted that they should never stop working as long as they have a brain.
He enjoined parents with physically challenged children to treat the child as a normal child. He young age that he or she is capable of doing what every other children does. He admonished parents not to see weakness in the child and to remove self pity in order to boost the child’s self confidence. He stated that everything begins with the family. He noted that physically challenged people are special breed. He said they are living proof of what God can actually do. He noted that they are a motivation and inspiration to others.
He advised the Government to look into the plight of the physically challenged people. He noted that the Government should formulate policies where the physically challenged are not stigmatized. He encouraged the Government to create platforms for the physically challenged to voice out to contribute their best to the society, He said Government are not doing their best. He encouraged the Government to create jobs for the physically challenged. He noted that the Government should also create an atmosphere where they can grow and contribute their best to the society.
In summary Omenegor Chidi said being physically challenged is not a retardation in life, It is actually a blessing in life where physically challenged can explore their strengths, creativity and talents to impart the society. He noted further that there are are many physically challenged that have been absorbed into different fields and establishment. He said that it all begins with the mindset if you believe you can then you can. He concluded that being physically challenged is actually a bridge to outstanding success in a trade, a career or becoming whatsoever you aspire in life to become.
