On 1 December 2022, the British Council, on behalf of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC), delivered an alumni workshop to mark International Day for People with Disabilities.
The theme of the workshop was ‘The Future of Accessibility and Inclusion for People with Invisible and Visible Disabilities’. An invisible or non-visible disability is a disability or health condition that is not immediately apparent, such as a physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.
Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: ‘leave no one behind’
The hybrid event began with welcome remarks from Chikodi Onyemerela, Director of Programmes, British Council Nigeria, and was followed by a panel discussion exploring inclusive practices for people with invisible or non-visible disabilities in society.
The panel highlighted the necessity to promote awareness of invisible or non-visible disabilities, policies and regulations and the need for increased partnership and collaboration between ministries, agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to intervene and ensure people living with invisible or non-visible disabilities are cared for. In the past, interventions have been visible disability centric and little has been done to address the gap in addressing invisible or non-visible disabilities. In concluding the discussion, panellists reiterated the importance of creating awareness of invisible or non-visible disabilities in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Following the panel discussion, a Q&A session took place where alumni and other attendees were given the opportunity to ask the panellists questions.
Closing remarks were delivered by Roseline Obadiuno, Project Manager Commonwealth Scholarships. The workshop closed with a photo session and networking.
