By Mustapha Salisu
Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria have decried the numerous challenges they face in writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This was disclosed in a Communiqué issued to newsmen at the end of a one-day stakeholders’ forum organized by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in partnership with the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training.
The forum held on July 21, 2024, was attended by representatives of various disability groups and stakeholders, who noted that people with disabilities face numerous barriers in registering for and writing the UTME, including lack of accessibility features, inadequate funding, and insufficient trained personnel.
Specific challenges highlighted include:
-JAMB’s prioritization of people with vision impairment
-neglecting other disability groups, Lack of comprehensive national database for people with disabilities
-Limited computer knowledge among people with vision impairment
– Inadequate accessibility features for computer-based exams
– Outdated braille machines and lack of trained scribes
– Inaccessible examination halls and inadequate lighting systems among others
The forum recommended that JAMB organize a national stakeholders’ meeting to discuss solutions, collaborate with technology-oriented organizations to provide training and equipment, and conduct assessments of exam centers to identify and address physical or environmental barriers.
Other recommendations include providing adequate accommodation, transport, and feeding for people with disabilities, sign-language interpreters, magnifying glasses, and trained scribes.
The stakeholders emphasized the importance of raising awareness among people with disabilities about the need to acquire computer skills to prepare for the examinations.
Kano State government was also urged to provide more ICT personnel and equipment at the Special Education School, Tudun Maliki, to enhance the digital literacy of PWDs in the state.