Resource Centre for the Blind Advocates for Inclusive Education

Temitayo Ayinla, the Executive Director of the Resource Centre for the Blind, called on federal and state governments to enhance investments in inclusive education, assistive technology, and specialized teacher training for visually impaired students in Nigeria. Speaking at an event marking World Sight Day and International White Cane Day at Methodist Girls’ High School in Yaba, Lagos, Ayinla identified the lack of trained teachers and accessible learning materials as major obstacles for blind students.

She noted that these challenges often lead visually impaired students to pursue careers in fields like arts and media rather than science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Ayinla emphasized the need for structural pathways to support career aspirations and urged stakeholders to move beyond policy statements to implement practical measures.

She mentioned initiatives like a train-the-trainers workshop aimed at equipping educators to teach mathematics to visually impaired students. Ayinla also called for public awareness campaigns to combat misconceptions about blindness and improve urban infrastructure for blind pedestrians.