Date: 2020-07-05

Idemudia Lawrence is an Assistant Director with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. The alumnus of the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Programme shares his story as a member of the deaf community with ALEXANDER OKERE How did you become deaf?

It was on a fine New Year Day (January 1, 1982) well-celebrated with friends and family that my glowing youth came to a stop as I used to say then. I was 17 years old. We had attended a general prayer session in the village square on the night of that fateful day and I went to sleep. I woke up in the dead of night and started roaming the room and came to an abrupt stop at the centre, sat down and vomited.

That was all; the following day, I couldn't stand up from the bed and that was where family and friends met me with a strange febrile condition and I found it difficult to respond to them. By the third day, I couldn't even walk again. My stepmother, not seeing me for some time, came to see me in the morning of that third day on her way to the farm.

Were to you taken to hospital?

It was her alarm that prompted my swift evacuation from the village to Igarra General Hospital, in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, or else the unimaginable would have happened. At the hospital, there was no drug but I was put on a drip. A patient next to me advised my father to take me to Ikpeshi, to see a native doctor or else I would pass away.

It was from there I discovered that I could no longer hear. I used to ask my father to turn off the generator from the back of the house as it was disturbing me or to give me rainwater to drink because I thought it was raining; not knowing it was the ringing in my head that caused it all. It was later diagnosed as cerebrospinal meningitis, one of the leading postnatal causes of deafness in Nigeria.

How did being deaf affect your interaction with your peers in your neighbourhood?

In the first four months, I was moving from hospitals to churches and healing homes. I was taken to a psychiatrist hospital in Benin City where they didn't find anything related to mental disorder, and then to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital but to no avail. It was at Christ Apostolic Church on Neburagho Road, Sapele that I regained my ability to walk and, then, I was returned to hospital before eventually moving to Auchi to live with one of my sisters.

I later went to Igarra to get my books in preparation for my West African Senior School Certificate Examination scheduled for May (that year). When I eventually returned to school to take the examination on the due date, my classmates were disturbed to know that I had become deaf. I had friends who understood me and each competed to make me feel a sense of belonging and we always had papers and pen with us to bridge the communication gaps where and when necessary. At night, we had torches to go around with. The practice is still on till date each time I am in the village.

Were you bullied?

I'm not sure of any as my countenance did not give room for bullies to come near me.

What was your aspiration as a child?

I wanted to study law and join the military intelligence agency but the Dean of Law at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, where I was a student at that time put paid to that ambition. But the exploits of the deaf have broken all the barriers in that university.

How did your family help you adjust to your condition?

I was born in Ikare Akoko (Ile Baba Elemeje Okela) in Ondo State but originally from Uneme-Erhunun in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. I adored my parents (may their souls rest in perfect peace). My dad, the late Pa Lawrence Dirisu, learnt to break stones and do so for some companies that hired him, and my mum, the late Mrs Meremu Lawrence, was a trader. They instilled in us the value of hard work and never giving up on our goals. They taught us to be content with what we have.

My father, while sending me to school, told me he was laying a mat for me but if I preferred to sleep on bare floor, it was my choice. My mother, on the other hand, told me if I had two dresses and kept them clean, no one would know my secret. Those values have shaped my views till today.

I do not have a condition; I am an overcomer through Christ Jesus that strengthens me. My family does not believe I am different. They took great care to ensure my needs were met as much as they could and carried me along so that the impact of being deaf was not visibly noticed. My father used to feel proud each time I was in the village with him and never hesitated to introduce me as his son who was in university. Most unfortunately, my mother did not live long enough to see me deaf and my father didn't live long enough to enjoy the fruits of his labour on me.

Did you attend regular or special schools?

I had primary and secondary education in regular schools. I attended St Joseph Christ Apostolic Primary School, Ikare, Ondo State; Igbode Primary School Uneme-Erhunun, Edo State; St Paul's Anglican Grammar School, Igarra, Edo State; Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, majoring in Social Studies/ Education of the Deaf; University of Ilorin, Kwara State, where I studied Educational Guidance and Counselling; and Gallaudet University, Washington D.C., United States of America, for a master's degree in School Counselling and Guidance.

Was it challenging for you at university?

Not really, as there were sign language interpreters, though not as often as needed, from the college of education through the university. Lecturers at Gallaudet University used sign language and few that did not use sign language had interpreters.

What are the forms of discrimination you have faced?

Many believe deaf persons are beggars. It takes real patience to disabuse this mentality in our people. It was between 2001 and 2002 that I went to an office to seek information. I introduced myself as deaf, and the next thing I saw was someone's hand extending N20 to me. I had to increase my voice to let them know I wasn't there to seek alms but to obtain information. Many of my friends have told similar stories.

What do you do for a living?

I am a civil servant and currently with the Rehabilitation Department of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as an assistant director.

How did you join the civil service?

After my National Youth Service Corps programme with the Federal Ministry of Sports and Social Development in 2000, I filled a form and applied through the Federal Civil Service Commission and kept going there daily and at intervals. I recollect I also wrote letters of appeal to the chairman of the commission, Head of Service of the Federation and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, among others.

Do you think some persons tried to prevent you from getting the job?

The only obstacle should be me, but I was determined to get the job and God and providence contributed when I met the representative for my state in the commission. He was very cooperative and the rest is history.

What is your responsibility in the rehabilitation department?

I handle issues pertaining to all clusters of persons with disabilities, particularly disability inclusive development.

How do you carry out that responsibility or interact with people there, knowing that not everybody understands sign language?

By God's special grace, I can still talk, though I don't know how my voice sounds. I can read and write and I can manage some lip-reading and I do bring in sign language interpreters for meetings and then I teach some members of staff who are interested in sign language. Nothing can hinder a determined soul in the quest to succeed in life.

How do you handle discriminations that come your way now?

I educate those who still want to discriminate that it is not the right thing to do and urge them to respect the rights of all persons living with disabilities because tomorrow, it can be them.

What motivates you to do your best in life?

That is the fear of being a failure in life, as failures are seen as the scum of the earth.

What is the best way to interact with deaf people?

Turn towards them and face the light. Do not shout. Speak slowly and repeat what you said. Write difficult words or long conversations, if there are no interpreters around. Do not be impatient. Use gestures and if possible, you can use sign language.

Do you belong to any group for promoting the interest of PWDs?

Deaf persons are all members of the Nigeria National Association of the Deaf. So, I am no exception. Similarly, all PWDs are members of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities. I partner with Disability Rights Advocacy Centre, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Centre for Deaf Inclusion and the likes, to promote our interest.

As a counsellor, what is the most painful thing being deaf has cost you that you try to help young deaf Nigerians prevent or manage?

Being deaf almost cost me my self-esteem. But in the end, I rediscovered myself and there was no looking back. I try to help the youth believe in themselves and never develop inferiority complex or allow anyone to look down on them because with determination and self-discipline, even the sky will not be a limit to their aspirations.

Are you married?

Yes, I am married.

How did you meet your wife?

I first met her when she stopped by at her brother's place on her way to school in another town. She was the most beautiful woman on earth to me and her poise, respect and mannerisms drew me to her instantly, though we barely exchanged greetings that day. I thought of her as my future wife afterwards.

Does she have any disability?

She has no disability at all. Fortune smiled on me when she came to the village at the time my mother died in 1980 and one plus one has remained one till today, to the glory of God. By God's grace, I have children and grandchildren. I am sorry children are not numbered in my village and I am a stickler for tradition.

What were your wife's parents' impression when they found out about your condition?

It happened that they knew me before the sickness that turned me deaf. Besides, I was marrying into my mother's extended family. So, I was accepted as a son.

Do you think sign language should be taught in schools in Nigeria?

Yes, it should. It will ease the communication gaps with the deaf, thereby, eradicating the feeling of loneliness and boredom among the majority of deaf citizens. When we talk, we understand one another better.

What hurts you the most about the way PWDs are treated in Nigeria?

The second-class citizen approach and lukewarm attitude to issues of persons with disabilities hurt me. We are the first to be forgotten and the last to be remembered.

How best can persons with disabilities be encouraged to live productive lives?

We must have unconditional positive regard for PWDs. They are first, humans before the disability. There should be an enabling environment with reasonable accommodation to flourish in the society. Assistive technology devices should be provided to cushion the effects of the disability. There should be inclusion, accessibility and participation for all persons with disabilities and their issues included in the national agenda. It is only in doing so that we can be in line with the "leave-no-one-behind" mantra of the Sustainable Development Goals, 2030.