The Office of Disability Affairs and Services of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, has advocated the need for disability-inclusive societies.
The call was made at the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held recently at Oladipo Akinkugbe Hall, Laje Campus of the institution.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s event, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” the guest speaker, Miss Oluwatoyin Akanni, described disability-inclusive societies as
“communities where people with disabilities have real access, real participation, and real opportunities.”
According to her, “It takes a collective effort to create a society that actively supports disability inclusion and enables people with disabilities to fully participate. This approach allows everyone to benefit and move forward as a society.”
She further explained that disability inclusion is not charity or a favour but a basic requirement for any community that seeks progress.
Akanni listed practical steps to achieving disability inclusion, including creating accessible environments, promoting inclusive education, ensuring fair hiring practices, and increasing representation in leadership, among others.
Another speaker at the event, Dr. Oladosu Praise, who spoke on the topic “Mental Health, Inclusion, and Dignity: Leaving No One Behind,” described mental health as “a state of well-being in which every person can thrive, work, build relationships, and contribute meaningfully to society.”
Explaining the link between mental health and disability, Dr. Oladosu noted that many people living with disabilities have experienced being talked down to, pitied, stared at, excluded, or ignored.
According to him, these experiences leave wounds that are not always visible.
He highlighted common mental health conditions among persons with disabilities to include depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and low self-esteem, among others.
Speaking on ways to maintain balanced mental health, Dr. Oladosu advised persons living with disabilities to accept their emotions without judgment, communicate their needs clearly, build supportive networks, challenge internalised stigma, focus on their abilities, develop personal wellness routines, and seek professional mental health support when necessary.
head of the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, UNIMED, through its Office of Disability Affairs and Services, took the campaign for disability-inclusive societies to mosques, churches, and motor parks across Ondo City, Ondo State.
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