Assistive technology has been identified as a mechanism to support People Living With Disabilities (PLWD) and young girls towards ensuring their independence and attaining leadership positions in life, regardless of their age or health conditions.
This was disclosed at a sensitisation workshop, with the theme, "Empowering Independence, Harnessing Leadership And Assistive Technologies For Inclusive Success", organised by Bureau of Information Technology (BIT), in conjunction with Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, as well as a Non-Governmental Organisation, Dove Nexus, for the PLWD and young girls , commemorating 2024 International Girls Day In ICT, at Ogun TechHub, Kobape, Abeokuta.
Earlier, Special Adviser on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Mr. Dayo Abiodun, who was represented by the Director of Standard Regulations, Planning and Research, Mrs. Olatundun Adekunte, noted that the era of technological boom would offer seamless assistance and showcase new ways of livelihood in emerging technology to young girls and people with special needs on their plight for reliance, thereby curbing stereotypes preventing them from inclusion in all spheres of life.
Mr. Abiodun highlighted the essence of the workshop to include, exposing people with special needs to tech-assistive tools, such as, Brain Computer Interface (BCI), which would allow realisation of thoughts; wheelchair propelled by attached power adds-on and smart glasses, among others, that could make them independent, as well as creating confidence in the young girls to personally take life decisions, thereby positioning them for leadership inclusion in the society.
In his keynote address titled, "Impact of Assistive Technologies on Daily Lives and Independence", an Audiologist, Prof. Ayo Osisanya, described Assistive Technologies as an array of tech tools that would allow humans to live in a functional capacity of life, building quality, becoming less needy, giving continuous vocational and educational engagement for societal inclusion.
He pointed out that technology remained a universal catalyst in solving challenges, hence the need for creating awareness for Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), in youths, especially young girls, towards realising their dreams and aspirations, affirming that the watchword of International Girls Day In ICT remains, "Learn STEAM, Be Relevant In the World".
Speaking on behalf the participants, Miss Debra Ojoade who narrated how she spoke for the first time with the aid of a Headphone, which had overdropped musical words in her brain, until she eventually picked a word, called on government to purchase tech-assistive tools, as some of them were too expensive for an average parent.
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