By Idris Shehu
Bauchi State Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASA) said that it has planned to engage the services of qualified people living with disability as apprentices and interpreters during the implementation of WASH programmes in the state.
The Permanent Secretary of the agency, Engineer Garba Babaji dropped this hint in Bauchi while exchanging views with officials of the deaf and sign language interpreters’ Association, Bauchi state chapter as part of activities marking the International Day for the Deaf.
He said that his agency’s decision to create all-inclusive Covid-19 jingles with WaterAid Support was hinged on the realization of the need to protect all segments of the society from the ravaging effect of Coronavirus.
Engineer Garba Babaji explained that government was not unaware of the potentials of people living with disability, including the deaf and the dumb, saying “RUWASA will engage some of you that are technically equipped to serve as apprentices and interpreters during hygiene behavior training to make the message clearer.”
Commenting on the associations requests, Engineer Babaji promised that the malfunctioned water facility at the school for the physically challenged would be rehabilitated very soon in line with his agency’s social responsibility to the community which has been sustained for the past ten years.
Earlier, the Chairman of the State branch of the National Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Comrade Sale Adamu commended RUWASA and WaterAid Nigeria for adopting inclusive approach in the implementation of WASH programmes especially various the jingles on Covid-19 and Cholera awareness.
Comrade Sale Adamu however implored the State Government not to see disability as a barrier to employment, as people with physical challenge have the potential to interprete key messages into sign language for the benefit of their members and other less privileged across the state.
