The Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons has commenced a week-long capacity-building workshop for disability therapists and caregivers, aimed at strengthening professional care and expanding access to quality rehabilitation services for children and persons with disabilities across the State.

Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman of the Commission, Dr David Anyaele, said the training, which aligns with the vision of Governor Alex Otti to build an inclusive society where every citizen, irrespective of disability, has the opportunity to live with dignity and realise their full potential, is designed to equip therapists and caregivers with practical skills, contemporary knowledge and professional competence needed to provide quality care, particularly for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

He observed that many families raising children with disabilities continue to face social, emotional and economic challenges, making it imperative to develop a strong network of trained professionals capable of providing effective support within their communities.

According to him, disability care demands not only technical competence but also compassion, patience and a genuine commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable persons.

“This training is not just about career development; it is also about service to humanity,” Dr Anyaele said, urging participants to devote themselves to learning and to apply the knowledge gained to improving the lives of persons with disabilities.

He disclosed that participants would be assessed throughout the programme, explaining that those who demonstrate exceptional commitment and competence would be considered for advanced training and future supervisory roles as the Commission expands disability support services across Abia State.

“We are raising people who will go into our communities to provide immediate support. This training is the first phase, and those who distinguish themselves will move on to the next level,” he said, encouraging participants to become ambassadors of inclusion by promoting the rights, dignity and wellbeing of persons with disabilities.

Speaking on the significance of the workshop, the lead facilitator, Dr Eziafakaku Nwokolo, said the training was designed to equip therapists, caregivers, teachers and primary healthcare workers with the knowledge and practical skills needed to better identify, understand and support children with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

She stressed that effective disability care begins with education rather than mere awareness, noting that participants would be better positioned to provide early interventions, improve rehabilitation outcomes and offer appropriate support to children and their families within schools, healthcare facilities and communities.

Responding on behalf of other participants, Miss Precious Mbaraonye, a special educator at the Special Education Centre for the Deaf and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, described the workshop as a timely intervention that had broadened her knowledge of caring for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and appealed to the Abia State Government to establish a specialised school for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, to relief many families of enormous financial and emotional burdens in seeking specialised therapy outside the state.

The Chairman of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Eno Jerry, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche and the Chairman of the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Kalu Ulu, in their messages, described the workshop as a strategic intervention that would strengthen public service delivery and advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

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