NAB Nat’l Youth Conference : Why visually impaired persons should embrace digital literacy
By Leonard Okachie
The visually impaired individuals have been urged to develop digital literacy skills to enhance their employability in today’s technology-driven job market.
A tech-savvy, Mr Stanley Anyim gave the advice at the opening ceremony of the National Youth Conference of the Nigeria Association of the Blind(NAB) on Thursday in Umuahia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s conference is : “Harnessing Technology to Enhance Employability Skills of Visually Impaired Youth.”
Anyim, who was the keynote speaker, said that digital literacy was no longer a luxury, but a necessity for individuals to access information, communicate effectively, and navigate the digital world.
“The speaker who is also visually impaired, said “technology is the sight we never had, we wished to have and you and I don’t have any excuse not embrace it.
“Education is not just about going to school, it is about acquiring digital literacy skills and if you refuse to go with technology in today’s world, you will become obsolete and a liability,” he said.
In a remark, the National President of NAB, Mr Stanley Onyebuchi, said the conference was organised to increase the knowledge of youth members in the area of ICT.
He regretted that the employers of labour most times turned down the applications of members for lack of knowledge of ICT.
The president who said that the association has an ICT training centre at it national secretariat in Lagos, urged the state governments to sponsor members in their various states to acquire the skill.
He also called on them to establish skills acquisition centres for the visually impaired persons in their states, give employment to the graduates among them as well as scholarship to those are student.
Onyebuchi commended Gov. Alex Otti for accepting to sponsor this year’s conference and for his disability-inclusive governance in Abia.
Also, the National Youth Leader, NAB, Mr Oluadamilola Shodeyi, said that the four-day conference brought together young visually impaired individuals, stakeholders, educators and advocates from across the country.
He said that the essence was to explore innovative pathways for inclusion, empowerment and employment through technology.
In their goodwill messages, the Chief of Staff, Dr Caleb Ajagba; Secretary to the State Government, Professor Kenneth Kalu, and some commissioners through their representatives, commended the organisers while expressing commitment to supporting disability issues in the state.
(NAN)
