“Academicians are encouraged to integrate People with Special Needs into society so that they can interact with various people and be able to work with everyone regardless of their status.
Dr. Lwimiko Sanga, speaking to academicians at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), urged that all schools and universities should consider the needs of People with Special Needs, as the government’s Higher Education Transformation (HEET) program has ensured equal educational opportunities for all students.
Dr. Sanga noted that the country’s education system has created significant challenges for People with Special Needs, including difficulties in performing academically and integrating into society, as there are different types of people, such as those with visual or hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and those who become disabled later in life due to accidents.
She pointed out that education systems such as special education and formal education have failed to create a conducive environment for identifying People with Special Needs by name, such as the blind, deaf, albinos, and those with hearing impairments, which are all discriminatory terms.
Dr. Sanga emphasized that the training provided to academicians should focus on identifying, supporting, and understanding the challenges of educating People with Special Needs, as well as promoting equality in schools, communities, and society as a whole. “Other communities have marginalized children with disabilities by seeing them as poor or cursed…we are all human beings and do not want to be shown as inferior because we are all disabled in different ways, whether we are born with it, due to age, illness, or other reasons,” said Dr. Sanga.”
