Organization for Inclusion and Empowerment - OFIE, Two brothers, Mankessim (2025)

03/12/2024

Every person deserves to live a life of dignity, respect, and fulfillment. Today, we honor the strengths, achievements, and contributions of persons with disabilities. Let's strive for a world where everyone can participate, contribute, and thrive!

03/12/2023

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (IDPWD).

The 3rd of December every year is designated to celebrate persons with disability and create awareness on disability issues.

The theme of the IDPWD 2023 is “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities”.

This celebration aims at promoting the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all facets of society and increaing awareness of the challenges faced by them.

The significance of the international day of persons with disability lies in its commitment to creating an environment where individuals, regardless of their abilities, have the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life.

This year’s celebration brings attention to all the SDGs that promote the wellbeing of persons with disabilities to create a world that is accessible, safe and inclusive for everyone.

08/07/2023

🎉 Exciting news! The long-awaited coding and robotics training for children with disabilities is finally here! 🤖🌟 This milestone marks our commitment to promoting inclusive education through technology. By providing basic coding skills to these amazing kids, we aim to ignite their interest in technology careers and empower them to shape their own future. 🚀👩‍💻

Traditionally, individuals with disabilities have faced barriers to inclusive career opportunities. But with this program, we're breaking those barriers and opening doors to a world of possibilities. By equipping these children with coding and robotics skills, we're not only benefiting them personally but also fostering the development of assistive technologies that can improve the lives of the entire disability community. 💪💙

Remember, designing with inclusion in mind benefits everyone. Just like Siri, initially created for individuals with visual impairments, our innovations have the potential to make a positive impact on a diverse range of individuals. 🌍 Together, let's cultivate an inclusive mindset, create solutions that address diverse needs, and build a more inclusive future for all. 🤝🔗

Our project is supported by the She Leads Program of Plan International and in partnership with IOT Network Hub and TechDream. Together with are empowering children with disabilities with technology for an inclusive tomorrow. 🎓✨

24/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 18
SOME POSSIBLE WAYS TO PREVENT DISABILITIES
1. Improve nutritional needs of children
Ensure that the child gets a well-balanced diet and clean drinking water.

2. Protect children against environmental hazards
Do not allow a child to have too much contact with paint, newsprint ink, lead etc. as they are toxic.

3. Health related issues of children should be made a priority, especially *the six killer diseases* (does not only kills but also when not properly treated can also cause disability in children)

4. Health of pregnant women should be given attention. Pregnant women must attend all pre, anti or postnatal care to prevent any sickness that may affect them and their children.

21/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 16
SOME POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DISABILITIES (continued).

5. Infections
Lack of prenatal care, underimmunization and inadequate treatment for maternal infections or other medical issues, including STIs, can all contribute to developmental disabilities in a preterm infant.

6. Parental Age
A mother giving birth below the age of 18 and above 35 stands a risk of giving birth to a child with disability.

7.Premature birth
Preterm birth (

20/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 15
SOME POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DISABILITIES.
1. Maternal chronic illness during pregnancy.
Illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, renal disease and autoimmune disorders are associated with complications to pregnancy that can adversely affect a fetus or newborn child.

2. Maternal Abuse of substance (alcohol and drugs).
Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of placenta previa, placental abruption, and preterm labour. It also has adverse affects on fetal growth. Exposure to alcohol in utero is the most common teratogenic cause of developmental disabilities, including microcephaly, cognitive disability, learning disabilities, ADHD and behavioural challenges.

3. Complications during delivery
In countries where prenatal and obstetrical care are difficult to access, chronic maternal disease and pregnancy-related complications often go undetected. Conditions which, left untreated, may contribute to premature birth and/or developmental delay include: Gestational diabetes, Hypertensive disorders and Birth trauma.

20/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 14

DYSGRAPHIA

Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder of written expression that impairs writing ability and fine motor skills.

It is a learning disability that
affects children and adults, and interferes with practically all aspects of the writing process, including spelling, legibility, word spacing and sizing, and expression.

Dysgraphia is typically identified as a child learns to write. However a disorder of written expression may remain unrecognized through the early school years as a child’s writing ability continues to develop; dysgraphia may remain undiagnosed until adulthood.

Signs of dysgraphia include:

- Trouble forming letters shapes.

- Tight, awkward, or painful grip on a pencil.

- Difficulty following a line or staying within margins

- Trouble with sentence structure or following rules of grammar when writing, but not when speaking.

- Difficulty organizing or articulating thoughts on paper.

- Pronounced difference between spoken and written understanding of a topic.

Dysgraphia symptoms typically change over time. Children with dysgraphia generally have trouble with the mechanics of writing and exhibit other fine-motor impairments, while dysgraphia in adolescents and adults manifests as difficulties with grammar, syntax, comprehension, and generally putting thoughts on paper.

Even in the digital age, handwriting is an important skill necessary for success in the classroom and beyond.

The act of writing often helps the brain remember, organize, and process information. When the physical act of writing is incredibly challenging, a child can’t effectively “show what they knows.” A student with dysgraphia may fail an exam simply because they can’t translate his thoughts and answers to paper.

12/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 11 - 11th December 2022.

LEARNING DISABILITY

A learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways.

Some common learning disabilities include Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia.

Facts about learning disabilities
1. Difficulty with basic reading and language skills are the most common learning disabilities. As many as 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems.
2. Learning disabilities often run in families.
3. Learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as autism, intellectual disability, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities.
4. Attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities often occur at the same time, but the two disorders are not the same.

A learning disability can't be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong issue. With the right support and intervention, however, children with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to be successful, often distinguished careers later in life.

10/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 10- 10th December 2022.

COMMUNICATION DISORDER

Communication disorders can affect how a person receives, sends, processes and understands concepts.
They can also weaken speech and language skills or impair the ability to hear and understand messages.

Characteristics of communication disorders in children include:
•Inability to follow directions.
•Slow and incomprehensible speech.
•Difficulties in syntax and articulation.

Each child may experience symptoms of communication disorders differently due to exposure, support, experience and cultural influences. However, there are some common symptoms which may include:

•Children with communication disorders may not speak at all or may have a limited vocabulary for their ages.

• Some often have problems understanding and formulating words.

• Some may have difficulties in understanding or expressing abstract ideas.

• Some may also have difficulties understanding simple directions or are unable to name objects.

Communication disorders can be developmental or acquired conditions. The causes include:

• Abnormal brain development
• Exposure to substance abuse before birth.
• Cleft lip or palate.
• Genetic factors.
• Neurological disorders.
• Traumatic brain injuries.
• Tumors in the area of the brain for communication.

Most people with communication disorders benefit from speech-language therapy. Treatment depends on the type and severity of the disorder.

08/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 8 - 8th December 2022.

AUTISM

Autism, also called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioural challenges.

People with ASD often have problem with social, emotional and communication skills. They might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities.

Globally, ASD is estimated to affect 24.8million people as of 2015. It occurs four-to-five times more in males than in females.

Diagnosing ASD is difficult since there is no medical test to do like blood test. Doctors look at the behavior and development of the child to make diagnosis. By 18 months or 2 years, diagnosing can be done by an experienced professional doctor while others too might be detected in older age.

As at now, there is no cure for Autism. However, early intervention treatment like therapy to help the child talk, walk or communicate with other people can help improve the behavior and development of the child.

07/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 7- 7th December, 2022.

CEREBRAL PALSY

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood.

CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles.

The brain damage that leads to CP can happen before birth, during birth, within a month after birth, or during the first years of a child’s life, while the brain is still developing.
The majority of CP (80%-95%) develops before or during birth (congenital).

All people with CP have problems with movement and posture. Many also have related conditions such as intellectual disability; seizures; problems with vision, hearing, or speech; changes in the spine (such as scoliosis); or joint problems (such as contractures).

Doctors classify CP according to the main type of movement disorder involved. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, one or more of the following movement disorders can occur:

Stiff muscles (spasticity)

Uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia)

Poor balance and coordination (ataxia)

There is no cure for CP, but treatment can improve the lives of those who have the condition. It is important to begin a treatment program as early as possible.

06/12/2022

OFIE DISABILITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN - 2022

DAY 6- 6th December, 2022.

PHYSICAL DISABILITY

A physical disability is a physical condition that affects a person’s mobility, physical capacity, stamina, or dexterity.

There are two broad categories of physical impairements which are “orthopedic and neurological impairments”.

An orthopedic impairment involves damage to the skeletal systems such as bones, joints, limbs and the associated muscles.

A neurological impairment involves damage to the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal chord), affecting the ability to move, use, feel, or control certain parts of the body.

Physical disability can be hereditary / congenital – where a person has been born with a physical disability or developed one due to inherited genetic disorders, has suffered an injury during birth, among others.

It can also be Acquired – An acquired physical disability could be due to an accident, infection or disease, or as a side effect of a medical condition.

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