SOCIETAL PERCEPTIONS OF PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN NIGERIA

AKINYEMI EYITAYO OLUFUNMILAYO

SOCIETAL PERCEPTIONS OF PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN NIGERIA

AKINYEMI EYITAYO OLUFUNMILAYO

Abstract

The study examined societal perceptions of people with special needs in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Participants made up of 135 members of the society and 35 people with special needs were randomly selected from Ilorin and Akure. Two research instruments namely ‘’Societal Perceptions of People with Special Needs for Special People (SPPSNSPQ)’and Societal Perceptions of People with Special Needs for Members of the Society (SPPSNMSQ)’were used for data collection. Data collected were analysed using percentage and frequency counts. The results revealed that: the society pitied and assisted the disabled financially; their parents did not neglect them because of their disability; people with special needs are always brutal when offended, they loved recognition and do not like being pitied. Also, job opportunity has not been convenient for them, while they are effective in their sources of income and are efficient at skilled work. Based on these findings, it was recommended that people with special needs should see themselves as being loved and would be cared for by the society while members of the society should stop pitying them but assist by equipping people with special needs financially in their different areas of specialisations.

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