Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, in partnership with the Edo State Government, has trained 29 visually impaired persons in digital technology to empower and help them facilitate employment.

At the graduation ceremony/summit with the theme: “Fostering Digital Inclusion to Empower and Facilitate Employment for Visually Impaired Persons” held recently, the Team Leader, Skills Development for Youth Employment, Dr. Detlef Barth, said the objective of the summit was to foster dialogue, share best practices, and develop concrete action plans to address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing employment opportunities in line with the theme of the International Day for Persons with Disability.

Dr. Barth stated that the summit emphasized the importance of collaboration between all stakeholders in creating an inclusive workplace.

He expressed the need for reasonable adjustments in administrative rules, policies, and procedures to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of sensitizing and providing needed information to employers to help them embrace the value of having a diverse workforce.

He added: “The objective of the summit is to foster dialogue, share best practices, and develop concrete action plans to address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing employment opportunities in line with the theme of the International Day for Persons with Disability 2023 Goals.

“The summit emphasizes the importance of collaboration between all stakeholders in creating an inclusive workplace.”

One of the 29 participants, Imafidon Lucky, head of the Edo State chapter of the National Association for Blind, said he nearly lost his job because of his inability to use the computer.

Some of the graduands who stood out during the training were presented with laptops by GIZ to aid their job in their various offices while the 21 persons who completed the training were given certificates.