Adeleye Aisha was born into a modest family in Odeda, a local government area in Ogun State, Nigeria. Life was normal for her as a young child, running around with other children, laughing, and playing under the warm Nigerian sun. But everything changed when she turned 3. A sudden illness struck. What started as a fever turned out to be poliomyelitis, a disease that paralyzed her legs and forever altered the course of her life.
In a country where access to quality healthcare and support services for people with disabilities is scarce, Aisha’s family faced an uphill battle. With limited resources, they did all they could to support their daughter, making sure she attended school despite the challenges. Her parents instilled in her the belief that disability should never define her potential. But that didn’t change how society treated her. Every day was a new reminder that she was different, not just because of the physical challenges but because of the stigmatization that came with them.
Rising Above: Education and Determination
Despite the societal barriers, Aisha was determined to excel. Education became her refuge, a world where her physical challenges didn’t define her worth. Upon completing her secondary education, she secured admission to the University of Ibadan, to study Computer Science. It wasn’t an easy journey. Her mobility was limited, and while other students walked freely across the vast campus, Aisha had to plan every movement with precision, ensuring she arrived early for classes to secure a seat close to the lecture hall entrance.
At the polytechnic, there were few provisions for students with disabilities. Some buildings had no ramps, the lecture halls were overcrowded, and sometimes, she struggled to keep up with the fast pace of academic life. There were days when frustration overwhelmed her, days when she wondered if all the effort was worth it. But every time she felt like giving up, she reminded herself of the vision she had: to be self-reliant, to use her intellect to overcome her physical limitations, and to prove to society that she was more than her disability.
Her hard work paid off when she graduated with an BSc in Computer Science, a field she had grown to love because it allowed her to create, innovate, and contribute without her physical limitations holding her back.
The Unseen Battle: Job Search and Stigmatization
After completing her mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2017, where she served diligently at the Ministry of Information in Oyo State, Aisha was full of hope. She believed that with her qualifications and her experience, a job would soon follow. But reality hit hard. Despite numerous applications to both the public and private sectors, Aisha found herself jobless for years. It wasn’t because she lacked qualifications or skills. Instead, her physical disability became the silent reason doors closed in her face.
The rejection letters, or worse, the lack of responses, began to pile up. She applied for positions in the civil service, hoping that the government would recognize her capabilities. But the stigma surrounding disability remained. Employers, without explicitly saying it, saw her physical condition before they saw her qualifications. Some interviewers even asked her how she would “cope” with the demands of the job, as if her intellect and passion weren’t enough to compensate for the limitations of her legs.
Aisha’s story is not unique in Nigeria. Many individuals with disabilities face similar discrimination, despite policies aimed at promoting equal opportunity. The physical environment, societal attitudes, and lack of support systems create an invisible wall that individuals like her must constantly fight to break through.
Pursuing New Paths: A Hope for the Future
As the years went by without a stable job, Aisha did not sit idle. Her spirit remained undeterred. She invested in additional training, focusing on cybersecurity, a field she believed could offer her more opportunities in the digital age. She knew that with the right tools, she could carve out a path for herself in tech, one where her physical limitations wouldn’t hold her back.
But even here, she faced challenges. To fully pursue a career in cybersecurity, she needed the right equipment—a laptop, to be precise. Though she had access to the internet and electricity in her apartment, the lack of a working computer kept her dreams just out of reach. She made public appeals for assistance, hoping that someone, somewhere, would see beyond her disability and give her a chance to prove her worth.
As she waits for the next opportunity, Aisha’s story continues to unfold. It’s a story of resilience, of hope, and of the determination to succeed in a society that often overlooks the potential of those living with disabilities. She believes that one day, her voice will be heard, and her struggle will inspire others facing similar challenges. Until then, she keeps pushing forward, because to her, giving up has never been an option.
This story was written by Adelola Agbaje, MSc Student of Mass Communication (2023/2024), University of Lagos, following the training on Disability Reporting facilitated by Blessing Oladunjoye, Publisher of BONews Service.