Iyaniwura Children Care Foundation (ICCF) held a culinary parade and award to celebrate young adults with intellectual disabilities.
Sponsored by Betnaija, the event which held at Adeyemi Bero Hall in Alausa Ikeja, featured a cooking competition where young adults with intellectual disabilities prepared different Nigerian delicacies.
In her opening remarks, Mrs Olajumoke Otitoloju the founder of ICCF said the event was geared towards recognising the abilities and talents of young individuals with intellectual disabilities if given the opportunity.
She disclosed that the event was channeled towards raising awareness of the untapped potential areas in young adults with intellectual disabilities and to change society’s mindset to respect their rights for full participation and inclusion like everyone.
Ms. Otitoloju also clamoured for the need to give young adults with intellectual disabilities the full autonomy to make choices of their own food, preparation and consumption.
“There is the need to give individuals with intellectual disabilities the full autonomy of their rights as adults to make choices of their meal, preparation and consumption. They should be able to live life like every other adult without disabilities. Food and its provisions are factors in defining and sustaining essential undesirable stigmatizing aspect of social identity of people with intellectual disabilities,” she said.
She lamented that the food choices and consumption of adults with intellectual disabilities are often controlled by others enforcing a stigmatized social identity.
She explained that food preparation skills were very relevant for the socialisation process of People with intellectual disabilities.
On his part, Dare Dairo the General Manager Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, LASODA, commended Iyaniwura for taking the initiative to recognise the talent of young adults with intellectual disabilities.
He said that the celebration of Persons with disabilities should not be limited to days set aside for disabilities, adding that they should be celebrated like every other normal individual.
He advocated that persons PWDs be given the chance t be part of the society and contribute their quota to societal development.
At the end of the cooking competition, cash prizes from the sponsor of the event were given to three individuals that prepared the tastiest delicacies.