"When you meet someone with disability on the road, it's not time to give them money. It's more appropriate to find ways that they could be their best in their situation."
This is one of the most striking statement Ayoola Efunkoya made in this episode of Lead Your Life Series.
We live in a society where there is no proper system for inclusion of people with disabilities and therefore they are being marginalized. We often times subconsciously see them as helpless people who need pity.
Today's episode of Lead Your Life Series features the story of how Ayoola Efunkoya who might have been seen as just a blind man, took charge of his life and became independent. Today, he is helping individuals with disabilities access technology that help them improve their productivity.
Lead Your Life Series, is a special edition of Lead Your Life Podcast. We share real life experiences of how personal struggles and seeming setbacks were turned into phenomenal stories of hope and grace.
About Ayoola Efunkoya
Ayoola Stephen Efunkoya is a journalist with more than five years experience in reporting, writing, interviewing, editing and producing for radio as well as sound recording and editing.
His interest in journalism dates to his days in elementary and high schools and has since grown because he believes the profession provides a rare opportunity to draw the attention of both government and the society to communities and issues which would otherwise have gained little or no attention because they are often under-reported.
As a visually impaired person himself, he considers blind persons as members of his immediate community. In service to this community, he started Accessibility 360 with the aim of researching, informing, educating and training other blind persons to use assistive and mainstream technology.
He is motivated to do this because, according to him, his own achievements are largely the result of technology’s impact in equipping the blind to fit and compete in school, at work, at play and in other spheres of life.
So far, at least 100 blind persons in Lagos and its surrounding towns come together through Accessibility 360 to learn, share ideas and resolve each other's challenges with technology via a WhatsApp group and on Facebook.
Efunkoya is also interested in marketing communication, social media, public speaking, small businesses, media research, leadership and management.
The communication professional and accessible technology enthusiast/trainer is an alumni of the President Barack Obama-initiated Young African Leaders Initiative and LEAP Africa’s Young Leadership Programme.
Efunkoya was the best graduating student in the 2009 class at the University of Lagos’ Mass Communication Department with a cumulative grade point of 4.36 of a possible 5.00 and where he also received numerous awards.
He has a Masters degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan and also attended Loyola Jesuit College.
When he is not working, you are likely to find him reading, listening to music or in conversation with someone. He loves traveling and meeting people.
Efunkoya would be telling us about his struggles, What were his redefining moments, the two most important steps he took differently, what were the aftermath, and what lessons he would like you to take away from his story.
Enjoy!
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:07 — 18.6MB)
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