Basirat Razaq-Shuaib

Basirat Razaq-Shuaib is an inclusion advocate, a Board Certified Cognitive Specialist and the Founder of The Winford Centre for Children. She is the author of “I am not naughty” targeted at educating children, parents and teachers on empathy, kindness and inclusiveness. She is a featured speaker for the British Council.

Basirat’s Vision

MOBILE LIBRARIES- A NEW APPROACH TO PROMOTING EMPATHY AND INCLUSIVENESS IN KIDS
Disability inclusion is critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve success with inclusive education and social inclusion however, children and adults who don’t have disabilities need to understand what disabilities are, how they may present and how to support people who are affected. This session shows an innovative way of achieving inclusiveness in kids through reading.

Disability inclusion is critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve success with inclusive education and social inclusion, however, children and adults who don’t have disabilities need to understand what disabilities are, how they may present and how to support people who are affected.

I have found that in Nigeria, only a few people are actively talking to children about disabilities thereby creating a huge knowledge gap. When this knowledge gap is not filled, these children grow up into adults who may not understand disabilities and are less willing to be inclusive. Add this to the level of functional illiteracy in the country, exclusion and poverty cannot be avoided.

This session shows an innovative way of achieving inclusiveness in kids through reading using inclusive mobile libraries while at the same time improving literacy. The presentation combines storytelling, audio-visual aids and rhetoric to convey the critical message that reading changes lives and when done with the right resources can foster a better and more inclusive world.

I include first-person accounts from teachers, parents and kids who have learnt about dealing with invisible disabilities from book reading programmes. These compelling stories set the stage for my ultimate call to action which is that in promoting literacy, we can explore innovative ways of delivering advocacy which will lead to a more inclusive society.

Key messages:

• Using reading and literacy to build a better society
• The new approach of promoting empathy and inclusion through children.
• Reading as a way of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.