THE ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKER IN INTEGRATION OF THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED INTO THE MAIN STREAM OF EGOR COMMUNITY, EDO STATE
ABSTRACT
    This research study was designed to investigate the condition of the physically challenged.  The role of Social Worker integrating them into the societies.  When look at the condition of the physically challenged persons in the society, the measures taken so far to reduced their suffering by the different bodies concerned.
    The questionnaires and indebt interview were used to edit information from the respondents which from the one of the data use for this study.  The project is divided into five chapters.  The first chapter explains the meaning of physically challenged persons and efforts of different concerned bodies in attempted to remove the burdens and eliminate the stigmatization of the physically challenged.
    Chapter two reviewed the work of eminent scholars as related to psychically challenged persons, with a view to strengthening the hypotheses that were formulated.  Chapter three dealt with the method used in the collection of data.  In this chapter, questionnaires were administered and oral interview conducted on a random sampling.  Chapter four dealt with the analysis of data collected.  Every questionnaire administered and interview conducted were critically analysed.  Chapter five of the project work is summary and recommendations.  In the whole, it was recommended that the physically challenged persons should be seen as group of persons that make up the total population of any society.  The need to remove their burden of discriminations and integrated them into the society called for urgent attention.
    The government, professional Social Workers and non-government agencies should jointly work hand in hand to enforce law that could bring an end to the suffering of the physically challenged.  And how they can become useful to themselves and able to contribute to the growth and development of the nation.
 TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------
Statement Of The Problem --------------------------------------   
Objectives Of The Study -----------------------------------------
Scope Of The Study -----------------------------------------------   
Significance Of Study ---------------------------------------------    
Limitation Of Study ------------------------------------------------    
Historical Background Of The Study ---------------------------  
Definition Of Terms ------------------------------------------------     
CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review --------------------------------------------------   
CHAPTER THREE
Background Of The Study Area ------------------------------------  
Research Hypothesis -------------------------------------------------  
Populations --------------------------------------------------------------  
Sampling -----------------------------------------------------------------  
Data Analysis ------------------------------------------------------------  
Method Of Data Analysis ----------------------------------------------
Questionnaires -----------------------------------------------------------
Date Organization -------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER FOUR
Analysis Of Data With Research Findings -------------------------
List Of Tables ------------------------------------------------------------
Discussion Of Findings ------------------------------------------------
Discrimination And Victimization ------------------------------------
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary, Recommendation And Conclusion --------------------
Recommendation ------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------
References -------------------------------------------------------    --------
Questionnaire ----------------------------------------------------------
Appendixes – Questionnaire ----------------------------------------  
 CHAPTER ONE
1.0   INTRODUCTION
    People who are physically challenged are various group found all over the world.  They often lack common needs and face different barriers.  In Nigeria, people with disabilities make up the country’s population strength and as such, there is need to eliminate the discriminations and stigmatization on them by professional social worker and integrate them back to the society.
    The physically challenged persons can be defined as those certified by a specialist in any field of therapy as having one or more of the following disabilities:- blindness, partial blindness, emotional disorder, deafness, social maladjustment, mental retardation and amputation of part of the body as a result of illness or unexpected accident. The disable persons could also be seen as the handicapped, include those who are not capable of carrying out certain functions or activities, which a normal person can perform as a result of certain impairment such as blindness, deafness and mental retardation.
    However, the researcher agreed with the definition of the term ‘The Physically Challenged’, according to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution, 3447(30) of 9th December, 1985 “The term disabled means any person unable to ensure by himself or herself wholly or partly the necessities of life, as a result of a deficiency, either hereditary or not, in his or her physical or mental capacities”.  The medical model of disability sees the disabled person as the problem.  The disables are to be adapted to fit into the world as it is and if this is possible, then they are shut away in some specialized institution or isolated at home, where only most basic needs are met.  (Self-Direction Community Project 2000-2001 (1)).
    The medical model views disabilities as a person’s problem caused by diseases, trauma or other health condition which therefore requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment by professionals.  The disability right movement, led by individual began in the 1970s.  The self-advocacy is often seen as largely responsible for the shift toward independent living and accessibility.  The term “Independent Living” was taken from 1959 California Legislation that enabled people who had acquired a disability due to polio to leave hospital wards and move back into the Community with the help of cash benefits for the purchase of personal assistance with the activities of daily living, with its origins in the United State civil rights and consumer movement of the late 1960s.
    In 1976, the United Nations launched its International Year for Disabled Persons (1981), and later re-named the International Year of Disabled Persons.  The UN Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1993)  featured a World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons.  Bowe (1979) was the only person with a disability representing country in the planning of IYDP – 1981.  Today, many countries have named representatives who are themselves individuals with disabilities. (Answers.com Tm).
    On December 13, 2006, the United Nations formally agreed on the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, the first human rights treaty of the 21st century, to protect and enhance the rights and opportunities of the world’s estimated 650 million disabled people.  Countries that sign up to the convention will be required to adopt National Law, so that persons with disabilities would for example, have equal rights to education, employment, and cultural life, the right to own and inherit property; not be discriminated against in marriage, children and not be unwilling subjects in medical experiments.
    With following efforts by United States and United Nation to improve the life of disables stated, the efficiency of a professional Social Worker to improve the standard of living of Physically Challenged persons in our society must takes its roles.
    Social Workers have a key role in working with people to help them build resilience, maintain hope and optimism and develop their strengths and abilities.  Social Workers meet people and manage their situations of danger and uncertainly in their environment and change their negative behaviours.  Social Work, as approved recognized body can advise and influence government and legislature in enacting laws that will be beneficiary to the disables in our society, such as equal educational opportunity, equal right of being employ in the labour market, and position in government decision making and enforcement terms.
    The Physically Challenged Persons can be helped to overcome the notion of being seen as second hand citizen through counseling and enlightens campaign to the general public not to discriminate against the disables and that there is much abilities in disable persons if they are received fully into the society as able individuals.
    The professional Social Workers could also persuade the government in making provision benefits to disable persons, their disability insurance as not be able to work due to their disability should be inclusive.  Provision of Wheel Chair, Standing Frames, Text Telephones, Accessible Keyboards, Large Print, Braille and Speech recognition Computer software.      Individuals with disabilities often develop personal or community adaptations, such as strategies to suppress tics in public or sign language in deaf communities.
1.1    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Nigeria, as elsewhere in many other cultures, the disabled is sometimes considered a visitation of the sins of the parents on the child.  Congenital disability in children is often viewed with unpleasant insinuations.  As a result, many parents of disabled children prefer to conceal them.  For those who are grown up, families and relatives see them as burden, thus early in life the disabled is faced with social discrimination and isolation.  Many prefer to treat them as social outcasts.  To many without the required level of understanding, the disabled is incompetent, untouchable, incapable and irresponsible.
It is against this background of discrimination to physically challenged persons, that the researcher decided to carryout research on physically challenged persons.  The main purpose is to identify the causes of the problems and make important recommendations as to improve their standard of living that would make them to become useful to themselves and the society.
1.2    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aims to achieve the following objectives:
(1)    To show how the disable persons can be re-integrated into the society by social workers and other stakeholders.
(2)    To enlighten the society on the need to show love and care to the victims of physical deformities.
(3)    To reduce the stigmatization and discrimination against the physically challenged persons in Nigeria.
(4)    To show the usefulness of physically challenged persons if they are integrated back to society.
1.3    SCOPE OF THE STUDY
It would have been reasonable to have research study such as physically deformed persons around every state and strategic places in Nigeria but owing to the study limitation, the scope of the study was streamlined to Egor Communities in Egor Local Government Area in Benin City.
1.4    SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The study is important because it will portray the usefulness of the physically challenged persons in Nigeria.  It will also help to enlighten the policy makers and stakeholder on the need to integrate the physically challenged persons into their plans and budget.  It will also help in the improvement of knowledge.  The study is also useful because it will help the policy makers in policy formation.  So also as an avenue for further study.  It can also of relevance for good readership for all person in the society.  
1.5    LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The main problem of this research is financial constraint suffered by the researcher.  The cost of relevant books and other materials required for this research is on high increase.
Transportation is another serious problem in the course of this research work.  There was high cost of transportation because of the festive period hence the huge amount of money to run around for data collection in attempt to cover large city like Benin became a problem.  Egor Community was then chosen as a case study.
1.6    HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The physically challenged persons are found all the world.  They are more and easily identify in Nigeria, especially in states capitals where they roam the street begging for alms for survival.  Most of these disabled are locked up in a house as untouchable and irresponsible while some others are driven out of the house as an outcast by their relations as a result of being seen as physically challenged persons.
Most government and the society shows non-challant attitude or little contributions towards these set of persons, they are abandoned to suffer without showing any felling or concerned about them.  The International Year of Disabled people which was launched in 1979 and that of Advisory Group on Disability set up by the Prince of Wales in 1985 in attempt to unit local health housing and social services authorities to work together to develop better services for disabled people yielded little improvement on them.
The physically challenged persons are parts of the society and they cannot be ruled out or been neglected.  Hence the government, non-governmental organization, the humanitarian and the society should see to the well being of these set of people.
Egor Communities is located in Edo State and it is Administered directly by Egor Local Government Council which governmental parastatal that provides social amenities for the physically challenged person in the community.  The council is managed by the Chairman.  The council is funded by the Federal government and it also make do with internally generated funds like tax etc, however, there is financial constrain to execute planned projects in the agency.  There is lack of special required equipment to train the physically challenged in the agency.  There is inadequate staff on ground and the inability to employed more staffs.
Also, there is problem of discriminations and victimizations against the physically challenged persons as they are not treated and given equal opportunity like their fellow non-physically challenged persons by the society.  It could be said that these problems of discriminations and neglect against disabled persons call for urgent intervention by the professional Social Workers to address and enlighten the public the usefulness of the physically challenged ones.  And if such persons are cater for and integrated into the society, they would be useful to themselves and contribute to the growth and development of the country.
However, it can be said that the Social Work Department of Egor Local Government Council, Uselu had been able to put a smile on the faces of many physically challenged persons that were formally rejected.  The Social Work Department trained and rehabilitated many physically challenged persons in Egor Community that are now living an independent life while some are admitted to higher institution of learning.  The department had been able to lift the burden from many parents and society thereby making Nigeria as a country that cares for her less privileges once.
In summary, the researcher suggest that the government should redirect and reposition its attitude towards and individual spirit filled philanthropists and the professional Social Workers should see the need of removing the burden of discriminations and victimizations against the physically challenged persons and create good atmosphere for them to live.
Definition Of Terms:
(1)    Physically Challenged:    Connection to the body resulting to handicapped in the body rather than the mind.
(2)    Social Worker:    A person whose job involves giving help and advice to people who are in need of it.
(3)    Integrating:    The act or process of mixing people who have previously been separated.
(4)    Discrimination:  Practice of treating a particular group in society less fairly than others.
(5)    Victimization:    Make to suffer unfairly.
(6)    Isolation:    The state of being alone.
(7)    Untouchable:    People that cannot be touched.
(8)    Incapable:    Not able to do anything well.