A Critical Discussion on Overcoming Communication Barriers in HIV Prevention among In- School People with Disability (PWD) in Ekiti State - A Case of the Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired Population

According to a United Nations (UN) report, an approximately 15.6 percent of the world’s adult
population is living with disability, with 80% of People with Disability (PWD) living in the developing
world. People with disability are at significant risk of becoming Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
infected due to various factors including lack of education and resources to ensure safe sex, risk of
violence and rape, stigma and lack of legal protection amongst others. Situation analysis of HIV
prevention intervention amongst in-school PWD in the three specials schools in the state show that
48% of the total populations in these schools are hearing impaired, 16% visually impaired and 6%
intellectually impaired. To this end, Ekiti State AIDS Control Agency with the funding of the World
Bank and in collaboration with a Community Based Organizations (Eyelosun) carried out a two year
intervention programme targeted at reaching the PWD population with HIV prevention services. The
project community Entry phase activities included Issue Based Advocacy, Selection and Training of
PWDs as peer educators, Community dialogue, Interpersonal Communication and Focused Group
Discussions. Age peers’ education approach was used to build the capacity of PWDs on HIV
prevention. Peer Education manual and IEC materials were produced in Braille and sign language
(target group specific communication materials) to ease communication barriers. Thirty five able
teachers with specialization in Braille and sign languages were selected and trained as Peer Educator
Trainers (Training of Trainers TOT) and 25 PWDs (hearing and visually impaired) were selected and
trained by the trained teachers to carry out peer education using the Braille and sign language
manuals. The use of Braille and Sign language HIV prevention specific materials to communicate with
PWD improved their understanding and knowledge of HIV/AIDS with 80% increase in HIV Counseling
and Testing (HCT) uptake and other HIV services. There was active participation of PWD in all the
structural interventions including Community dialogues and Anti-AIDS club. However, the intellectually
impaired, who are highly sexually active and at risk of HIV remain a neglected population due to
communication challenge. It is hoped that gains of the project will be sustained beyond the project
cycle. There is the need to intensify action on HIV prevention among neglected populations and
advocate for funding of interventions targeting PWDs either in closed settings (institutions) or in the
larger community. Though this project was able to work with visual and hearing impaired PWDs,
however the intellectually impaired, who are highly sexually active and at risk of HIV remain a
neglected population due to communication challenge.