Funmi Ogundare
Project ACT, an inclusive first aid initiative of NaijAidUK and Health Aid Charity, has trained non-hearing and non-speaking persons in life-saving emergency response skills as part of efforts to make first aid education accessible to persons with disabilities.
The programme held in Ilorin, Kwara state, equipped participants with practical knowledge in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), choking management, wound care, burns treatment, bleeding control, patient assessment and the management of common medical emergencies, including asthma, diabetes and severe allergic reactions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Project Lead, Patricia Adetuase, noted that the initiative was designed to ensure that persons with hearing and speech impairments are not excluded from first aid education.
According to her, Project ACT was inspired by the NaijAidUK intensive three-day first aid train-the-trainer course held in October 2024, where participants were challenged to develop community projects that would transfer life-saving knowledge to underserved groups.
She noted that although first aid education is gaining wider acceptance across Nigeria, many persons with hearing and speech impairments remain excluded because training programmes are rarely adapted to meet their communication needs.
“This programme is not just another first aid training. It represents inclusivity and empowerment built on the belief that everyone deserves equal access to life-saving knowledge, regardless of their mode of communication,” she said.
Adetuase explained that project ACT was established to bridge the communication gap between hearing and non-hearing communities through accessible first aid education.
She commended NaijAidUK and Health Aid Charity for sponsoring the initiative, describing both organisations as longstanding partners in healthcare development and capacity building.
“Year after year, they invest their time, resources and expertise to improve lives and empower others. Today is another example of that commitment,” she added.
The training was delivered by a five-member project ACT team, all of whom completed the NaijAidUK first aid train-the-trainer course and subsequently volunteered on several first aid and community outreach programmes before establishing the project.
To ensure effective participation, the organisers engaged sign language interpreters throughout the sessions, while facilitators introduced participants to alternative emergency communication methods, including whistles, hand signals, flashlights, communication cards and mobile phone alerts.
Participants also received hands-on instruction on emergency scene assessment using the D-R-A-B-C approach, CPR, the recovery position, jaw thrust technique, infection prevention, wound care, burns management and bleeding control.
Facilitators including Marvelous Aliyu, Aribisin Tolulope and Falade Jesutoni further trained participants on recognising and responding to choking, diabetic emergencies, asthma attacks and severe allergic reactions, while stressing the importance of prompt assessment and referral for advanced medical care.
They also cautioned against harmful practices such as applying toothpaste, butter, oil or methylated spirit to burns, urging participants to adopt evidence-based first aid techniques.
Speaking after the training, a sign language interpreter from the Centre for Students with Special Needs, University of Ilorin, Mr. Dauda Abiodun, described the programme as impactful.
“This practical training has deepened my understanding of first aid and will enable me to pass these life-saving skills on to many others,” he said.
Another interpreter, Mrs. Bello Aderonke Adebisi, said the programme had equipped her with practical knowledge that would benefit members of the deaf community.