Disability, Workplace Relations and Social Exclusion of “The People with Special Needs” in Selected Public Organisations in Ibadan, Nigeria
Samuel Ayodeji OMOLAWAL (PhD), Temiloluwa Abigail OBISESAN

Abstract
People with special needs constitute an important but special group that needs to be cared for by the society. However, this category of people continues to experience social exclusion and discrimination in the society as well as in the work place. This study investigated Perception towards Disability, Work-place Relations and Social Exclusion of the people with special needs in selected public organisations in Ibadan Metropolis. The study, anchored on the social model of disability theory, was conducted in public organisations in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Study design was crosssectional survey. A total of 488 employees were selected using Cochran’s 1977 formular. Instruments of data collection were questionnaire (460), In-Depth Interviews (20 officials), and Key Informant Interviews (8 employees living with disability). Quantitative data collected were descriptively analysed while qualitative data were content analysed. Findings revealed that there was poor compliance with legislations on employment of this category of people (84%) and reasons given for their low number in government organisations included wrong perception that they cannot work effectively (16.4%) and unavailability of supportive equipment (21%). Also, eighty two percent (82%) of the respondents were willing to have people with special needs as their colleagues at work and factors that can make respondents uncomfortable with people with special needs included not knowing how to relate with them (15.2%) and sense of pity (29%). Although government workplaces are not made conducive for the disabled, workers generally have positive attitudes to them. Government should enforce the implementation of relevant legislations to give more attention to issues of disability.

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