From lived experience to collective action.

Solomon Okelola grew up with combined vision and hearing loss, or deafblindness. Cataracts limited his sight, while hearing loss made everyday communication difficult without hearing aids or sign language. As he finished secondary school, he lost his remaining vision. Surgery in Lagos in 2001 restored some sight in one eye, but he spent nearly three years out of school. A later medical visit introduced him to Usher syndrome, and magnifying tools helped him return to reading and continue his education.

At the University of Ibadan, where he studied Special Education, Solomon heard about a young girl with deafblindness who was being neglected. He had the support of his mother and siblings and was deeply troubled that she did not. He tried to find her, without success. The encounter became a turning point: he wanted to seek out others whose dual sensory loss had left them isolated. After losing his residual vision in 2009, his own experiences of stigma and exclusion strengthened that resolve.

His later research brought him into contact with 63 people with deafblindness across four states in southwest Nigeria. More than half shared experiences of neglect, isolation or discrimination. He also found that parents, teachers and medical practitioners often lacked the knowledge and support to respond well. These encounters made clear that public misunderstanding, rather than a person’s ability, was often the greatest barrier to opportunity and participation.

That conviction shaped Lionheart Ability Leaders International Foundation. As the organization took form, its trustees chose to focus first on people with deafblindness: making their experiences visible and advocating for their recognition as a distinct disability group in policies and programmes. LALIF began with public awareness and community sensitization and was incorporated on 31 July 2019. Its commitment extends beyond one group—to a society where all people with disabilities can participate fully and on equal terms.