FROM LEGAL RECOGNITION TO LIVED REALITY: IMPLEMENTATION GAPS IN THE PROTECTION OF STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria has, over the past decade, developed an increasingly robust legal framework for the
protection of persons with disabilities. The 1999, the Discrimination Against Persons with
Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, the ACHPRs 1981, the Protocol to the African Charter on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2018, and the CRPD 2006 collectively establish guarantees of
equality, non-discrimination, accessibility and inclusive education. Notwithstanding this layered
normative regime, questions persist regarding the extent to which these guarantees translate into
lived inclusion within Nigerian higher education. This article adopts a qualitative approach to
interrogate the implementation gap between law and practice. Drawing on a census study of sixtytwo students with hearing impairment across four public universities in South-South Nigeria, the
article examines how communication barriers, inconsistent provision of sign language
interpretation, inaccessible pedagogical methods and fragmented institutional structures affect
scholastic adjustment. It argues that scholastic adjustment is not merely a pedagogical concern but
an indicator of substantive equality and legal compliance. Through doctrinal analysis and
empirical mapping, the article demonstrates that while Nigeria’s disability rights framework is
normatively progressive, institutional mainstreaming remains uneven. The persistence of structural
barriers reveals a disconnect between legal recognition and institutional practice. The article
concludes by proposing targeted reforms aimed at strengthening enforcement, mainstreaming
accommodation policies and embedding inclusive education within university governance systems