Titilayo Olamide
Uzoma Dominion is an 18-year-old young adult with many dreams and aspirations. It was his childhood dream to become an Aeronautical Engineer, thereby working in the international aviation industry, and seeing to the airworthiness of aircrafts, either commercial, luxurious, or private fleets.
Usoma Dominion , now a confident and forward looking person
The determination to accomplish this dream prompted the young dominion as early as age 10 to develop passion for computers. Through the help of YouTube and Internet search, in addition to the possession of a desktop computer in his house, Dominion began his journey to transform his aspiration of Computer Science wizardry into reality.
Dexterity in Computer use!
“I knew virtually all the commands. I am quite familiar with the functionality of the computer. The next stage for me was learning to fix all the software malfunctions, the jump into hardware, and then move to aeronautics. And I have gotten some preliminary level of knowledge before the incident struck,” Dominion recalled.
Eight years ago, Dominion woke up to a world of opaqueness! His sense of visuals had gone! The optical nerve that supplies image sensation/impulse to his brain, thereby producing vision, had been damaged due to a protracted battle with glaucoma.
Previously, the then 10 year old boy had struggled to beat the hereditary biological defection, using corrective medicated glasses. But nothing would reverse the unfortunate damage. “In my secondary school, they used to call me all sorts of names: Oju-Igo (Glassed eyes), Olojun Merin (four eyes), and even Afoju (blind man).
“It was that bad. At a point, I almost gave up. I would cry and try not to go to school sometimes to avoid the embarrassment,” he explained his struggle. As the stigma continues unabated, Dominion’s social identity struggle became more complex and overwhelming.
According to Developmental Psychologists, the age between 16 and 45 is classified as a period for the final growth of individual personality. During this time, an individual finalizes the physical growth, including all the sex organs, and is left with the necessity to find its place in his social environment.
This period is said to be the most chaotic moment for every young adult as they are tasked with an identity challenge, particularly a situation of how to assert, carry, and or project themselves. With this on the one hand, the social sigma that comes with Dominion’s visual impairment became too unbearable for him.
“There were times I had to lock myself in the room for today, crying and sobbing. During one of the periods, I contemplated taking my life because I felt there was nothing else to live for,” he recalled. But after a while, I remembered that I used to love computers. So, with the assistance of my older sibling, I started surfing the Internet to look for how to get education for my present situation.”
The decision landed Dominion at one of the reputable schools for Blind in Lagos State. While there, he learnt about all the Assistive Softwares that can help people like him navigate the complex world of the computer. “Not only that, I also learnt Typewriting. I am a certified typewriter now. But it was hard for me to complete the training because I am a slow learner. It took me more than two years. But I am good now. I not only hold a Diploma Certificate in Typewriting, I can also do it well. I can work in court or places where the skill is highly needed and appreciated,” Dominion said.
Usoma dominion in Class
Besides his first level of triumph against his blindness, Dominion has also soldiered on. It appears he has gotten his zeal back and is ready to conquer the world, regardless. “I want to study Computer Science in university now. I sat for this just concluded Joint Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB) and I scored 206. I hope the score is enough to power me into the University of Lagos where I intend to study the course and continue with my dream,” he added.
Dominion’s ability to triumph over his impairment especially at this young age, is a restatement to human inmate ability to adapt and survive.
