Right-arm amputee, Susan Ofume, is a lawyer, CAC-accredited agent and entrepreneur. In this story gleaned from her Facebook page, the never-say-die fighter shares her experience with an uncouth teacher and how she ended up acing his course. JOSEPH DA POET reports
Seasoned lawyer, Susan Ofume, has overcome the odds. A warrior, she once shared that growing up as a right-arm amputee, she often felt isolated, facing challenges without clear guidance or role models.
“Despite these obstacles, I was determined to pursue a career in law, driven by a passion to inspire others through my story,” she enthused. She has since graduated and practising, but in this piece, she narrated an untoward encounter with one of her lecturers.
Titled, Challenging Disability Stigma in Education: My Experience with a Lecturer’s Remarks, the young attorney says:
As a right-arm amputee, I’ve faced challenges that many don’t fully understand. For years, I carried a secret: A university lecturer once ridiculed me. One of the most hurtful experiences I’ve had was not from a stranger, but from a lecturer — someone who was supposed to support my growth and learning. Unfortunately, his behavior in the classroom was not only dismissive, but actively cruel.
It wasn’t just one comment; it was a pattern. Over time, this lecturer would make snide, thoughtless remarks about my disability, usually in front of the whole class. Whether it was comments about my abilities, my appearance, or how I managed day-to-day tasks, the repeated remarks began to take their toll. Every time, it felt like a small cut — one that slowly added up to something much.
my lecturer’s behavior in the classroom was not only dismissive, but actively cruel
After each class, I carried the weight of those words. I questioned whether I belonged in that space. There were days I felt like I was being judged not for my intelligence or my potential, but for something I couldn’t change. It was exhausting to constantly face that, especially when I expected an educator to be a source of support, not ridicule.
But as time passed, I realized something important — I couldn’t let his ignorance define me. Instead, I chose to keep going, to push through the discomfort and focus on my education. Still, I knew that what happened to me wasn’t right. And the more I thought about it, the more I understood that if I didn’t speak out, this behavior might continue to harm others too.
This experience isn’t just about me. It’s about the ongoing stigma and discrimination [that] people with disabilities face every day — especially in spaces where they should feel safe, like schools and workplaces.
What starts as a single, hurtful remark can become a pattern of exclusion that stops people from reaching their full potential. That’s why it’s so important to address these behaviors, not just for the person who’s targeted, but for everyone who might be impacted by them.
It’s time for us to hold educators and institutions accountable for fostering inclusive, respectful environments
I’m sharing my story today to speak out against the stigma that exists around disabilities, especially in educational settings. It’s time for us to hold educators and institutions accountable for fostering inclusive, respectful environments.
To anyone who has faced similar treatment, your experiences matter, and it’s important to speak up. Together, we can help create a world where people are judged by their abilities, not their disabilities, and where no one feels like an outsider in their own classrooms.
Today, as a Lawyer, I see their cruelty for what it was: a failing of empathy, not a verdict on my capability.
To every student enduring ableism: Your scars are proof of your strength, not your limits.
To educators: Your words can wound or ignite — choose wisely.
The 2017 graduate of Delta State University, Abraka, concluded, “To that lecturer: I didn’t just pass your class, I outgrew it.”
