Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Eastern Region are lamenting the impact of Coronavirus on their livelihood.
They cite inadequate education on safety protocols and lack of personal protective equipment as being their challenges.
In an interview with Citi News after the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister Samuel Neurtey Ayirtey presented PPE and food items to some of them in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, the Eastern Regional Coordinator for the Ghana Blind Union Eunice Korlekuor said they need help.
“You know the visually impaired cannot move in singles unless we let someone help us but now when you happen to be out and you need help, people tell you they cannot help you because of COVID-19. We are really suffering.”
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Tetteh said the assembly is taking steps to sensitize PWDs on COVID-19 safety protocols.
“The assembly members will be educated about COVID-19 in batches and as for the persons with disabilities, their leadership has been educated and currently we are putting measures in place to educate their members while observing social distancing. And so gradually the education will get to them all.”
Meanwhile, thousands of students with disabilities are having a tough time catching up with academic work as schools remain shut due to COVID-19 restrictions.
While able students can latch unto television platforms and other virtual systems to continue teaching and learning; these students with hearing, visual and intellectual impairments are simply unable to cope.
What’s more worrisome; several of these students have pending final year exams and end of semester examinations which they are mandated to write alongside their able colleagues.
The Ashanti Region president of the Ghana Federation for Disability Organisations Alfred Amponsah Tebi is worried blind students might find it overly challenging coping with the GES alternative Television platforms which have no room for questioning illustrations and pictures being shown to the blind viewer.
He observed, “On the TV it flashes and it goes but if you are in the classroom, you can ask the teacher and your instructor can put it in brail and give to you. Most of the students don’t also have laptops to download and read them later with assistive software.”