Persons Living With Disability (PWDs) in the Akatsi South District Assembly, in collaboration with the Global Action for Women Empowerment (GLOWA). have marked the 2018 International Day of Persons Living with Disability, with a call on the government to ensure more disability-friendly areas in the country.
Scores of physically-challenged persons, at a mini-durbar in Akatsi, clad in white t-shirts, carried placards with many inscriptions calling on the government to help make life easier for them.
Some of the inscriptions read “Make the environment disability-friendly”, “help bring out the best in us” and “we have the right to education”, with a call on Civil Society Organizations(CSOs), the Media, Law enforcement agencies, and volunteers to join the advocacy for the disabled.
They called on the government to enforce the Disability Act, pointing at Section 6 of Act 2006, 715, which states that, owners of buildings must see to it that the buildings are accessible to persons living with disability and also Section 17 which talks about accessible education for PWDs.
Speaking at the event, the President of the Association of Students with Disabilities, Carl Tettey, bemoaned how people living with disabilities in the country are still finding difficulties to have access to some public places in the 21st century.
He said, despite the enactment of laws meant to make their lives more comfortable, these laws do not appear to be fulfilling their mandate
“There is evidence of our commitment and ability as Ghanaians to enact beautiful laws to tackle problems in the society. However, their implementation has always not been the best”
Mr. Caruthers also bewailed the inadequacy of educational facilities for PWDs, suggesting that every region should be made to have at least one integrated school.
“Twelve years and still counting, there are not enough schools that are integrated for persons with disabilities, especially, visually-impaired students. At least, each region in Ghana should have integrated schools.
As it stands now there are only seven integrated Senior High Schools: two in the three regions of the north, one in Brong Ahafo region, one in the Central Region, two in the Volta Region and one in the Eastern Region. When this is done, a person will not be compelled to travel a long distance, from one region to another to get education. Why should a citizen’s choice to go to school be restricted to a particular school?”
He appealed to the law enforcement agencies to deal with any person found guilty of stigmatizing persons with disability and called on the society to be receptive and accommodating to them.
The District Chief Executive of the area, Leo Nelson Adzidogah pledged his support for PWDs, and encouraged them to consider themselves as citizens and not spectators.
He made it known that the assembly will also make available, the 3% disability fund to better their lives. He further appealed to the Central government to increase the allocation to 5%.
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By : Benjamin Aklama | citinewsroom.com | Ghana | bkaklama@gmail.com