Winneba (C/R), June 24, GNA – Mr. John Ninson, acting Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), for Effutu has pledged the Assembly’s commitment to support Persons with Disability (PWDs), for them to earn a living.
He stated that such support to make them economically independent, help stop their continuous stigmatization and discrimination.
Mr Ninson, gave the assurance in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), after launching a project at Winneba dubbed ‘Advocacy and Behavioral Change for Disability Rights and Inclusion (ABCD-RI).
It is being implemented in the Central Region, by ABAK Foundation Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
The Project which seeks to improve the lives of PWDs and ensure their mental Health by addressing their challenges, has Cape Coast Metro, Mfantseman Municipal, Gomoa West and Effutu Municipality as the beneficiary districts.
It forms part of a four-year disability programme, called, ‘Ghana Somubi Dwumadie’, with specific focus on mental health, being implemented in Ghana, with funds from UK AID.
Mr Ninson, applauded the Foundation for working to address the plight of PWDs in the region and called against stigmatizating them.
He indicated that PWDs were endowed with a lot of talents and asked that they involved in programmes and activities to contribute their quota with their skills and talents.
He urged, PWDs to change their own future by being productive and concentrate on what they do and executive them well so that society will not look down on them.
Earlier, Mr. Philip Duah, Executive Director of ABAK Foundation Ghana, said the Foundation is an NGO into advocacy and it was committed to the promotion of equal opportunities for all citizen, with the vision to a Safer World, with Equal Opportunities for All Citizens.
He stated that there had been some positive gains in education and on equal basis with others, saying PWDs and their dependents, caregivers and households continue to suffer from discrimination and social stigma and accessibility to some services even at the community level.
“Continuous stigma, negative attitudes and discrimination towards PWDs, including mental health disabilities exist, yet; few opportunities are available to take a stand against it”.
According to Mr. Duah, the project seek to ensure that PWDs in the selected constituency in the Central region lived comfortably, reduce stigma and discrimination which persist across health, economic, social, environment and political structures.
He urged community leaders to be ambassadors and to use positive non-discriminatorily language towards them.
Among the participants were, Imams, Traditional Leaders, PWDs, Assembly Members, Social Welfare Officers, Health Staff, Queen mothers and Religious leaders.
GNA