Accra, June 21, GNA – The Henry Djaba Foundation is collaborating with the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) to organise a two-day “First Ability Fairs” for Persons with Disability (PWDs) to showcase their products, capabilities, and talents to the public.
The fair, scheduled to start from July 30 to 31, 2021, at the forecourt of Mikaddo Pharmacy, Accra, is on the theme: “Creating Opportunities for Persons with Disability.”
It will be organised as an extravaganza for PWD and children with special needs and vulnerable girls to display goods and services amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
The fair is expected to facilitate the exhibition of products and provide PWDs with marketing and self-employment opportunities, access to business opportunities, assistive devices, and ICT services.
It will reduce the huge barriers, challenges and misconceptions about the ability of individuals with PWDs and promote disability inclusion.
Ms Otiko Afisah Djaba, the Executive Director of the Foundation, speaking at the launch of the programme, said the focus was on PWDs because they were a minority group, marginalised, isolated, living in poverty and dependent on charity for survival.
“PWDs face several barriers of segregation, ignorance, lack of awareness, negative misconception, taboos and prejudice that worsened their plight and make it difficult for them to enjoy their rights and life,” she noted.
Ms Djaba stated that PWDs’ situation should not define them because “disability is not inability” and that they also required the same benefits of education, healthcare, employment, financial independence and skills training just like the abled persons.
She appealed to individuals and corporate organisations to support the initiative by patronising their products to bring hope and smiles on their faces.
Ms Dela Bright, Programmes Analyst, UNFPA, said the theme for the fair resonated with the activities of the Fund in ensuring that PWDs were able to access inclusive quality information, health care services, especially with their sexual and reproductive rights, among others.
She said the UNFPA agenda aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 principle of leaving no one behind in development, stressing that, in planning for the country, authorities must involve all, especially PWDs.
“We have partnered with the Ghana Disability Federation and the Henry Djaba Foundation to do advocacy, service delivery programmes to address the distinct, peculiar challenges affecting PWDs in the country”.
Celebrities like Okyeame Kwame, Obour, Nana Ama McBrown who were at the event, expressed support and commitment to the initiative.
Some of the PWDs who spoke to the Ghana News Agency commended management of the Foundation and all the stakeholders and appealed to the public to patronise the event and support made in Ghana products.
GNA