By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, April 28, GNA – VOICE Ghana, a not-for-profit entity’s project to reduce cultural practices that engineer discrimination, stigma and abuse related to people with disability, including people is making some positive strides at the project’s community level.
VOICE Ghana, headquartered in Ho, with practical experience in disability inclusion and mainstreaming agenda spanning two decades, is partnered by the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie to implement a 33-month project to, among others, help reduce stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities in general, in the Volta and Oti Regions.
The project, focused on awareness creation on positive behavioural change towards subjects of disability and mental health conditions, in 22 communities using positive disability languages in Ewe, Twi and Likpakpaln is funded by UKaid from UK Government.
The project’s overall goal, is to promote equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities, including people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities in community life.
Studies have confirmed that negative attitudes, discrimination, and stigma related to disability, including people with mental health conditions, are widespread in Ghana, serving as a barrier for them to equitably access education, health, and social opportunities.
Again, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie’s Formative Research, which were conducted in November 2020 and December 2021, respectively, have reinforced these stereotyping.
The study found that current words used in local languages in most communities to describe disability and mental health, were derogatory, and this reinforces stigma and discrimination, hence the concept by VOICE Ghana, to cause attitudes to change at the local level.
A Ghana News Agency interview with some influencers at the community level could attest to positive changes in the implementation process in relation to acceptance and a change in attitude across the catchment area of the project.
Apostle Moses Adu Gyamfi, Pastor of Apostolic Divine Church, Dambai, and an influencer observed that the pillars of ignorance, superstition, neglect and cultural influence, which are negative attitudes towards people with disabilities including people with mental health conditions is cascading and acceptance, love and inclusion is flourishing in the implementing communities including Dambai.
He narrated that a person with disability in his Church, had been assigned an usher role with increased self-esteem. Also, the Church has facilitated the process for a patient with mental health condition to start receiving medical attention.
Ubori Jonathan Major Jinji, Chief of Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District said change was gradual but expect a positive change in the long-run as some community members now resorted to calling people with disabilities including people with mental health conditions with their actual names as derogatory name-calling or referencing are giving way.
He said four cases of negative referencing after a meeting with his subjects came up but the perpetrators were made to vow before the ‘gods ‘of the community never to repeat such actions again, while a sanction regime is being considered.
He said no case had been reported since and called for greater collaboration to eliminate the menace entirely from the community.
He said the social behaviour change materials such as posters, jingles and language guide that were developed by VOICE Ghana for the project are helping the community members to better understand the concept of acceptance and social inclusion.
Togbe Amafu, Regent of Togbe Lablulu Tegbeza V, Dufia of Adaklu-Waya disclosed that most traditional leaders in his area had bought into the project, and were making frantic efforts to enact by-laws to address human right abuses of people with disabilities including people with mental health conditions, to enhance their social inclusion.
He affirmed that those families that distanced themselves from these class of people have started to receive care and support, an indication that the concept is being embraced for the good of the society.
He said references like ‘Pozo,’ ‘Bafa,’ ‘Moshe Dayan,’ ‘Tagbor gbegbletor,’ are giving way for actual names of people with disabilities including people with mental health conditions, which resulted from regular community education by VOICE Ghana and their Inclusion Ambassadors, who were selected from their communities and trained to support in the project implementation.
He said Madam Olivia Kpo, a person with physical disability was nominated to serve on the recent Easter Planning Committee, which was first of a kind, in the community.
Togbe Amafu said a fine of GHC500 has been instituted for recalcitrant community members who may use derogatory words again for people with disabilities including people with mental health conditions and recommended that VOICE Ghana’s Positive Disability Terminology Guide be translated into other major Ghanaian languages to scale up understanding on the subject.
Mr Francis Asong, Executive Director of VOICE Ghana, told the GNA the outcome of this exercise would create a significant opportunity for their future work, help review strategies for sustainability and serve as best practices for other practitioners doing similar work.
He said the use of social behaviour change strategy, remains one of the best practical means of addressing and influencing behaviour change of people towards any issue.
GNA