By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, Nov 17, GNA – A day’s agenda setting forum for relevant stakeholders on the need for Young People with Disabilities (YPwDs) to have access to public social services has been held in Tamale.
The forum, attended by selected members of the youth wing of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), Northern Regional Youth Network, amongst other key stakeholders within the Northern Region, discussed critical barriers to access to social services and public resources for YPwDs
It was organised by Centre for Research and Development Alternatives (CREDA), an NGO, under its Voice for Access Project with funding support from STAR Ghana Foundation’s Action for Voice and Inclusive Development.
It sought to increase awareness of underserved and vulnerable people’s access to public services.
Mr Abukari Iddrisu, Programmes Manager of CREDA, addressing the forum, said it was intended to define YPwDs agenda for 2024 and how government and other stakeholders’ interventions could enhance their livelihoods.
He said over the years, governments programmes and policies had not provided the needed infrastructure for YPwDs to thrive, hence the need to reverse the trend and urged participants to prioritise advocating their rights to draw the government’s attention towards implementing policies to address their plight.
Mr Dokurugu Wumbei, Programmes Officer in-charge of Youth and Gender Transformation Education at Oxfam in Ghana, underscored the need to provide equitable public social services for YPwDs, and called for appropriate and systematic advocacy campaign that was geared towards addressing some of the critical barriers impeding their growth and development.
He later guided participants to identify the critical barriers affecting their access to public social services.
Some of the barriers identified during the event included lack of disability pathways for PwDs at public facilities, lack of sign language interpreters, high delivery beds, access to inclusive education, access to financial services, among others.
Mr Mumuni Sulemana, Northern Regional Director, National Youth Authority, who was represented at the forum, said the Authority was committed to supporting YPwDs to have access to the needed social services.
Mr Dana Musah, GFD Youth President, Nanumba South District, Northern Region, appealed to the government to step up efforts towards making educational facilities disability-friendly to enable them to access such facilities.
GNA