Accra, Nov. 14, GNA – Parents of children with disabilities indirectly experience discrimination, exclusion abuse and stigma just as persons with disabilities
Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on Cerebral palsy issues has therefore called on the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) to intensify advocacy on the inclusion of Special needs parents in policies and laws.
She made the call at a workshop organised by the GFD to build the capacity of the advocacy committee on the National Development Planning Commission four-year development plan.
The workshop explored how the NDPC’s development plan aligned with disability inclusion goals, the Inclusive Education Policy, and other issues.
Mrs Awadzi said, there were no policies to support parents of children with disabilities in Ghana, yet the parents’ well-being was linked to the well-being of the child with disability.
“Parents experience exclusion, discrimination, stigma and abuse because of their children and there are no policies to protect them, ” Special needs parents are indirectly disabled” She added.
Mr Porekuu Peter Francis Xavier, Principal Planning Analyst at the NDPC who took participants through the development planning process advised the GFD to work towards mainstreaming their issues in the development process right from the District Assemblies.
He said the NDPC was particular about human capital development strategies which focused on investing in human beings.
He said the development Planning process encouraged Special interests’ groups to submit their needs to the district Assemblies and nominate representatives to be part of the planning committees.
Mr Abdul Wahab Adams, Programme Officer at the GFD, said the organisation was moving towards engaging in results-based advocacy and urged members of the advocacy committee to build their capacity towards that.
GNA