By Emelia B. Addae
Koforidua, March 04, GNA – Mr Yaw Ofori-Debra, a global disability activist, has commended President John Dramani Mahama for his unprecedented policy initiatives as outlined in the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The initiative aims to offer opportunities to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to improve their living conditions and instill hope for the future.
The policy measures include fee-free tertiary education, the incorporation of sign language into the basic school curriculum, and business skills and financial support for women with disabilities.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ofori-Debrah noted that the most significant of these policy initiatives was that five per cent of public sector employment was now reserved for job seekers with disabilities.
“This has been a longstanding clarion call from disability organisations and activists, and the announcement has been met with great elation within disability circles,” he said.
He also noted that PWDs strongly hoped that this would not be just political rhetoric as usual, but rather, that the President would act sensitively to promote the rights and opportunities of PWDs, allowing them to take their rightful place in Ghana.
He urged disability activists to keep a watchful eye on the budget to determine whether these promised policy interventions materialised.
Mr Ofori-Debra, who is currently the second Vice President of the World Blind Union, appealed to the President to exempt PWDs from the revocation of appointments in the public service, as numerous of them were adversely affected by this order.
He also called for the immediate implementation of fee-free education to alleviate the financial difficulties faced by students with disabilities in higher education.
GNA