By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, June 17, GNA – Women’s Health to Wealth (WHW), a non-government organisation dedicated to the welfare of women and children, has donated 48 specially designed wheelchairs to the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enhance the mobility of schoolchildren with disabilities.
The wheelchairs, which are manually operated using hand paddles, are intended to enable children who cannot walk independently to commute to school with ease, promoting inclusive education across the region.
At a brief handover ceremony in Kumasi, Nana Abenaa Akuamoa-Boateng, Founder and Executive Director of WHW, explained that the donation aims to eliminate barriers that prevent children with physical disabilities from accessing formal education.
“With this donation, we estimate that over 200 children with disabilities will now have the opportunity to attend school regularly,” she said.
Madam Akuamoa-Boateng expressed concern about the inability of many children to access education in a country implementing the Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE) programme simply because they lack the means to attend school.
“If I can’t get to school, of what benefit is free education to me as an individual?” she asked, underscoring the urgency of addressing the mobility challenges faced by children with disabilities.
She added that WHW is now focusing more on schoolchildren, having observed the disproportionate impact of inaccessibility on their academic participation.
“We have seen children who were previously unable to attend school now going joyfully. Their participation is not only empowering for them, but it also inspires their peers and enhances inclusive learning,” she said.
Madam Akuamoa-Boateng stressed the importance of human dignity, saying that disability should never be a reason to deny anyone the right to education or societal participation.
She also called for stronger collaboration with education authorities to help identify and support children with physical challenges.
“It is our hope that this initiative will reach children across the region and encourage parents who may be hiding their children at home to bring them out for support,” she added.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the GES, Dr. William Kwame Amankrah Appiah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, commended WHW for the impactful gesture.
He noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to inclusive education and keeping every child in school.
“With this donation, at least 48 children with disabilities in the region can now access education more easily. This is a significant step towards removing barriers that hinder equal access to education,” he stated.
GNA
Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Benjamin Mensah