By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Dec. 4, GNA — Madam Ewurabena Aubynn, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, has commended the government for the rollout of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) programme.Â
She described it as a landmark step toward equity, constitutional justice, and inclusive national development.
Making a statement on the Floor of Parliament on Wednesday, as Ghana joined the world to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Member of Parliament (MP) praised the initiative, which absorbs tuition fees for all eligible PWDs admitted to public tertiary institutions, as a bold intervention that removes a major financial barrier to higher education.
She noted that the programme, being implemented through the Students Loan Trust Fund with support from GETFund, represented an important stride toward creating equal pathways for PWDs to acquire skills and contribute meaningfully to national progress.
However, Madam Aubynn emphasized that while commendable, the initiative must be supported by wider structural reforms to ensure that students with disabilities not only access tertiary education but succeed within it.
Citing data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census showing that 8 per cent of Ghanaians, around 2.1 million people, lived with some form of disability, she underscored the urgency of addressing barriers that continued to undermine full participation.
She highlighted persistent gaps such as limited access to formal education, high unemployment rates, inadequate assistive devices, poor support services, and physical obstacles in public institutions.
Among the elderly, she added, “Mr Speaker, nearly 38 per cent live with at least one disability, deepening their vulnerabilities.”
To ensure the new education policy achieves its intended impact, the Ablekuma North legislator proposed a number of interventions, including guaranteed sustainable funding for the programme through the Students Loan Trust Fund and GETFund, and strict enforcement of accessibility standards across tertiary campuses.
She further called for expanded learning support services such as sign-language interpreters, Braille and large-print learning materials, and assistive technologies; transport subsidies and stipends to ease mobility challenges; improved data systems to track student outcomes; and sustained public education to fight stigma and promote inclusion.
Madam Aubynn said, “Ghana stands at a critical moment as it marks this year’s International Day of PWDs under the theme “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.”
She urged the government to pair the fee-free policy with comprehensive reforms to ensure that “no disability limits opportunity and no citizen is left behind.”
GNA
Christian Akorlie