By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, Jan. 28, GNA – The Challenged Foundation (TCF) has expressed concern over the persistent gap between Ghana’s disability policies and the lived experiences of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The Foundation said that despite the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) and various international commitments, PWDs continued to face systemic barriers in education, healthcare, transport and public spaces.
Speaking at the launch of its advocacy initiative, “Inclusion Beyond Policy: Ratification, Implementation, and Accountability,” Mr Ellah Korku Ametor, Public Relations Officer of TCF, emphasised that inclusion “is a human rights obligation and not a matter of charity or sympathy.”
He stated that while policies and laws existed, the continued exclusion of PWDs from decision‑making and public life “is unacceptable and must be addressed with urgency.”
The project, supported by ADD International, seeks to shift focus from policy commitments to measurable action and legal enforcement.
The Foundation noted that initiatives such as the Free Education policy remained incomplete without accessibility.
It explained that free education could not succeed if school buildings were inaccessible, learning materials were not adapted, and teachers lacked support for inclusive teaching.
Mr Alumatsodo stressed that access was the vital link between policy and participation.
He reminded Government of its obligations under the African Disability Protocol, specifically Article 9, which guarantees PWDs the right to access the physical environment, transportation and information on an equal basis with others.
The Foundation said signatures and declarations must translate into action, as rights were only effective when fully embedded in law and decisively enforced.
TCF has launched a national petition calling for genuine disability inclusion and strict enforcement of rights under national law and the African Disability Protocol.
The petition aims to empower citizens to demand monitoring, enforcement and measurable outcomes.
Through the project, the Foundation intends to engage communities, train the media and collaborate with policymakers to ensure that inclusion remains a legal obligation rather than a policy choice.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey