By Priscilla Oye Ofori
Accra, June 25, GNA – Stakeholders have called for the enforcement of disability rights and the completion of legislative reforms to promote the full inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in national development.
They said persistent barriers in healthcare, education, employment and governance continued to limit opportunities for PWDs, underscoring the need for stronger implementation of existing laws and policies.
Mr Joseph Atsu Homadzi, National President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), made the call at the commemoration of the National Day of Persons with Disabilities in Accra.
He urged public and private institutions to comply with the Disability Act and create opportunities for PWDs in mainstream employment and decision-making processes.
The Day was held on the theme: “From Act to Action: Finalising Reforms and Enforcing Disability Rights Now and Beyond.”
Mr Homadzi urged public and private institutions to comply with the Disability Act and create opportunities for PWDs in mainstream employment and decision-making processes.
He said many persons with disabilities continued to face challenges in accessing healthcare and employment despite government interventions.
“Healthcare is a challenge. Some of the drugs are very expensive and our people cannot afford. If government can help bring more drugs into the health insurance scheme, it will be great,” he said.
Mr Homadzi said persons with disabilities encountered “a lot of challenges” in securing jobs and called for collective efforts to remove barriers to their participation in society.
“We shouldn’t look down upon persons with disability because disability issues, like I said, are not about them, it’s about us,” he stated.
Mr Homadzi appealed to the public sector, private sector, traditional and opinion leaders, and religious bodies to “come together, work together” to ensure the inclusion of PWDs in education, healthcare, employment and governance.
He said the free tertiary education policy and the increase in the Disability Common Fund allocation to five per cent would help improve access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
Mr Homadzi also commended President John Dramani Mahama for his pledge to support access to pre-tertiary education for PWDs and efforts towards the reenactment of the Disability Act.
Madam Demakpor Anaglate, Programme Officer of the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), described the review and reenactment of the Disability Act as a critical step towards advancing disability rights and achieving national development goals.
She noted that although the Disability Act had existed for 20 years, the Legislative Instrument (LI) required for its full implementation had yet to be finalised.
“This is not an issue of welfare, but it’s a developmental issue. For a country looking forward to ensuring we see through the SDGs by 2030, it’s our responsibility to ensure this Act is not just on paper,” she said.
Madam Anaglate said persons with disabilities possessed the skills and capabilities needed to contribute to national development and should be fully integrated into productive sectors of the economy.
“They are part of us, efforts must be made to ensure they are fully integrated into the productive sector. At the end of the day, it benefits all of us,” she said.
Madam Khadijah Jakalia, State Attorney at the Legislative Drafting Division of the Office of the Attorney General, said the draft Legislative Instrument for the Disability Act had been completed and submitted to Cabinet for consideration.
She said upon Cabinet approval, the document would be returned to the Legislative Drafting Division for printing and other procedural processes before being laid before Parliament.
Madam Jakalia said the process involved coordination among various institutions to ensure the completion of the legislative framework needed to support the effective implementation of disability rights.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
By Priscilla Oye Ofori