Accra, July 14, GNA – Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) have reminded Ghanaians that disability is a shared human condition that can affect anyone at any time and urged Parliament to rise above partisan considerations and pass the Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2026 without delay.
At a press engagement in Accra, Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Inclusive Family Alliance, said the distance between the words “DIS” and “ABILITY” was less than an inch, highlighting how quickly circumstances could change in a person’s life.
“Disability is no respecter of persons. It does not discriminate. It can touch a neighbour, a colleague, a family member, or even you,” she emphasised.
Mrs Awadzi, who read a statement on behalf of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) and other disability organisations, said that despite the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006 (Act 715), millions of Ghanaians living with disabilities continued to face barriers in education, healthcare, employment, transportation and access to justice.
The press conference was organised by the GNAD under the Global Disability Fund Joint Programme, in solidarity with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Inclusion Ghana, Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, Ghana Blind Union, Inclusive Family Alliance, Mental Health Society of Ghana and other allied groups.
Mrs Awadzi said weak enforcement mechanisms and minimal sanctions had contributed to the inadequate implementation of many provisions of the existing law, including requirements for accessible public buildings and inclusive educational facilities.
She explained that the revised Bill introduced stronger protections against discrimination, enforceable accessibility standards and more robust accountability mechanisms.
According to her, the passage of the Bill was not an act of charity, but a constitutional obligation aimed at protecting the dignity of persons with disabilities and ensuring their equal participation in national development.
Mrs Awadzi called on civil society organisations, faith-based groups, traditional authorities and the private sector to support the campaign for a more inclusive society.
She also urged the media to sustain advocacy on disability rights, challenge negative stereotypes and ensure accessibility in media content.
“Every walking Ghanaian is only one step away from potential disability. Supporting this Bill means protecting not just 2.1 million Ghanaians living with disabilities today, but the future of every Ghanaian,” she reiterated.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah