By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Oct 14, GNA – A The two-year study, conducted in Ghana and Kenya by ADD International has called for strong collaboration between disability rights groups and wider inequality movements to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in development programmes, policies and advocacy.
It also called for fairer resource allocation, intentional collaboration, and greater consideration of how disability interacted with gender and other social identities.
The study involved 30 activists and campaigners working on disability justice and wider inequality issues.
The study identified stigmatisation, inadequate resources, limited collaboration and insufficient attention to intersecting forms of inequality as barriers to meaningful disability inclusion.
Miss Lyla Adwan-Kamara, Project Manager, Disability Justice and Inequalities Research Project, presented the findings of the study at a workshop in Tamale, organised jointly by ADD International and BasicNeeds-Ghana as part of activities to observe this year’s World Mental Health Day.
The two-day workshop brought together members of the Alliance for Mental Health and Development, people with lived experience of mental health conditions and other key stakeholders from across the country.
As part of the study, 15 participants were interviewed in each country comprising eight disability activists and seven inequality activists.
The study examined how activists understood disability and inequality, the barriers that prevented the two movements from working together and practical ways to strengthen collaboration.
Ms Adwan-Kamara said although research participants largely rejected stigmatising attitudes towards persons with disabilities and people with mental health conditions, they reported that stigma remained prevalent in their communities.
She said stigma could lead to direct discrimination and also influence decisions, organisational priorities and policies underscoring need for approaches that address the social barriers faced by persons with disabilities.
She called for persons with disabilities and people with mental health conditions to be involved from the initial stages of programme design rather than being brought in after decisions had been made.
Dr Peter Badimak Yaro, Executive Director, BasicNeeds-Ghana, said the study was to help government and civil society organisations assess how disability inclusion was understood and practised in their programmes.
He said meaningful inclusion required persons with disabilities to participate in identifying their needs, deliberating solutions and shaping interventions rather than being invited to participate after programmes had already been designed.
He said the findings were important to government agencies, civil society organisations and other institutions seeking to make their programmes more inclusive.
Dr Chrysanthus Kubio, Northern Regional Director of Health, whose speech was read on his behalf by Alhaji Mumuni Fusieni, Northern Regional Mental Health Coordinator, commended BasicNeeds-Ghana and its partners’ contribution to mental health service delivery in the region.
He cited support for capacity-building for mental health personnel, the formation of community mental health volunteer groups, provision of motorbikes for community outreach and home visits and support for mental health facilities as some of the interventions of the partners in the region.
He said the Ghana Health Service remained committed to working with BasicNeeds-Ghana and its partners to improve access to mental health services, especially for vulnerable and underserved people.
Mr Humphrey Martey Kofie, Executive Secretary, Mental Health Society of Ghana, called for a review of the Mental Health Act, 2012 to reflect evolving mental health standards and better protect the rights of people with mental health conditions.
He also raised concerns about the availability of psychotropic medicines and urged the relevant authorities to address procurement challenges affecting access to treatment.
Madam Regina Wuriche Bokoro, a participant with lived experience of a mental health condition, called for inclusion of people with such experiences in employment, livelihood opportunities and decisions affecting their lives.
She recounted facing stigma at work, at home and in her community, and urged the media to consult people with lived experience when reporting on mental health issues.
She said “before you churn out any information, talk to us. It is about us”, emphasising the importance of incorporating their perspectives into public discussions on mental health.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Albert Futukpor
Email: [email protected]