Accra, July 30, GNA – Ms Betty Gharbin, the administrator of the Challenged Foundation, a disability advocacy organisation, has urged Ghanaians to patronise the products and services provided by persons with disabilities (PWDs).
she said the days when disability was associated with curses and bad luck, and with the notion that getting close to PWDs would make one disabled or give birth to disabled children were far gone.
She thus called on the public embrace persons with disabilities and support them to thrive.
Ms Gharbin told the GNA that the phenomenon of disabled people begging on the streets was largely due to a lack of support from the public which included not willing to patronise the products and service of PWDs.
She said: “one of the surest ways to get disabled beggars off the streets is to patronise their products and services”.
Ms Gharbin said that no sane person who is economically engaged and doing well would choose to leave such a life of dignity and go begging.
The Challenged Foundation has earlier organised a three day training for persons with disabilities.
Some 39 persons with disabilities including a mother of a child with special needs from the Volta and Greater Accra regions benefitted from an intensive training in crocheting.
The participants were taught how to produce various items such as dresses, hats, bags, purses, neck warmers, necklaces, baby socks etc, using crocheting.
The Challenged Foundation is into creating jobs and other activities aimed at improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities.
GNA