By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, May 5, GNA – Mr David Agyemang, Country Representative, Sightsavers, Ghana Country Office, has appealed to the Government to adopt Employment Equity Policy to ensure that the barriers that exclude People With Disabilities (PWDs) were properly addressed.
He said there was also the need for the Government to pass the Disability Amendment Bill, which was currently with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, adding that the Ministry should expedite actions for the bill to be presented to Parliament to be passed.
Mr Agyemang said this at the closing ceremony of a three-day workshop organised by ABAK Foundation and Sightsavers on Economic Empowerment Project for PWDs in Accra.
The project seeks to empower PWDs to gain equal access to employment and improve their access to a labour market that is open, inclusive and accessible, and help make their voices heard by the government and society.
Sightsavers is working on the project in collaboration with ABAK Foundation, Inclusion Ghana and the Ghana Federation of PWDs to support the implementation processes.
“Employers have a role to play, the government and the public have a bigger role to play, and even the media, let us go out there and play our parts properly to ensure that PWDs are able to participate meaningfully in everything and also secure employment,” he said.
Mr Agyemang said PWDs had huge challenges, because most people would not want to employ them, adding that some employers would employ them knowing that they would not be able to manage it.
He said under the project, they were committed to supporting any employer who wants to build their capacity to be able to employ PWDs, and also teach them how to manage PWDs, among others.
“We are doing all these so that PWDs will also participate in the labour market,” he said.
He urged the participants to make good use of the knowledge gained from the workshop, encouraging other PWDs to take part in such workshops.
Madam Beatrice Mamoud, Project Officer, Economic Empowerment Project for PWDs, said Sightsavers and its partners were committed to implementing an employment programme, which sought to promote participation, benefits and contributions of PWDs to the economic development of Ghana.
She said PWDs were more capable and willing to work to contribute to development of the nation, hence the need for affirmative actions in that regard.
“There should be something like a quota system that ensures that all potential employers appreciate and include a percentage of their workforce to include PWDs, where this will go a long way to enhance the diverse talent of employers and also increase the economic workforce of Ghana,” she added.
Mr Philip Duah, Executive Director, ABAK Foundation, called on the Christian Councils in Ghana and all religious institutions to make sure that the church was a safer and accommodating place for PWDs.
He alleged that in some Churches, some pastors normally asked their members to pray to God to make their enemies become crippled and blind, saying that such comments were not acceptable as it would emotionally affect PWDs, who found themselves in such premises.
The Executive Director said in some communities PWDs were not allowed entry into the Chief’s palace, creating all forms of discrimination in society, hence the need for traditional leaders to champion inclusive society.
GNA