By Hannah Awadzi
Accra, April 16, GNA – Mrs Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, Gender, Children and Social Protection Coordinator of the NPP Manifesto committee, has said that the party will mainstream disability issues in their manifesto.
She said every sector of the economy would be encouraged to include disability issues so that disability inclusion becomes part and parcel of everything we do as a country.
“Disability issues will be on the main menu and not be treated as a supplementary dish,” she said when the Gender, Children and Social Protection Committee of the NPP Manifesto committee met with the Manifesto Committee of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation (GFD) to discuss issues of importance to them.
The Gender. Children and Social Protection Committee of the NPP Committee will prioritise social protection issues to facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities and children with disabilities in our development agenda.
Mrs Nerquaye-Tetteh, who particularly highlighted the importance of the inclusion of children with disabilities in development, said equal opportunities should start right from the beginning to change the mindsets of the populace about persons with disabilities.
She applauded the GFD for the development of the Disability Manifesto to guide political parties to include disability issues in their manifestos.
Mr Jeleel Auberon Odoom, Chairman of the GFD Manifesto Committee, urged the NPP Manifesto Committee to invest heavily in the implementation of Inclusive Education and explained that it will help regular children to become empathetic and supportive of children with disabilities.
He said even though Ghana has approximately 2.4 million people with disabilities, the effective implementation of disability- inclusive policies and programmes remain inadequate.
“Persons with disabilities continue to encounter significant barriers in accessing essential services such as education, healthcare, employment and social support,” Mr Odoom said and urged political parties to pay attention and commit to the concerns and aspirations of persons with disabilities.
GNA