Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), has presented a petition to Parliament in respect of the ratification of the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with

disabilities by the government.

The federation also called for the passage of the Ghana Mental Health Bill without any further delay.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debra, Chairman of the Advocacy Committee of GFD and President of Ghana Association of the Disabled, said most of the issues in the convention have been taken care of by the country’s Persons with Disability Act 2006(Act 7150).

He said however, the ratification of the convention would enable the country to access the technical, developmental and financial benefits that the convention makes available to member countries.

Mr Debra said Ghana is not a welfare State like Denmark, where laws make adequate room for the mainstreaming of disability issues.

According to the World Health Organisation there are about 2.2 Million Persons with Disabilities in Ghana, whose needs are varied vis-à-vis, education, provision of assistive devices, removal of barriers, and adequate health delivery.

Touching on the Mental Health Bill, he said although it has been submitted to Parliament members of GFD do not know its status.

He said President Evans Atta Mills visited the Mental Hospital in Accra recently and gave the assurance that the bill would be passed without delay.

Mr Debra said in solidarity with persons with disabilities in Ghana, 500,000 Ghanaians have signed up to the urgent call on the government to speed up the processes to ratify the convention and pass the Ghana Mental Health Bill.