Participants ask for better support for children with special needs

Accra, Oct. 19, GNA – Participants at a
training seminar on Entrepreneurship opportunities in the area of Special Needs
have recommended the creation of greater awareness on children with
disabilities to attract the needed attention from government and corporate
organisations.

The Seminar, mostly attended by mothers of
children with cerebral palsy, looked at options available in creating
facilities or services that would serve families raising children with
disabilities

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the
Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on
cerebral palsy issues, said the seminar was demand-driven as many parents who
contacted her organisation required support services and systems usually not
available or were very limited.

“Many Parents of children with cerebral palsy
ask for certain services or support systems that could support them in raising
their children but sadly, there are very limited choices, the few available
tend to be very expensive for the majority,” she explained.

Mrs Awadzi said there should be more
meaningful conversations about cerebral palsy or children with disabilities in
Ghana to deepen the understanding of the masses and to facilitate the creation
of affordable support services and systems.

Ms Vee Agyare Nelson, Founder of Stepping
Stones Foundation, who discussed the various modules available in supporting
children with complex needs, urged participants to spread their imagination
beyond the ordinary and be creative in attempting to establish viable ventures
to support families raising children with disabilities.

On education, she said, there were children
who needed lifelong learning, but necessarily focusing on the academics.

 “Sometimes, training a child to be able to eat
by himself is a great milestone that needs to be celebrated,” she noted.

Ms Nelson shared her experiences of working in
the United Kingdom as a Health and Social worker, and said emphasis should be
on giving the children quality of life.

Ms Monica Kwakye, a professional care giver
who has worked with children with disabilities in Ghana, both in homes and in
schools, also shared her experiences urging parents to be willing to discuss
their expectations from care givers.

GNA

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