Accra, Dec 4, GNA –
Persons with disabilities now have access to basic to tertiary education, Madam
Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has
announced.
“Remarkably, the
universities over the past decades, for example, have witnessed increasing
enrolment of persons with disabilities pursuing different disciplines and are
excelling academically.
The Minister, in a
news release to mark the international day of persons with disabilities said as
part of Government’s efforts towards social inclusion of persons with
disabilities, the Government flagship programmes were extended to persons with
disabilities.
“The Nation Builders
Corps (NABCO) has so far employed Eighty (80) graduates who are persons with
disabilities and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and has also covered a
number of persons with disabilities.”
The observance of
the day was designated to highlight and promote disability issues and mobilize
support for their effective participation and inclusion in mainstream national
development.
It was on the theme:
“Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership:
taking action on the 2030 development agenda”.
She said Successive
governments, including; the Government of the day, had taken a number of
measures to ensure that persons with disabilities were “not left out of
national development”, but are given equal opportunities to participate in all
facets of national endeavour.
The Minister said it
had enhanced the participation of persons with disabilities in the national
economy, the Ministry of Business Development has initiated the “Women with
Disabilities Empowerment Programme”, where female Entrepreneurs who were
persons with disabilities were supported with seed capital.
She said the
beneficiaries included; mothers of children with cerebral palsy and received
training in book-keeping and bank accounts were opened for them.
She added that
Government was gradually rolling out the Inclusive Education policy to ensure
that no child with disability was left out of education.
“Teachers are being
given the requisite training in the effective implementation of the Inclusive
Education Policy and they are gradually cultivating the habit of accommodating
every child with disability.
“Currently, Ghana
can boast of thirty two (32) persons with disabilities who are part of district
assemblies made up of those who were elected and those who were appointed. It
is also noteworthy that the President also appointed a person with disability
as a District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sunyani West in the person of– Mr
Martin Obeng.
Madam Morrison said
in strengthening the legal framework for mainstreaming disability in
development agenda through leadership positions in Ghana, the President
appointed some persons with disabilities to be Board Members of some state
institutions such as the Governing Board of the National Council on Persons
with Disability, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NACCA) and
Youth Employment Agency just to mention a few.
She said Government
also appointed the first female person with disability to be the Executive
Secretary of the National Council on Persons with Disability.
“The Ministry of
Gender, Children and Social Protection through the National Council on Persons
with Disability is currently sensitizing the Metropolitan, Municipal and
District Assemblies on mainstreaming disability into their development Agenda,
effective periodical reporting on the Management and Disbursement of the Common
Fund for persons with disabilities.
She said the
Physical Planning Departments and Works Departments of the MMDAs were
sensitized on the implementation of the Ghana Accessibility Standards on the
Built Environment so as to make the environment barrier free; the Social
Welfare Departments of MMDAs were
sensitised on the Management and Disbursement of the 3 per cent Common
Fund for persons with disabilities and on building the capacity of Fund
Management Committees for the 3 per cent Common Fund for Persons with
Disabilities (persons with disabilities have automatic two seats on these
committees).
She said the
sensitization was currently ongoing in Accra and would be extended to other
MMDAs in the country.
Significantly, the
Technical Committee for the Review of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006
(Act 715) and Drafting of the Accompanying Legislative Instrument has been
launched to work in reviewing the Act 715 to comply with the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.
The Minister said in
the later part of 2018, Parliamentarians who constitute the law-making body of
Ghana availed themselves to be sensitised on disability at the “Speakers
Breakfast Forum” to strengthen the inclusion of disability.
“Government of Ghana
will continue its culture of consulting persons with disabilities, particularly
through its federation organisation, the Ghana Federation of Disability
Organizations and other specialized bodies working for the interest of children
with disabilities.
“I urge all
stakeholders to collaborate with the National Council on Persons with
Disability for the realisation of policies and strategies for the effective
participation of persons with disabilities towards the achievement of sustainable
development goals.
She congratulated
all civil society organisations (CSOs) who are complementing the efforts of
Government to better the lives of persons with disabilities including; the
various local funders.”
She commended all
other Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments for taking practical
measures to make persons with disabilities participants in the achievement of
the sustainable development goals and the private sectors that were adopting
Policies on Disability Inclusion.
GNA
