GFD CALLS FOR EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES 05 - 01 -2017

The Bongo District chapter of the Ghana Federation for the Disable [GFD] has made a passionate appeal to parents, guardians and custodians of children with disabilities not to hide them or lock them up but rather enroll such children in school or put them in some form of artisanal training so as to secure their future.

Chairman of the Federation, Mr. Akalga Samuel Asampana made the appeal on behalf of members at the celebration of the 2016 International Day for People living With Disabilities [PWDs] held this week under the theme “Achieving 17 Goals for The Future We Want”. He emphasised that a child living with disability was not necessarily incapacitated and could be educated or trained to acquire a livelihood or employable skills under the right environment just like any other child.

Mr. Asampana therefore called on the Ministry of Education to design a strong legislative instrument to provide the necessary facilities and equipment in each region that will enable persons with disabilities to fully benefit from the school system and other institutions of state and public service agencies. According to him, “a person responsible for granting admissions into schools or other institutions of higher learning should not refuse to give admission to a person with disability on account of the disability unless the PWD has been assessed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and so deemed to be in a special school.”

The GFD Chairman also said it was the expectation of all PWDs that government and parliament would initiate and implement bold steps to address the peculiar needs and concerns of PWDs so as to ensure their full participation in all matters affecting their well-being such as their involvement in economic activities and employment into the public and civil service agencies of state especially where these PWDs were genuinely qualified to be employed.

Mr. Asampana also noted with worry that the grace period for making public buildings accessible to PWDs had long elapsed and wandered why some new state buildings were still being constructed without disability friendly facilities while the old infrastructure were not also made to incorporate such PWD access. He however commended the Bongo District Assembly and the Paramount Chief of the area for facilitating the construction of a modern resource centre for PWDs in the district. He also thanked the Youth Employment Agency for employing members of the federation into various modules it was operating.

The Women’s Wing President of the federation in Bongo, Hon. Veronica Mba in her remarks was unhappy with administrators at the various MMDAs who often decide the usage of funds meant for disability activities without consulting executives of the federation and called for a stop to the practice since it wasn’t benefiting the cause of members of the federation.

Meanwhile, Pastor James Amurugo who is secretary to the GFD in the district also appealed to Ghana’s incoming president, Mr. Nana Addo Danquah Akofu Addo to appoint persons with disabilities who had the requisite competencies to work in his government as these persons would be better placed to lobby for disability-oriented interventions. He also charged the National Disability Council to decentralise its operations by opening up regional and district councils in order to make its work more effective.

A Community Participation Coordinator with the Bongo District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service, Madam Christiana Ayamga disclosed in her statement that, the directorate recently undertook a sensitisation campaign across communities in the district and got about 35 children living with disabilities registered with the Department of Social Welfare for enrollment into school and for other forms of support to be extended to them.