RISE-GHANA ADVOCATES FOR DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING PWDs

Minister of Employment & Social Welfare

RISE-Ghana in partnership with the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has called for the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the development process of the country.

Recognizing that the Disability Act (Act 715, 2006) entreats the state to recognize the capabilities of PWDs by giving them the needed opportunity to show their worth, Rural Initiatives for Self Empowerment-Ghana and its partners made the call when at sensitization forums organized for stakeholders in the Upper East Regional towns of Bolgatanga and Bawku respectively. 

RISE-Ghana is a local human rights and environment NGO operating in the Upper East Region. Founded by a group of young environmental and human right activists, they are inspired by the need to create an enabling environment for poor people’s movements to harness their full potential to influence change and realize their rights.

The Bolgatanga and Bawku forums which were held at different times were intended to sensitise duty bearers on the rights of PWDs, the Disability Act and the need to make development more inclusive.

Also, they were intended to strengthen capacities of organisations for persons with disabilities, increase transparency, accountability and responsiveness of duty bearers and ensure a successful implementation of the PWD Act in the Bolgatanga and Bawku Municipalities and Ghana as a whole.

A total of fifty-one participants drawn from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), non-governmental organisations, Parent Teacher Associations and Traditional Authorities attended the fora.

Sandra Jensen, Technical Advisor of GIZ/CDD-Ghana Civil Society Support Project (CSSP) under which the forums were organised, said the project was focused on creating awareness about the capacities and capabilities of PWDs, and promoting the equalization of opportunities of PWDs through advocacy, lobbying and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders at the local level.

According to her, 2.5 million people live with various forms of disabilities in Ghana, making them the country's largest minority. “People with disabilities however have to face severe social stigma, creating a culture of entrenched discrimination. Excluded from society, many live under the misguided belief that their lives are not worthy of respect”, she observed.

The UN Convention on the Rights of PWDs she explained perfectly made it clear that PWDs had the same rights as everyone else and emphasised that, this was not a matter of charity or choice. They (PWDs) according to Ms Jensen were entitled to the same rights to key services such as health and education, to earn a living and not to be discriminated against in any way.

The GIZ/CDD CSSP Technical Advisor urged participants to start looking at PWDs as people first; as they were people with special abilities and should not be referred to as "these people" or "retarded" but instead, viewed as an equal and enriching part of society.

The GIZ and CDD-Ghana cooperation which began in 2010 targets the three regions of the North (Upper West, Upper East and Northern) and aimed to support civil society groups with capacity building and financial support. For 2012, GIZ and CDD-Ghana cooperation focus would be on building capacities in local governance, peace building in elections as well as climate change.

Thus, the two forums in the Upper East Region according to Project Manager of RISE-Ghana, Mr. Awal Ahmed, resulted in increase in knowledge about disability and changes in perception among some duty bearers.

They also afforded the PWDs present an opportunity to share the problems they encountered during the recent biometric registration exercise resulting from the absence of disability-friendly devices.

Meanwhile, a communiqué issued at the end of the two forums urged all relevant MDAs as well as the private sector to support the implementation or enforcement of the Disability law.

It also called on the office of the Attorney-General to speed up the passage on the Legislative Instrument to give backing to the law passed six years ago.

The communiqué further called on the Department of Social Welfare and the two Municipal Assemblies to commit resources and reopen the Regional Rehabilitation Centre that had been closed down as it violates Sections 9 and 10 of the disability law which enjoined government to (9) Establish employment centres for PWDs and (10) Promote employment of PWDs.