Stereotypical discrimination, exclusion from decision-making spheres and neglect continue to be major hurdles for persons with disability, the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has stated.
Mr Mark Akubire, the Upper East Regional President of the Federation, said persons with disability (PWDs) continue to suffer social injustice adding that their views are mostly not considered in the formulation of policies, even though they have equal rights.
The situation not only increases abuses and discrimination against them but denies the PWDs their rights and the platforms to grow and contribute significantly to national development, he said.
Mr Akubire made these remarks at Bolgatanga during the commemoration of World Disability Day 2023. It was on the theme: “United in Action to Rescue and Achieve SDGs for, with and Persons with Disabilities”.
The Regional President explained that despite the passage of the Disability Act that required public buildings to be accessible to PWDs, that was yet to materialise.
PWDs continued to struggle to access many public buildings, he said, and called for adherence to the Act, especially in terms of health facilities.
“We want both public and private developers or owners of infrastructure to modernise their infrastructure to be accessible to all persons with disability, especially the health facilities,” he said.
Mr Akubire said the lack of sign language interpreters at major public institutions, particularly at the health facilities, was a bane to the provision of quality healthcare to PWDs.
He called on the government to employ or train people in sign language interpretation in public places to help PWDs when the need arose.
“As persons with disability, God has given us some potentials that we can use for the development of the country, that is why some of us are teachers, nurses, lecturers, seamstresses, petty traders among others,” he said.
He called on society not to discriminate against PWDs but support them to achieve their potential and goals.
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