Tuesday June 23, marks the National Day of Persons with Disabilities in Ghana. The day is commemorated by the disability movement in Ghana, led by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations.
The annual observance of the day since its inception in June 2009, follows the passage of the national disability Act 715 passed by the parliament of Ghana on June 23, 2006 to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
The day has been commemorated under themes that promote inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all endeavours including education, employment and governance.
However, with the year 2020 being an election year, special focus is being given to the theme “Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities and Inclusive Electoral Process”
A press release signed by the national president of the federation, Mawunyo Yakor-Dagbah said, “even though Ghana has made progress over the years to have inclusive governance process, persons with disabilities in Ghana continue to face challenges in participating fully in elections.”
Some of the challenges include inaccessible registration and voting centers; inadequate materials or facilities, limited access to voter education by all categories of persons with disabilities and imperfect opportunities created to vote independently and privately. Others include the absence of appropriate assistance from polling officials and uninformed electoral officials who discharge persons with disabilities from exercising their franchise.
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The federation is therefore calling on the Electoral Commission, political parties and all relevant stakeholders to continue putting the necessary measures in place to make the 2020 Ghana elections more inclusive for persons with disabilities.
This year marks fourteen years of the passage of Act 715 and one would have expected to see strides of positive change in the lives of persons with disabilities in Ghana.
Central Regional President of the Ghana Federation of Persons with disability, Nana George Frimpong who spoke to ATL FM News on Tuesday called on officials especially in the central region, to implement the disability Act 715 which among others include easy accessibility to public buildings, inclusion in employment, governance, education and health to ensure the safety and progress of persons with disability.
Source: ABA AIKINS APPAH/ATLFMNEWS
