Ghana Celebrates 2022 National Disability Day

A person with albinism contributes to discussions during the celebrations.

Ghana Somubi Dwumadie in partnership with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), held the 2022 edition of the National Disability Day on June 23, in Accra. This year's event marked the 16th anniversary of the Disability Act 2006, Act 715.

The occasion brought together people from the disability movement in Ghana who participated in a conference to discuss the impact of the Disability Act and the way forward.

After many years of advocacy and lobbying by the disability community, the Parliament of Ghana in 2006, passed the Disability Act, Act 715 in accordance with article 29, clause 8 of the 1992 Constitution. The Act spells out the rights of persons with disabilities in Ghana, which serves as a base for persons with disabilities to participate in Ghanaian society as a matter of right, and not as society’s charitable choice.

Since June 23, 2009, after the inauguration of the National Council on Persons with Disabilities, the disability movement in the country set June 23 every year to commemorate the passage of the Act as Ghana’s National Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day is used to take stock of the achievements of the disability movement through the accessing of their rights in accordance with the Act.

Speaking at the forum, the chairman of the Advocacy Committee of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Mr. Alexander Bankole Williams noted that the present well-being of persons with disabilities in the country does not tell a good story of the efforts Ghana has made in enacting Act 715. He attributed the situation to low political will and slow change in the attitudes of the general Ghanaian society towards disability. Mr. Bankole Williams also mentioned the reluctance or unwillingness of persons with disabilities themselves to aggressively demand their rights as spelt out in the law as one of the factors.

He, therefore, called on the government to commit to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in the country. He also appealled to the Ghana Bar Association and all other lawyers in Ghana to lend a helping hand to persons with disabilities by fighting for their rights pro bono. The advocacy committee chair further called on the Judiciary to examine cases involving persons with disabilities and give judgments in accordance with law, and that will give hope to the disability community.

“Ghana as a country will only be a better place when it seeks to, through right access, harness all its human resource potentials, which includes those of persons with disabilities”, Mr. Williams finally said.

Former Member of Parliament for Krachi Nchumuru in the Oti Region of Ghana, Hon. John Majisi, advised persons with disabilities to be careful not to allow politicians to divide them. The former law maker, who is a disability rights advocate, noted that the disability movement can only achieve its objectives by fighting in unity.

While commending Ghana Somubi Dwumadie for supporting GFD in its efforts of championing the course of persons with disabilities in the country, he also notes that the GFD at the local levels is not as strong as the national level and called for strengthening of the organisation at the grass roots.

“You realise that because of the vulnerability, there’s the tendency for politicians to use persons with disabilities. They divide the rank and file of the organisation at the grassroots and tend to favour some groups of people on political lines. And so, our organisation will not be strong. We should not allow politicians to divide us because of the few things they will give to us. Once we agree that we have a common interest and common aspirations, we need to come together as one people”.

A member of the advocacy team of GFD, Madam Emma Bruce-Lyle also called for a conscious effort by the government to improve the conditions of persons with disabilities in the country. She asked the government to consider making provisions for disability matters in national budget statements.

Ghana Somubi Dwumadie continues to support GFD and people with disabilities in Ghana