STATEMENT BY GHANA FEDERATION OF THE DISABLED BRONG AHAFO BRANCH
GHANA FEDERATION OF THE DISABLED (GFD) BRONG AHAFO BRANCH
Unity is strength VISION STATEMENT OF THE FEDERATION OF THE DISABLED (GFD) INTRODUCTION Mr. Chairman, Honourable Regional Minister, Nananom, Members of Parliament, Municipal/District Chief Executives, heads of departments, all protocols observed. Ladies and gentlemen, persons with disabilities (PWDs) have made significant and positive impact on society in so many areas and their contributions could be even greater if we lift the barriers to their participation. With more 650 million PWDs, representing 10 percent of our world’s population today, this is more important than ever. The Millennium Development Goals were agreed in 2001 as a mechanism to operationalise the Millennium Declaration to help frame international cooperation policy throughout the first 15 years of the 21 century. Although not legally binding, the MDGs have significantly influenced national and international development efforts and greatly contributed to substantial progress in several areas of human wellbeing. However, the global framework for human development outlined by the MDGs failed to address explicitly the multiple barriers faced by PWDs and did not as a result fully realize their potential to advance the rights of PWDs around the world. We are therefore very grateful to have this opportunity to state our vision. OUR VISION Ghana will be a country where all persons with disabilities will be living in a disabled-friendly environment, where all buildings and services will be accessible to all PWDs by having ramps and elevators, sign-language interpreters, notices and documents in Braille, as well as other helpful devices. Ghana will be a country where all parents will educate their children with disabilities instead of hiding them, where all educational institutions will be ready to admit students with disabilities without excuses, and PWDs will be integrated at all levels of education so that children with disabilities will also live with their parents or at least near them instead of always separating them from their parents. Ghana will be a country where the Ministry of Employment will make sure that all ministries and employment centres will assist PWDs to secure jobs or provide employment for PWDs instead of rejecting them simple because of their disabilities without even trying them when they only want to earn a living. Ghana will be a country where all those without skills or education will be trained and provided with capital, tools and continuing monitored to prevent them from begging. Ghana will be a nation where PWDs who are employed will be posted to a disability-friendly place so that they can be more productive instead of putting them at a place where access is difficult for them and then blaming them for coming late.
We want to see the Ministry of Health providing free medical screening to all people for early detection and prevention of disability. In addition, it should provide free general and specialist care for rehabilitation and other post-operative treatment as well as appropriate devices for persons with total disabilities to enable them to live meaningful lives instead them always begging through the mass media for charity. Ghana will be a country where the mentally ill will not be left to roam naked in the streets without help, representing a danger to their own life and that of others, instead of helping them recover. Our print and electronic media should provide space and airtime for the public to be taught the causes and prevention of disability and for our voices to be heard without hindrance. All TV stations will also have sign language interpreters to advocate for the rights of PWDs. Ghana will be a nation where a person or an institution organising national, regional and district activities such as this forum will as far as practicable ensure that the facilities are made accessible for the full participation of PWDs in all activities, with Braille documents for the visually impaired and sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired. Ghana will be a nation where the ministries responsible for rail, air and road transport (and where appropriate, the Ministry of Local Government) will ensure that the needs of PWDs are taken into account in the design, construction and operation of the transportation network. Motorists will stop for a PWD who shows an intention to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing or at an appropriately designated point for crossing by PWDs. All public vehicles will also reserve at least two seats for PWDs, as is done in the Metro Mass Transit buses. In conclusion we want Ghanaians to be educated to understand that PWDs are first of all human beings, before their disability. We don’t need your sympathy but your empathy. Teach us how to fish but don’t give us fish, for the day we don’t get, we will go hungry Accessibility should be a development goal because that is where we get stuck. The important role of accessibility is to create the sustainable conditions for persons with disabilities to live an independent life. This is very important to us. Unless our public spaces are accessible, neither education nor employment is possible. If a person with a disability cannot even step out of his/her home, cannot get into a bus or train then how will he/she to go to college or university or work effectively to contribute our quota to the development of Mother Ghana? We therefore need: 1. A new attitude towards the inclusion of persons with disabilities: a new approach that recognises our human rights – not charity – as the basis for the inclusion of boys and girls, women and men with disabilities. Disability is an expression of human diversity. Combating stereotypes and prejudice towards PWDs is a key step towards building an inclusive and sustainable society for all. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Ghana’s PWDs Act (2006) Act 715 have enormous potential to help societies to respect the rights of persons with disabilities. 2. Accessibility is a key requirement for inclusive development. Access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communication infrastructure is indispensable to
3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
the sustainable inclusion of PWDs and a fundamental prerequisite for PWDs to gain access to education, employment and other services of critical importance. Access to education: education at all levels should be free for PWDs. The hearing impaired in this country have a big problem. Assistive technology (AT) and other applications of information and communications technology (ICT) should be made available to us. Utilisation of ICT can bring a huge change in the lives of these our brothers and sisters. It will not only help us technically but also socially. Many fields are getting reshaped, others are dying due to technology. Now we no longer write letters on paper with a pen and send by post. We use keyboards to type letters on screen and send by email. On one hand, ICT is offering a huge opportunity for everyone, on the other hand thus creating a big gap between those who have and those who don’t. Employment incentives for people with disabilities: there should be ready employment for all PWDs with higher education or vocational training. The government must appoint at least 10 percent of PWDs at all governmental levels. DACF should be increased from 2 percent to 5 percent for the training and support of PWDs. Assistive devices must be subsidised or supplied free of charge to PWDs. Disability allowances should be paid to all PWDs who are employed or there should be policy guiding the allowances.
With these measures in force, Ghana will be a better place for all of us. Long live Ghana! Long live Brong Ahafo!
Unity is strength VISION STATEMENT OF THE FEDERATION OF THE DISABLED (GFD) INTRODUCTION Mr. Chairman, Honourable Regional Minister, Nananom, Members of Parliament, Municipal/District Chief Executives, heads of departments, all protocols observed. Ladies and gentlemen, persons with disabilities (PWDs) have made significant and positive impact on society in so many areas and their contributions could be even greater if we lift the barriers to their participation. With more 650 million PWDs, representing 10 percent of our world’s population today, this is more important than ever. The Millennium Development Goals were agreed in 2001 as a mechanism to operationalise the Millennium Declaration to help frame international cooperation policy throughout the first 15 years of the 21 century. Although not legally binding, the MDGs have significantly influenced national and international development efforts and greatly contributed to substantial progress in several areas of human wellbeing. However, the global framework for human development outlined by the MDGs failed to address explicitly the multiple barriers faced by PWDs and did not as a result fully realize their potential to advance the rights of PWDs around the world. We are therefore very grateful to have this opportunity to state our vision. OUR VISION Ghana will be a country where all persons with disabilities will be living in a disabled-friendly environment, where all buildings and services will be accessible to all PWDs by having ramps and elevators, sign-language interpreters, notices and documents in Braille, as well as other helpful devices. Ghana will be a country where all parents will educate their children with disabilities instead of hiding them, where all educational institutions will be ready to admit students with disabilities without excuses, and PWDs will be integrated at all levels of education so that children with disabilities will also live with their parents or at least near them instead of always separating them from their parents. Ghana will be a country where the Ministry of Employment will make sure that all ministries and employment centres will assist PWDs to secure jobs or provide employment for PWDs instead of rejecting them simple because of their disabilities without even trying them when they only want to earn a living. Ghana will be a country where all those without skills or education will be trained and provided with capital, tools and continuing monitored to prevent them from begging. Ghana will be a nation where PWDs who are employed will be posted to a disability-friendly place so that they can be more productive instead of putting them at a place where access is difficult for them and then blaming them for coming late.
We want to see the Ministry of Health providing free medical screening to all people for early detection and prevention of disability. In addition, it should provide free general and specialist care for rehabilitation and other post-operative treatment as well as appropriate devices for persons with total disabilities to enable them to live meaningful lives instead them always begging through the mass media for charity. Ghana will be a country where the mentally ill will not be left to roam naked in the streets without help, representing a danger to their own life and that of others, instead of helping them recover. Our print and electronic media should provide space and airtime for the public to be taught the causes and prevention of disability and for our voices to be heard without hindrance. All TV stations will also have sign language interpreters to advocate for the rights of PWDs. Ghana will be a nation where a person or an institution organising national, regional and district activities such as this forum will as far as practicable ensure that the facilities are made accessible for the full participation of PWDs in all activities, with Braille documents for the visually impaired and sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired. Ghana will be a nation where the ministries responsible for rail, air and road transport (and where appropriate, the Ministry of Local Government) will ensure that the needs of PWDs are taken into account in the design, construction and operation of the transportation network. Motorists will stop for a PWD who shows an intention to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing or at an appropriately designated point for crossing by PWDs. All public vehicles will also reserve at least two seats for PWDs, as is done in the Metro Mass Transit buses. In conclusion we want Ghanaians to be educated to understand that PWDs are first of all human beings, before their disability. We don’t need your sympathy but your empathy. Teach us how to fish but don’t give us fish, for the day we don’t get, we will go hungry Accessibility should be a development goal because that is where we get stuck. The important role of accessibility is to create the sustainable conditions for persons with disabilities to live an independent life. This is very important to us. Unless our public spaces are accessible, neither education nor employment is possible. If a person with a disability cannot even step out of his/her home, cannot get into a bus or train then how will he/she to go to college or university or work effectively to contribute our quota to the development of Mother Ghana? We therefore need: 1. A new attitude towards the inclusion of persons with disabilities: a new approach that recognises our human rights – not charity – as the basis for the inclusion of boys and girls, women and men with disabilities. Disability is an expression of human diversity. Combating stereotypes and prejudice towards PWDs is a key step towards building an inclusive and sustainable society for all. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Ghana’s PWDs Act (2006) Act 715 have enormous potential to help societies to respect the rights of persons with disabilities. 2. Accessibility is a key requirement for inclusive development. Access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communication infrastructure is indispensable to
3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
the sustainable inclusion of PWDs and a fundamental prerequisite for PWDs to gain access to education, employment and other services of critical importance. Access to education: education at all levels should be free for PWDs. The hearing impaired in this country have a big problem. Assistive technology (AT) and other applications of information and communications technology (ICT) should be made available to us. Utilisation of ICT can bring a huge change in the lives of these our brothers and sisters. It will not only help us technically but also socially. Many fields are getting reshaped, others are dying due to technology. Now we no longer write letters on paper with a pen and send by post. We use keyboards to type letters on screen and send by email. On one hand, ICT is offering a huge opportunity for everyone, on the other hand thus creating a big gap between those who have and those who don’t. Employment incentives for people with disabilities: there should be ready employment for all PWDs with higher education or vocational training. The government must appoint at least 10 percent of PWDs at all governmental levels. DACF should be increased from 2 percent to 5 percent for the training and support of PWDs. Assistive devices must be subsidised or supplied free of charge to PWDs. Disability allowances should be paid to all PWDs who are employed or there should be policy guiding the allowances.
With these measures in force, Ghana will be a better place for all of us. Long live Ghana! Long live Brong Ahafo!
