The Need To Do More For The Physically Challenged People In Ghana

Physical disability is a phenomenon which is known and understood by all. It presents itself in different forms and occurs under different circumstances.  One may be born with visual, physical or hearing impairments among other disabilities.  Some may develop one form of disability or the other due to aging or through accident.  In Accra, as in most parts of urban Ghana, the sight of visually impaired folks begging for alms is no news.  A closer interaction with some of them may reveal great gifts and abilities which are being wasted through utter neglect.  Most often than not, we merely play passive advocates of the plight of the physically disadvantaged, and only appear to act when some misfortune befalls them.  The many disabled persons left to beg for alms on the streets do not speak well of us as a people who are known to be very hospitable the world over.  What good is there in being receptive, warm and accommodating of outsiders when some of our own people live daily in the peril of mishap and under the mercy of the weather?. It goes to reveal the extent to which our socio-cultural norms, beliefs and value systems have degenerated.  

Aside from the obvious hypocrisy it reveals of our attitudes, the situation also has the tendency of causing continuous emotional distress to people who are accosted by these alms-solicitors.  It is not in doubt that some of these young men and women are energetic enough to be engaged in productive ventures, which may go a long way to improve the nation’s gross domestic product. The many young boys and girls of school going age who are on the streets as guides for the visually impaired alms-seeker, should be the more reason why the nation must do more for the physically disabled.  It is true that some of them have gone all out to set up their own means of livelihood without necessarily going to the streets to beg; but we need to do more for  the greater majority who cannot help themselves.  It is commendable that government and stakeholders  have over the years made attempts to provide people with disability with educational opportunities.  Schools have been established for the blind, the deaf and dumb.  Brailles and sign language curricula have been developed as well.  

But the question still remains, how are we ensuring that beyond educating them, they are economically empowered? Often times, people with disability who have the requisite qualifications are denied employment simply because of their physical condition.  Perhaps the underlying factor is the mere fact that offices and other work places are not disability friendly in blatant violation of the laws.  It therefore goes without saying, that the Ministries of Employment, Gender, Children and Social Protection  and Education have a lot of work to do for the welfare of the disabled.  It was  heart-warning, when on the 27th  of February this year, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Djaba, at a press soiree, outlined eleven key priority areas her ministry would work on to ensure persons living with disability received the needed attention and support.  Of notable mention are the ministry's intention to implement inclusive education for persons with disability, implement equal employment opportunity policies for  appointment into public  offices for persons living with disability and last but not least,  improve and resource special training schools for persons with disability to offer them  technical and skills training.  What is needed now is that visible and practical steps are taken to ensure that these policies see the light of day, and not remain rhetoric as usual.  The first step is for the minister to take measures to get the disabled off the streets and engage them in some forms of productive ventures.  

At this point, the minister for roads and highways deserves special commendation for his decision to recruit physically challenged people as road toll collectors. So far 80 of such people have been engaged and deployed to toll booths across the country. That is a good starting point.  The former Minister for Chieftaincy, Dr. Seidu Daana, who is visually impaired, is a PHD holder and  lawyer.  He should be a great inspiration to all that, indeed, disability is not inability and whatever abled bodied men can do, the physically disabled can do and even do better.

BY NANA AGYEMANG-PREMPEH, WRITER AND MEDIA PRACTITIONER