National Coordinator of Inclusion Ghana, Auberon Jeleel Odoom has been elected the Secretary General of the Africa Disability Forum (ADF) at the 2024 General Assembly Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

ADF is a democratic, independent organisation that aims to fortify and consolidate the voices of Africans with disabilities, their families, and organisations that represent them.

Reflecting on this new role, Mr. Odoom shared that the new position is an indication of belief in his track record of hard work.

"It's a lot of credibility. When you have worked in a particular space for a while and you get elevated, it means that people believe in your competence and capacity."

He added that his new position will bring valuable resources to the organizations he is affiliated with, including Inclusion Ghana, helping push their efforts from local to regional and governmental levels.

As Secretary General of the ADF, for the next four years, Mr. Odoom seeks to advocate for the ratification of agreements such as the African Disability Protocol and the Older Person's Protocol, highlighting the importance of a Ghana where people with impairments lead dignified lives.

“My key priority is to see a Ghana where persons with disabilities live a life of dignity. For me, that is critical because I am Ghanaian, and I am African. I want to begin local because charity begins at home," he explained.

Far from Ghana, Mr. Odoom envisions an Africa where disability issues are taken seriously and all laws implemented.

"I want to make sure that disability issues are mainstreamed everywhere, especially at the African Union. Every conversation at the AU must include disability," he said, stressing the importance of implementing disability laws across Africa.j

Affiliate organizations like the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation and Inclusion Ghana have celebrated Mr. Odoom’s new leadership role and have expressed their support and dedication to idrive meaningful progress for persons with disabilities across Africa.