A not-for-profit, Kimathi Kuenyehia Grant for People with Disabilities (KKGPwD) has extended its support to 51 students with special needs at the University of Ghana.

The event, held at the SRC Union building on the university campus, was geared towards the grant's ongoing mission to alleviate financial barriers for students with disabilities.

Established in 2016, the KKGPwD was initially designed to aid first-year students with visual impairments by easing the financial burden of educational materials.

However, recognizing the broader needs of the disabled student community, the grant was later expanded to support all first-year students with disabilities.

This inclusive approach ensures that these students can acquire essential educational resources without financial constraints, thereby equipping them to pursue their academic goals more effectively.

Since its inception, the KKGPwD has benefitted a total of 159 students, including 56 females and 103 males, between 2016 and 2024. The ongoing support underscores the grant's commitment to fostering an equitable academic environment for students with disabilities.

Speaking to JoyNews after the event on July 24, a consultant from Kimathi & Partners, Corporate Attorneys, Dodzi Koku Hattoh emphasized the importance of prioritizing students with disabilities.

“We want to encourage everyone listening to us to come and support. It is a great initiative. We should believe in them. We should believe in their abilities. We should know them by their names, not because of their abilities and not because they are disabled as we reclassify them,” he said.

UG’s Dean of Student Affairs & Acting Coordinator at UG’s Centre for Disability Studies and Advocacy (CDSA), Prof. Rosina Kyerematen also expressed her appreciation for the initiative.

She highlighted the critical role of financial aid in levelling the playing field for students with disabilities and urged Ghanaians to support the expansion of such programmes.

She added that the centre also welcomed more assistance despite the university’s efforts.

“We appreciate Kimathi for the help they are giving our disabled students and we appeal to the general public to help in whatever way they can; in cash, in kind if they need. We have one vehicle. That one vehicle serves all the visually impaired and the physically.

"There are some who have to be aided. So we have a vehicle that transports them from the halls to the lecture theatres and back. So if we have companies that are willing to donate vehicles to us, we'll be very happy, buses, for instance, wheelchairs, white sticks and all that.”