The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has reiterated its commitment to promoting inclusive national development, with renewed focus on integrating women, children, and persons with disabilities into Ghana’s planning processes.

This position was highlighted during a courtesy call by a delegation from Voices of Women and Children with Disabilities in Ghana to the Director-General of NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah.

The meeting centred on strengthening collaboration on disability inclusion, enhancing participation in policymaking, and advancing key frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr Amoah commended VOWAC Ghana for its growing impact and research contributions, noting that NDPC remains committed to ensuring equitable development across all population groups.

She emphasised that disability inclusion has been incorporated as a cross-cutting priority in Ghana’s 2026–2029 Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework.

She further underscored the importance of expanding representation of persons with disabilities within decentralised planning systems, particularly at regional and district levels, to ensure their voices are reflected in decision-making.

She added that inclusive planning must be guided by empathy and active participation, in line with the principle of “nothing about us without us.”

On her part, Technical Advisor of VOWAC Ghana, Beatrice Akua Mahmood, called for more structured engagement with specialised disability groups.

She also raised concerns about gaps in disability-specific indicators in national reporting systems, urging gradual integration to improve monitoring, accountability, and policy responsiveness.