The Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities is calling for direct engagement with a senior government official to address the unemployment challenges confronting graduates with disabilities.

The Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities picketed at the Jubilee House this morning, August 19, to demand greater access to employment opportunities within the public sector.

The group says the action follows what it considers the government’s failure to adequately implement legal provisions requiring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in public-sector employment.

Speaking to the media, Convener of the Coalition, Gilbert Boateng, made the call when the group presented a petition to the government, insisting that their concerns required the attention of officials with the authority to take decisive action.

“We want to meet someone who is within the top hierarchy of government. No disrespect to Dr Ayeh,” Boateng said.

Dr Samuel Ayeh was delegated to receive the petition on behalf of the government. However, Mr Boateng explained that the Coalition wanted to take its concerns beyond him and engage directly with a higher-ranking government official.

He stressed that the Coalition understood Dr Ayeh’s role and did not blame him for attending the event.

“We understand the financial and the initial duties of Dr Ayeh. He did not come here on his own accord. He came because he was delegated to come here,” Mr Boateng said.

Coalition Demands Financial Clearance

According to Mr Boateng, one of the Coalition’s major demands is financial clearance to facilitate the employment of graduates with disabilities.

He said the group wants dedicated employment opportunities for graduates with disabilities so they do not have to compete with able-bodied applicants for limited employment slots.

“One, we are asking for financial clearance,” he said.

Mr Boateng argued that creating dedicated opportunities would help ensure that graduates with disabilities are not overlooked during recruitment processes.

The Convener said the Coalition had previously engaged government representatives with the expectation that their concerns would be addressed, but the group later realised that some of the issues were beyond the authority of the officials they met.

He cited an earlier engagement, saying the Coalition initially believed the meeting would lead to solutions.

“When we came here for the first time, we thought that our issues were going to be resolved by the government. But we realised at the end of the day that the issues were above, so couldn't do anything,” he said.

According to Mr Boateng, this experience has strengthened the Coalition’s resolve to engage directly with officials at the highest levels of government.

Call on Chief of Staff, Vice President

Mr Boateng said the Coalition’s immediate objective is to meet either the Chief of Staff or the Vice President to present its concerns and seek concrete action.

“On this day as we are here, our mission is to meet either the Chief of Staff to speak to us or the Vice President,” he said.

The Coalition is therefore urging the government to give urgent attention to the plight of unemployed graduates with disabilities, particularly its demand for financial clearance and dedicated employment opportunities.

The group says direct engagement with senior government officials is necessary to ensure that its concerns receive the attention and action it believes they deserve.