Audio By Carbonatix
Disability rights advocacy groups are threatening to march to the Osu Castle and Parliament House to protest government’s failure to come out with a Legislative Instrument to back implementation of the Disability Law.
They say many disabled persons are dropping out of school due to unfriendly structures especially in Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions.
The organizations say government’s approach to the law since it was passed in 2004, is creating a society of beggars in the country.
The Bill which was first drafted in 2002 went through up to 60 amendments and finally passed into law by parliament in 2004.
Seven years down the line it remains only A document because the Legislative Instrument expected to give it power has not been given.
The bill aims to provide people with disability access to public places and equal employment opportunities.
It also demands the creation of desks specifically for disabled people at employment centers.
Empowering Ghanaians with Disability is a non-governmental organization which is championing the welfare of physically challenged people.
It says its studies show majority of disabled people drop out of school after the Junior high school level because infrastructure in many senior high school and tertiary institutions have no facilities to accommodate disabled persons.
President of the organization, Kofi Asamoah Nti, tells Luv News it is planning to mobilize people with disability to demonstrate in Accra to get government to act.
"I think the only option left now is for us to mobilize ourselves and demonstrate against government's foot dragging on the issue. Come to think of it almost all Senior High Schools and tertiary school are on the storey building. How do u expect a disabled person to use them. They just drop out of school because society does not care for them," he said.
Metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies are mandated by law to allocate one percent of the Assemblies’ Common Fund to disabled person in their respective areas.
The money is expected to be used to train and facilitate the movement of disabled people.
However information available to Luv News indicates most assemblies do not even have bank account to deposit the money, resulting in tension between the assembly and the disabled groups.
John Owusu who has been paralyzed from the waist since age five, endured hardship to become an accountant now working at the Komfo Anokye Hospital.
He re-echoes to Luv News some challenges people like him go through on a daily basis.
"Commercial vehicles refuse to allow me travel in their car because of my conditions, it’s so pathetic but I thank God I overcame the challenge and now i am in gainful employment," he lamented.
Source: Joy News/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
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