The Disability Rights Fund, a disability rights grantmaking mechanism in the USA, has supported VOICE Ghana with a $20,000 grant.

This is to help to implement a year project to bring back the conversation on how the government can fulfil its commitments made to persons with disabilities in Ghana at the 2018 Global Disability Summit.

The project will first and foremost, engage the government for a well-planned welfare scheme for persons with disabilities in Ghana’s COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.

The Executive Director of Voice Ghana, Francis Asong in a communique indicated that a Policy Brief will be developed as part of the project, and will be submitted to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Governing Council for consideration in mainstreaming the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities in all humanitarian activities in the country.

Background 

Ghana made seven key commitments at the Global Disability Summit in 2018, to among others, to ensure that the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities are mainstreamed in humanitarian activities of National Disaster Management. 

Aside from this, Article 11, of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by Ghana eight years ago, mandates her to put the necessary measures in place to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situation of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrences of natural disasters.

Mr Asong explained that the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country since March 2020 thus, presents the opportunity for his organisation to measure the reality of these commitments by the government on the lives of persons with disabilities. 

”Furthermore, the project will engage the District Assemblies in the Volta and Oti Regions to include the needs of persons with disabilities in their respective Covid-19 Response Plans”, he further explained. 

He added that the project will also support the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) in its advocacy for the re-activation of the development of a Communication Strategy by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection in support of the government’s Commitments to eliminate Stigma and Discrimination of persons with disabilities in Ghana.

”Overall, the project is envisaged to impact positively in the lives of all categories of persons with disabilities in the country”, Mr. Asong concluded. 

VOICE Ghana is one of Ghana’s leading NGOs for persons with disabilities. Established in 2002, the organisation plays an active and leading role in disability policy advocacy and inclusive governance for persons with disabilities in Ghana.

The organisation envisions an inclusive and equitable society for all. The organization’s mission/mandate is to advance inclusive development and social justice for persons with disabilities in Africa, particularly Ghana, through research, policy advocacy, and public consultations.