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LAST Monday the world marked the United Nations Day for the Disabled, a day set aside since 1982 to promote the understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
While observing the day in Ghana, the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) commended the government for adopting certain measures to improve the well-being of its members, such as the promulgation of the Disability Act and the allocation of two per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund to support the initiatives of People with Disabilities, as a way of enhancing the livelihood of the disabled.
There is no doubt that some steps have been taken to enhance the well-being of the disabled, but there is still more to be done to get mainstream society to stop looking at disabled persons as a separate and often inferior class of human beings. It is in this context that we echo the concerns of the President of the GFD, Mr Yaw Ofori-Debra, that “in spite of the positive measures, poverty and misery still destroy the lives of majority of disabled persons and for this reason the streets are inundated with disabled beggars”.
On the back page of our paper today we carry the distressing news that the chalk factory established by the GFD in Accra to provide jobs and incomes for some of its members has been closed down as a result of the lack of a market for its products. This is not the first time that the factory has had to close down because of the inability of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to direct schools to patronise the chalk.
Unfortunately, while the inertia of public officials kills the initiative of the physically-challenged, the streets of Accra are choked with beggars, mostly disabled people who always attribute their predicament to the refusal of most employers to engage their services and the fact that they do not feel welcome onto the job market.
Consciously or unconsciously, exclusive policies and strategies are being pursued to limit the economic contributions of people with disabilities. The Department of Social Welfare and some civil society groups have organised skills training for the disabled, with the view to empowering them to be self-reliant. On the other hand, most of the disabled persons find begging more lucrative than any productive work, despite legislation outlawing begging.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls for a national commitment to ensure that disabled persons have equal access to social and economic opportunities. Piecemeal interventions are not likely to be very productive unless the beneficiaries of the interventions are empowered to transform themselves from economic burdens to economic assets.
We believe that the long-term effects of interventions such as easy access to public buildings and facilities and job opportunities will ensure dignity, self-esteem and quality of life for disabled persons.
The government and all interested groups must take practical action to promote the full participation of the disabled in the development process on the basis of equality.
The media also have important contributions to make by disseminating information regarding progress and obstacles in the national response to promote awareness of the challenges confronting persons with disabilities. Through this effort, the media can break the back of ignorance, which is acknowledged as the major factor for the neglect of the disabled.
There are many instances when the media can showcase and celebrate contributions by persons with disabilities to the society. In assessing the contribution of the physically-challenged, our focus should be on “ability and not disability”.