Accra Metropolitan District Chairperson of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, Gladese Agbenu has revealed that persons with disability face a major neglect with regards to accessibility and development.
In an interview with happyghana.com during a recent National Disability Peace Walk organized by Save The Eye Foundation Ghana, advocating for peace ahead of the 2024 General Elections, Agbenu expressed concern about the limited accessibility available to disabled persons, especially during elections. “I am physically challenged, I often find that school buildings used as polling stations lack structures to accommodate or provide access for people like us to vote. Sometimes, we have to climb stairs just to reach the voting area; those in wheelchairs must be carried.”
Agbenu called on the government to prioritize the rights of persons with disability, which are outlined in the Persons With Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) and enshrined in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution under Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms. She emphasized the need for more rehabilitation centers to support individuals with disability.
“The government must properly enforce our rights as disabled persons. It is a matter of human rights, and families who neglect their disabled members should face sanctions from the government. The Act also mandates rehabilitation centers in every district, yet we can count the few that exist even in the Greater Accra region,” she stated.
By: Kobina Baidoo
