Challenged persons deprived of basic rights
A SURVEY conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has established that Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs) continue to be discriminated against and deprived of their basic rights in the country.
It cited disability unfriendly public buildings including hospitals, banks and offices of various ministries as a major national challenge persons living with disabilities face.
“The absence of disability access facility in such public spaces and social amenities deny PWDs entry, thereby denying them their basic rights,” it added.
It also mentioned discrimination and stigmatisation and low inclusion in national activities as a major challenge of PWDs.
The report established that in terms of access to employment, education, social amenities and spaces, PWDs were denied their rights as compared to persons without disabilities.
The report also said parents of PWDs refused to enrol their children in the specialised schools, while those who were enrolled faced infrastructural challenges.
Why the challenges
In her preamble to the report, the Chairperson of the NCCE, Mrs Charlotte Osei, attributed the challenges of PWDs to the ignorance of the public of the Disability Act, among other factors, as established by the survey.
She, therefore, stressed the need for national efforts at implementing policies, laws and international treaties on the effective functioning of PWDs and their basic rights, to be intensified and enforced.
Survey
The NCCE conducted the survey in January 2014, under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
It explored ways of promoting inclusion and effective participation of PWDs in national development and how to promote their basic human rights.
Launching the report in Accra, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, said despite the national efforts to establish a conducive environment for the participation of PWDs, there continued to be some challenges with the implementation of section six of the Disability act.
She, therefore, called on all authorities involved in the issuance of building permits to make compliance to section six of the act, a prerequisite for granting building permits.
Sponsors remarks
In his remarks, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah, expressed the hope that the findings of the report would impact on policy and decision making.
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