Parents, caregivers of PWDs call for inclusion in disability policies

The Association of Parents and Caregivers of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has called for policy changes to support caregivers and parents of children with disabilities.

The association explained that provisions for parents of children with disabilities, such as maternity leave extensions or flexible working hours, have not been made in the Labour Law, forcing parents to choose between neglecting their children or quitting their job, which leads to financial instability and dependency on charity.

“The Labour law should make provisions for parents who are caregivers and are working, such that we could encourage things like remote working, flexible working hours, paid leave, workplace day care centres to keep them in employment,” the President of the Association, Hannah Awadzi, said.

She also called on the government to include parents and caregivers as key stakeholders when making policy on disability to ensure that the policies reflect the real needs of families with PWDs.

Additionally, she called for the professionalisation and regulation of caregiving in the country, as the lack of regulation and professional standards led to exploitation.

“In other developed countries, caregiving was recognised as valuable work, with care workers receiving decent pay and professional training,” she said.

Workshop

Mrs Awadzi was speaking during a workshop organised by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), as part of a three-year EU-co-funded project aimed at enhancing inclusivity for persons with disabilities in the country.

The workshop was on the theme: “Strengthening Caregiver Voices for Inclusive Policies and Support Systems.”

Educational System

Mrs Awadzi pointed out that the educational system did not cater for children with neuro disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and autism, leaving parents often struggling to find appropriate educational placements for their children.

She stressed the importance of psychological stress and health problems faced by the parents as well as the high cost of hiring caregivers, which added to the financial burden as parents' salaries remained unchanged despite their additional responsibilities.

She, therefore, called for policies that recognised and addressed the unique needs of parents caring for children with disabilities.

“The government should pay attention to our needs; there should be something that cares about parents like us, as a lot of us are dying, pretty much only because of the stress that comes with taking care of a child with disability,” she said.

Data

In view of data mobilisation, she said the association has started collecting data of parents and caregivers of persons with disabilities and also unifying existing data.

“We cannot advocate inclusion in policy without concrete data; we must get the contacts of parents and caregivers across the country,” she said.

She said the association would continue to educate parents and improve their understanding of existing policies on persons with disability and how they could benefit from such policies.

She indicated that they would intensify media engagements and provide accurate information.

Project

The Project Officer with the GFD’s EU, Evans Oheneba Mensah, said the Mental Health Society of Ghana, GFD and Africa Disability Institute were collaborating on the project titled:

"Strengthening the capacity of organisations of persons with disabilities for promoting inclusion in Ghana," aimed at creating a more inclusive society by strengthening the federation and its 16 member organisations, including disability-sensitive media groups.

“The implementation of the project, from 2025 to 2027, would serve as a defining period within which the GFD and other stakeholders seek to strengthen the capacity of organisations of persons with disabilities, amplify the voice of persons with disabilities and enhance their advocacy capacity.

“It is also to foster collaboration and networking, promote inclusivity and diversity, and build organisational resilience and leadership skills to advocate inclusive programmes, policies and services,” he said.