I will sue institutions that fail to do the right thing – Visually impaired lawyer

Newly enrolled visually impaired lawyer, Mattah Tobias Dennis Xorse Esq., has pledged to legally challenge institutions that fail to provide disability-friendly structures and facilitate access for persons with disabilities.

The Ghana Bar Association inducted seven hundred and seventy-seven lawyers as Barristers and Solicitors at a Call to the Ghana Bar ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre on Friday, October 11, 2024.

Among these 777 lawyers were two persons with disabilities: Mattah Tobias Dennis Xorse, a visually impaired lawyer, and a hearing-impaired lawyer, Mr. Juventus Duorinaah.

The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkunoo, graced the occasion and counseled the newly enrolled lawyers to use their expertise to make a meaningful impact.

Speaking exclusively to EIB Network’s court correspondent, Murtala Inusah, after being called to the bar, Dennis Xorse Esq. highlighted the need for institutions to provide resources and infrastructure that would aid persons with disabilities in enjoying equal access and opportunities.

He also added that when he duly obtains his license, he will take on state institutions that fail to address the needs of persons with disabilities.

He stated, “If we are paying the same school fees as our colleagues who have access to libraries and books, then we should be given the same services because, at the end of the day, we write the same exams, and I don’t think anybody considers us because we lack facilities.

"If I had failed any of my papers today, I would not have been here, but I managed to do it by the grace of God. No special provision was made to make things easier for me.

“Elsewhere, the field is made even for everybody, provided the person qualifies. So, what the white man in his land will do is engage you and ensure that all the equipment or logistics you need to make your studies easy and possible are made available even before you are admitted. But in our case, even as I was leaving school, there was nothing like that in any of the institutions I went through."

He continued, “So, as someone who has been through this, it is my interest to ensure that the world, and everything happening around us, especially here in Ghana, is all-inclusive.

"Persons with disabilities and other vulnerable classes of individuals should be given their share of the cake. When I duly obtain my license, I will take on state institutions that fail to do the right thing. I will do it. Yes, if need be, we will do it. Yes, we will take them on.”