Journalist constructs ramps to support PWDs

Mr Stephen Chidozie Ngamegbulam, a journalist at A1 Radio Station in Bolgatanga has constructed two ramps at the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs to aid Persons with Disability to gain access to the facility.

The facility hitherto was unfriendly to wheelchair users because it had no ramps, and was a major challenge for them to transact business in the House.

Mr Ngamegbulam told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the construction that he was touched by the plight of some PWDs in their bid to access the conference hall of the facility.

“It was then I made the decision that I must construct ramps to make it accessible to them.”

The Reporter, who doubles as producer for the station’s morning show “Daybreak Upper East,” said he intends to extend the gesture to some structures in the Region, and called on philanthropists, government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to come on board to help make life easier for PWDs.

Bon Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyarum, Vice President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, said the House appreciated the gesture because the structure without the ramps was a disincentive to PWDs.

He said the House could not address the problem owing to financial constraints, and added that “if a son has seen that there is a need for it, and has assisted us, we appreciate the effort”.

Naba Aleemyarum said the building needed renovation and recalled that properties belonging to the House had been stolen because the wire mesh used to fence the structure could easily be broken through, “we need a wall around it instead of the wire,” he added.

Mr David Aniah, the Upper East Regional President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation in an interview with the GNA, said the initiative was in fulfilment of Article 715 section 6 of the 1992 Constitution and Article nine of the United Nations Convention on the rights of PWDs.

He said the Association was grateful for the initiative, adding “these are some of the things we have been expecting from government institutions and corporate bodies, but unfortunately after 12 years of the passage of Article 715, we still cannot mention up to 10 structures that have been made accessible”.

Mr Aniah expressed worry that many government buildings including schools, right from the basic to tertiary levels in the Region were without ramps for wheelchair users.