Parents of the disabled form Association

Nkoranza B/A, Dec. 13, GNA - An Association of Parents of Children with Disability (APCWD) has been formed at Nkoranza in the Brong-Ahafo Region aimed at sharing ideas towards the welfare of their children or wards. Mr. Osei Boateng is the head of the three-member interim management committee of the Association with Mr. Augustine Baffoe and Miss Constance Duah as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

Mr. Richard Awumbura, District Education Peripatetic Officer who announced this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkoranza on Monday noted that the coming together of the parents would offer his directorate the necessary opportunity to counsel them to enable them to handle their disabled children with the needed care and attention. Mr. Awumbura, who spearheaded the formation of the Association, deplored the negative attitudes and practices of some parents who shirked their responsibilities to offer necessary assistance to their physically-challenged children and wards. He noted that at some stages, some parents blamed their unfortunate situations in life on such children, saying his outfit would share sentiments together and try to address their problems.

Mr. Awumbura emphasized that any person who became disabled was not the making of that person as a number of complex processes take place during the formative stage of pregnancy. He therefore, stressed the need for women who become pregnant to be very careful in their health and movements as anything that would be negative about the health of the mother could have effect on the unborn child and such a child would have problems after birth. He urged members of the Association to inform their colleague parents and guardians who were yet to join them to do so to promote the welfare of their children in that category. All disabled children have the right to education, Mr. Awumbura stressed and accordingly pleaded with parents to offer necessary assistance, including enrolling them in the special schools.