Speed up passage of disability bill - Disabled Youth

Mr. Akubire Mark Atia Ismail, Regional Chairman of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled Youth has called on the government to ensure that the disability act is passed into law.

In a press release copied to the GNA in Bolgatanga, the Regional Chairman explained that without a legislative instrument backing the act, it was meaningless.

He said section 18 sub section A and B of the Act which talks about the provision of free education and establishment of special schools in the country for Person’s with disability, who by reason of their disability cannot enroll in regular schools. He indicated there were only few of such facilities in the country as compared to the number of persons with disability.

Mr. Ismail said currently there were no disability curricula in the health institutions in the country which he noted, was affecting the delivery of quality services to persons with disability.

“Persons with disability who have hearing impaired problems find it most difficult to access proper and appropriate prescriptions whenever they visit health institutions”, he said.

Mr. Ismail said they were also marginalized in the job market because of low educational background and the necessary training, adding that this was worsening the plight of the disabled.

He said if the appropriate training were given and jobs made available to persons with disability, it would take a lot of them from the streets.

Mr. Ismail said the only way to address the problems of persons with disability was to pass the Disability Act into law to give it a backing to bite.

He said the earlier the bill was passed the better, because in life any person could become disabled including the law-makers.**