Coronavirus Relief Package: Only seven percent of PWDs benefitted

Only seven per cent of Persons Living with Disability (PWDs) benefit from the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP), a research conducted by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), has revealed.

The programme, which was introduced by government to cushion Ghanaian businesses from the impact of the pandemic largely did not factor peculiar needs of PWDs in the implementation, according to the research conducted in Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi.

Mr. Christopher Agbega, COVID-19 Project Officer of GFD, presenting key findings of the research which was to assessed the impact of COVID-19 on PWDs, said the right channel to get the information to PWDs were not used, so most of their members were not aware.

“People like deaf and dumb, blind as well as those with mental health problems were not considered in terms of dissemination of information, so they were virtually left out of the programme,” he said.

He underlined the need for government to consider the peculiar challenges of such vulnerable groups in the implementation of programmes and policies in order not to leave any Ghanaian behind.

Mr. Kwame Mensah, Programmes Manager of GFD, appealed to Ghanaians to show interest in issues affecting PWDs because anyone could be a victim at any point in time.

According to him, about 85 per cent of persons with disabilities were not born with their conditions but suffered their fates through accidents and other natural causes.

Mr. Alfred Tabi Amponsah, National President of PWDs, said the GFD was made of nine different disability groups and that it was disheartening that only a few were often considered by government when formulating policies for PWDs.

This, he said, was excluding some of their members from government interventions and called for proper engagement with the leadership of GFD to be able to reach out to all PWDs.