Disabled told to make the Disability Law work for them

Ho, July 14, GNA - Mr Larry Bisaba, the Volta Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, on Thursday appealed to people with disabilities that it was incumbent on them to make the Disability Act work in their interest.

He said the onus was now on them (disabled) to play their roles with the same enthusiasm and "noise making" which accompanied the bill that has materialized into law.

Mr Bisaba said this at the close of a four-day training workshop for the blind and visually impaired persons on business management skills in Ho.

The workshop, which was sponsored by ABILIS Foundation, Finland, attracted 50 participants from some districts in the region. Mr Bisaba said it was improper for people with disabilities to take the law for granted because its existence would in itself not be enough in addressing their problems.

He therefore urged participants and other people with disabilities to keep the " fire" burning and educate others for the total elimination of all forms of discrimination against the disabled in the society. "One thing you must not forget is that no one can fight for you more than you could for yourself so you must unite and stay focused for a common goal."

Mr Bisaba advised them against inferiority complex and said they should be vocal in demanding anything that rightly belonged to them. Mr Eric Ofori, Project Coordinator of the Volta Regional branch of the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB), praised the government for passing the bill and expressed the hope that it would work for the development of the disabled.

He appealed to the district assemblies to give their share of the common fund to recognized associations instead of individuals. Ten out of the 50 participants were given one million cedis each as seed money to go into small-scale industries on pilot basis and the facility would later be extended to the rest of the 40 participants.