The Upper East Branch of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disability (GSPD) on Wednesday launched a Basket Weaving Project to provide entrepreneurship training and employment for physically disabled in the Bolgatanga Municipality.
The one year project funded by the Danish Handicap Association and estimated at a cost of ¢64,000, would offer the disabled skills training and employment opportunities in strew basket weaving.
It also seeks to train selected members in strew basket weaving and management as a source of employment and income generation and as well as educate them on provisions in the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with Disability and the Ghana National Disability Act.
The project is christened: “Promoting entrepreneurship and employment for physically disabled within the Bolgatanga Municipality through strews basket weaving”.
Mr David Aniah Awine, Project Coordinator, expressed unhappiness with the numerous discriminatory practices meted on persons with disability adding that these persons are often faced with barriers in all aspects of society.
“Barriers can take a variety of forms, including those relating the physical environment or to information and communication technology (ICT) and those resulting from legislation or policy as well as societal attitudes and discrimination”.
The result of this, he said, was that persons with disability do not have equal access to society and services, including education, employment, health care, transportation, political participation and justice.
Mr Awine said experience had proven that when theses barriers are removed persons with disability are empowered to participate fully in societal to achieve progress and development for all.
He said plans were far advanced to collaborate with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) and the Bolgatanga Basket Weavers Cooperative Club to ensure the sustainability of the project after the one year period.
Mr Bashiru Kalid, Project Finance Officer of GSPD in an interview with the GNA, lauded government for its contribution to the welfare of persons with disability and congratulated President Mahama for the appointment of Dr Henry Seidu Daanaa as Minster designate for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs.
He called on the President to consider the appointment of a development minded person to chair the Disability Council to give it the necessary backing to ensure that the Disability Act is fully implemented.
