Francis Asong, Executive Director of VOICE Ghana
Voice of People with Disability Ghana - VOICE Ghana, a disability rights, advocacy and capacity building organization has received funding from Ford Foundation for a two-year campaign to promote “inclusiveness of physical community projects” for persons with disability.
The $270,000 dollar project is also expected to help address injustices such as social stigma, discrimination and widespread exclusion suffered by persons with disability.
Mr Francis Asong, Executive Director, VOICE-Ghana said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's commitment to fully implement Persons with Disability Act, 2006, (Act 715) inspired his outfit to embark on the campaign in 15 districts in the Volta region.
He said at the national level, VOICE Ghana would promote people with disabilities' access to justice through the provision of sign language interpretation at police stations and law courts.
Mr Asong said the campaign would also focus on livelihood empowerment of people living with disabilities and ensure that they benefitted from government interventions and jobs.
He said at the local level, VOICE Ghana would ensure that the 15 target District Assemblies make budget allocations for the provision of appropriate facilities to their various physical community projects, for use by persons with disabilities.
Mr Asong said they would also conduct accessibility audit on physical community development projects undertaken by the assemblies for the past two years, to establish baseline evidence and data on their accessibility for persons with disabilities.
The beneficiary districts are; Agortime-Ziofe, Adaklu, Ho West, North Dayi, Afadjato South, Ketu North, Jasikan, Akatsi South, Krachi West, Krachi Nchumuru, Kedjebi, and Biakoye Districts as well as Kpando, Hohoe and Ketu South Municipalities.
VOICE GHANA, for the past 15 years, has been campaigning for the rights and social inclusion of persons with disabilities, and engaging local government officials, political parties, traditional authorities, and private enterprises on their statutory responsibilities towards persons with disabilities.
