The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has called on the government and private institutions to make public buildings and transport systems accessible to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The appeal follows the presentation of cash grants, start-up kits, educational support and working tools to 57 PWDs by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) as part of efforts to help them establish sustainable livelihoods.
Speaking at a presentation ceremony, the Kumasi Metro Chairman of the GFD, Francis Lare, said many government and private facilities remained inaccessible to PWDs, limiting their movement and participation in economic activities.
According to him, hospitals, schools, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and ministries are among facilities that lack ramps, elevators and other disability-friendly features.
“We have observed that a lot of government buildings such as hospitals, schools, MMDAs and ministries are not accessible to us. When we visit some government offices, especially storey buildings like KMA, we find it difficult to access some departments because the facilities are not disability-friendly,” Mr Lare said.
He added that although support from the government and philanthropists to PWDs was commendable, true empowerment must also include equal access to physical infrastructure and public transport.
“Even accessing commercial vehicles, including the government metro buses, remains a major challenge,” he stated.
Mr Lare further appealed to transport operators and the Ministry of Transport to modify buses and terminals to accommodate persons with mobility challenges.
The beneficiaries received items including chest freezers, deep freezers, industrial and hand sewing machines, while others received cash ranging from GH¢5,000 to GH¢7,000 to establish businesses of their choice.
The support, provided under the District Assembly Common Fund Disability Programme through the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, is aimed at helping beneficiaries earn a decent living, achieve economic independence and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Mr Lare said monitoring would be conducted to ensure that the cash grants and start-up packages were used for their intended purposes. He added that the move would encourage the government to continue increasing support for PWDs.
Presenting the items, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, said the increased support followed President Mahama’s directive to raise the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) allocation for PWDs from 3% to 5%.
He explained that the increase was aimed at ensuring PWDs felt included in society and could become self-reliant rather than depending on others for survival.
Mr Agyemang urged beneficiaries to use the support responsibly by investing in sustainable ventures that would improve their incomes and create long-term benefits for themselves and their families.
Meanwhile, Robert Aikins, Acting Convener for Social Services at KMA, said the items were procured based on the specific needs of beneficiaries after an assessment of qualified persons.
He added that an audit team had been established to monitor the use of the items.
Mr Aikins warned that sanctions would be applied to anyone found misusing the support.
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