Disability Council holds disability day

THE National Council for Persons with Disability has called on the public to embrace persons with disability to ensure their proper development and integration into society.
The Executive Chairman of the council, Mr Andrew Okaikoi, who made the call, said their integration was relevant because there was in each family at least one person with one form of disability or another.
He said this to mark the second National Day of persons with disability on the theme, “Hope for the future”.
Addressing pressmen and a section of persons with disability at the Alisa Hotel, Mr Okaikoi said the day brought into focus the government’s determination to ensure that issues about disability ceased to be a residual matter in national deliberations.
He said since the council was inaugurated by the President in April this year, a lot of peripheral work had been done in order to achieve the government’s objectives for setting it up.
He said the council had already held a series of discussions with members of the disability community to bring on board their concerns.
The chairman said the establishment of the council represented a giant step towards mainstreaming disability issues by giving them the needed national attention.
Mr Okaikoi said the council was in close contact with a number of organisations, including transport owners, the Pharmacy Council and the ministries, to include issues on disability in their deliberations.
In a related development, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has joined the government and the people of Ghana to commemorate the day and recognise the invaluable contributions of persons with disability to this nation.
The day is also being marked to create increasing awareness and understanding of disability issues and also take the awareness further into action.
According to the commission, it was proud to see the publication of the Disability Act which was recently made available in audio format, in consideration of those with visual impairment.
“In order that persons with disability receive just and equitable treatment the same as all people, it is essential that the corresponding government acts are made accessible through many media.
“Disability has often been misunderstood as inability, which is simply untrue. The disabled do not need our pity, they need our compassion and support.
“Persons with disability are important contributors to our families, communities and nation and their rights and deserve to live with equal self worth and dignity,” it said.
To ensure that the disabled could access and enjoy the same fundamental human rights which protect all people, the commission unreservedly reiterated its urgent call on the government to put in place a comprehensive Action Plan which guaranteed all persons with disability the full benefit of the provisions of the Disability Act.