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Ghana: Disability Rights Law Made Simple
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Public Agenda (Accra)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Ama Achiaa Amankwah
Mr. Sam Okudzeto a renowned legal practitioner has reiterated the underlining principle that Ghanaians with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as any other Ghanaian.
He said it is essential to note that anyone who fails to respect the rights of persons with disability (PWD) commits an offence and will be fined fifty penalty units or a term of imprisonment.
"I implore all Ghanaians to remember that our actions and attitudes should be guided by the provisions of this law and we need to support persons with disabilities in Ghana," he stressed.
Mr. Okudzeto who is the Chair of the International Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) was speaking at the launch of the Simplified Version of Disability Rights Law in Ghana in Accra.
The CHRI with assistance from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) published the simplified version of the law and the UN Guidelines for the treatment of persons with disability.
The booklets are the Adult Simplified Version for the general population, the Children's Simplified Version designed for use by children and the Braille Version for the visually impaired.
Mr. Okudzeto regretted that although PWD form 10% of Ghana's 20 million population and their rights like any other citizen guaranteed by the 1992 constitution and internationally recognized laws such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these provisions have offered very little protection for the disabled.
He said Ghanaians with disabilities are generally confronted with a lot of challenges such as low employment rates, poor access to public facilities, discrimination in housing and transport, in addition to constituting a significant proportion of beggars on our streets.
He described the passing of the law by parliament as a landmark achievement for Ghanaians in their quest to promote equality, freedom and justice.
However, he said the PWD Act contains over 60 sections on topics ranging from rights of PWD to administrative and financial provisions and is written in complex legalize language.
"CHRI is committed to promoting a better understanding of the law making it more accessible to majority of the people living in Ghana. We believe that when the beneficiaries of this new law are informed of its provisions they will demand the services which they are rightfully entitled to."
Also he said it is essential that the general public is made aware of the law so that public buildings and services are made accessible to persons with disability.
Twelve year old Modeciah Nyamekye of Cradle Grace Family Montessori School questioned why it took fourteen years for parliament to pass the Disability Rights Law.
In spite of this, he called on Ghanaians to do their best to uphold the law and pledged that children as agents of change will contribute their quota.
He appealed to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to make this book available to every school going child in Ghana.
The Canadian High Commissioner, Mr. Darren Schemmer noted that worldwide attitudes towards persons with disabilities have been heavily influenced by ignorance, stigmatization and fear, and are often viewed as lesser human beings without the capacity to function and contribute effectively in the world.
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"Ghana with the passing of the Disability Rights Law is trying to re-write this story and set a new agenda on public participation."
He said the evolution of the project in Ghana is part of wider effort by CIDA to address discriminatory practices throughout the world.
Mr. Schemmer hoped that the booklets will serve to educate the public at large and the individual citizen about the rights of persons with disabilities.
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