Fast-track the amendment of the Disability Act - Report

The Government should fast-track the amendment of the Disability Act to ensure it meets current requirements and standards of inclusivity.

Ghana’s Disability Act should also be aligned with the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, mechanisms and processes should be put in place to ensure full implementation of the Act

This was contained in a shadow report launched by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations with support from Sight Savers. The report was launched as part of the celebration of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

The report titled: “Being Left Behind: Including Disability in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ghana” gathered voices, experiences and lessons from persons with disabilities on the implementation of the SDGs as well as make recommendations to improve the agenda of disability inclusion and full participation towards the achievement of the goals.

Mrs Grace Antwi Atsu, Advocacy Officer at Sight Savers who launched the report said the government of Ghana has fulfilled its obligation in paragraph 79 of the SDG document by submitting a voluntary National Review report to the United Nations in July 2019

“This was followed with a civil society shadow report on the implementation of the SDGs to complement government’s report to show a clear picture of progress of its implementation in Ghana.”

The report, recommended among others that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies should have a Disability Desk Officer and government should increase awareness and knowledge of law makers and policy makers on the needs of persons with disabilities and on current laws and policies affects them.

The International Day for Persons with Disabilities was on the theme: Disability Inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals; Renewing Commitments and Mobilizing support from stakeholders.

Mrs Mawunyo Yakor-Dagbah, President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, said the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Ghana is to promote greater commitment and partnership that will support the inclusion and effective participation of Persons with Disabilities in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana.

She said: “The SDGs are vocal about the basal level needs of persons with disabilities and talks our basic human rights and disability Inclusive development.”

Mrs Yakor Dagbah said all the 17 goals, their targets and indicators are directly linked to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)

She said with the support of Voice Netherlands, a non-governmental organization, the GFD was also implementing a project dubbed “Leave no Woman Behind” which aimed at bridging the inequality gap and ensure that Women with Disabilities are fully taken care of in the implementation of the SDGs.

The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 with the aim of promoting the rights, inclusion, participation and wellbeing of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development as well as increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities