Disability Inclusion is a cross-cutting theme in the activities of the World Bank

 

Ms Eunice Yaa Brimfah Ackwerh, a Senior Educational Specialist at the World Bank Ghana Office, has said disability inclusion was a cross-cutting theme in the activities of the world Bank.

She said the World Bank as an institution was conscious of disability inclusion and therefore ensure that all their projects and programmes factored disability inclusion.

“We would like to see a time when in all our projects we engage persons with disabilities to guide as in how we include them,” Ms. Ackwerh said when the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) organised a conference to engage with development partners.

Ms. Ackwerh said: “We are making some progress when it comes to disability inclusion, yet there is so much more to be done.

The GFD partners conference brought together NGOs working in the disability sector, corporate organisations and developed partners to dialogue about disability inclusion and how all the organisations can work together to ensure disability inclusive development in Ghana.

Mr Joseph Atsu Homadzi, President of the GFD who courted continuous support from the partners said persons with disabilities suffer some forms of human rights abuse in Ghana.

“What we need is equal opportunities, once we are given the opportunity, we will excel. We have the capacity, we have the potential, and we can excel,” Mr Homadzi said.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debrah, a former President of the GFD said what persons with disability needed is understanding, opportunity and equity, “we do not need charity.”

Mr Moses Fordjour, Monitoring, Evaluation and knowledge Management Manager at the GFD, said government’s slow response to issues of disability results in the waning interest in the activities of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)

“A Ghana without OPDs will be disastrously unimaginable,” he said.