Parents of children with disabilities indirectly experience discrimination, exclusion abuse and stigma just as persons with disabilities
Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of
the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on
Cerebral palsy issues has therefore called on the Ghana Federation of
Disability Organisations (GFD) to intensify advocacy on the inclusion of
Special needs parents in policies and laws.
She made the call at workshop organised by
the GFD to build the capacity of the advocacy committee on the National
Development Planning Commission four-year development plan.
The workshop explored how the NDPC's
development plan aligned with disability inclusion goals, the Inclusive
Education Policy and other issues.
Mrs Awadzi said, there are no policies to
support parents of children with disabilities in Ghana, yet the parents’
well-being is directly linked to the well-being of the child with disability.
"Parents experience exclusion, discrimination,
stigma and abuse because of their children and there are no policies to protect
them, " Special needs parents are indirectly disabled" She added.
Mr Porekuu Peter Francis Xavier, Principal
Planning Analyst at the NDPC who took participants through the development
planning process advised the GFD to work towards mainstreaming their issues in
the development process right from the District Assemblies.
He said the NDPC was particular about human
capital development strategies which focused mainly on investing in human
beings.
He said the development Planning process
encouraged Special interests’ groups to submit their needs to the district
Assemblies and nominate representatives to be part of the planning committees.
Mr Abdul Wahab Adams, Programme Officer at
the GFD said the organisation was moving towards engaging in results-based
advocacy and urged members of the advocacy committee to build their capacity
towards that.
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