The Challenged Foundation has called for the strict enforcement of Ghana’s accessibility laws to ensure that persons with disabilities (PWDs) benefit fully from education and social services across the country.
In a statement signed by its founder, Mrs Veronica L. Amartey-Owusu, and shared with The Ghanaian Times in Accra on Monday, the Foundation said true inclusion requires not only progressive policies but also concrete measures to remove physical and social barriers that continue to marginalise PWDs.
It commended the government’s recent announcement of free tertiary education for PWDs, describing it as “a bold and compassionate milestone” in Ghana’s journey towards inclusion.
However, it noted that many students and citizens with disabilities still face severe challenges in accessing universities and public facilities.
The statement cited the absence of ramps, lifts, accessible toilets, and disability-friendly public transport as key obstacles denying PWDs their right to independence and dignity.
“These challenges directly violate Section 6 of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), which mandates that owners or occupiers of public places provide appropriate facilities for persons with disability,” it said.
The Foundation is calling for the full implementation of Act 715 and the Building Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2465), the creation of accessibility desks at all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and nationwide accessibility audits.
It urged the public to support its campaign titled “Open the Doors for PWDs,” stressing that “persons with disabilities deserve not sympathy, but access.”
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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