Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Volta Region are preparing to take to the streets in protest, citing the government’s persistent failure to enforce the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715).
They said that despite the law being passed two decades ago to guarantee equal rights, accessibility and employment opportunities, successive administrations have shown zero political will to implement it.
They lamented that the crucial Legislative Instruments (LIs) needed to penalise non-compliance have also not been fully operationalised.
The law granted a 10-year transition window, which expired in 2016, for all existing public buildings and service providers to retrofit their facilities to be disability-friendly.
Section 6 of the Act mandates that owners or occupiers of public spaces must provide appropriate facilities such as ramps, elevators and lifts to make these locations fully accessible to PWDs.
The Ministry of Transport and local assemblies were also legally required to integrate the needs of PWDs into the design, construction and operation of public transportation networks.
The Senior Project Officer at the Africa Disability Institute, Madam Mispa Enyonam Henu, told the Ghana News Agency that the failure of successive governments to ensure full implementation of the law was worrying.
She said most public buildings, transport systems and educational facilities remain completely inaccessible to wheelchair users and persons with visual impairments.
The Volta Regional President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Madam Elikplim Afua Klu, told GNA that the protest had become necessary to demand full enforcement of the law. She said the mandated employment quotas for persons with disabilities in both the public and private sectors continue to be ignored.
She stated that they are currently mobilising members and will announce the protest date once this phase is complete.
