Disabled accuse political parties of neglect

By William Yaw Owusu & Fabian Reinbold

Friday July 25, 2008
The Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) and the disability community have criticised some political parties for being insensitive to the cause to ensure that the welfare of persons with disability is properly taken care of.

At the launch of “The disability agenda for Election 2008”, in Accra on Wednesday, to discuss how best the political parties could take up the issue of persons with disability, only the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and he Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) out of the numerous registered political parties sent representatives to the forum.

Samuel Kwasi Asare, President of the GFD bemoaned the rate at which political parties have kept mute over the welfare of persons with disability in their campaigns and manifestoes.

“We have more than 15 registered political parties in this country but looking at their response to our issues we believe we have a long way to go”.

He said even though there is the persons with Disability Act 2006, Act 715, the governing council that would make the act effective has still not been inaugurated by the government.

Mr Asare said most of the issues raised in the disability agenda for the election have been catered for in the Disability Act but the continuous disregard for issues of persons with disability by politicians “has compelled us to ask them to tell us what they have for us should they win the election.”

Yaw Ofori Debrah, President of the Association for the Blind said persons with disability want to be included in the governance of the country saying “we have competent people who can take up positions in governance but we are always left out and what they plan for us has always been an after taught”.

“If we get the chance to be there we would be able to influence policies in our favour and we are calling on all political parties to include us in their manifestoes”.

“Mere pronouncements and promises are not enough. We are pleading with you that we are an important constituent in the political landscape. Give us what is due us.”

When the political parties took their turns to address them, Thomas Nuako Ward-Brew, flag-bearer of the DPP, who was the first to speak said “society should not have waited until such people raised their voices. We should have acted long ago”.

He said we are wasting enormous resources on politics instead of channeling some of these resources to see to the welfare of persons with disability and to ensure accelerated development.

Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Chairman of the NPP Manifesto Committee said the ruling party “is fully committed to the body and spirit of Act 715 which will bring some relief to persons with diability.”

He said “there are a lot of follow ups in the Act which are under serious consideration”, adding “our manifesto which is yet to be launched has more room for persons with disability.”

“The NPP believes strongly that persons with disability should be given the opportunity to contribute to the development of this great country.”

Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, General Secretary of the CPP said “issues of the welfare of persons with disability should be handled in a non-partisan manner”.

He said the CPP manifesto launched on Tuesday dwells on issues of persons with disability, adding “people with disability should consider the CPP a faithful partner as far such issues are concerned”.

A representative from the United States of America International Development Agency (USAID), sponsors of the programme, urged political parties to help in the creation of an enabling environment for such persons to enable them to play an effective role is the development of the country.

The Disability Agenda for the election dwells on disability rights, social life, employment, education health and governance.