[ 2012-06-03 ]

Change your attitude towards persons with disabilities - Evans Aidoo
Takoradi, June 02, GNA - Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, the
Western Regional Minister, has appealed to
Ghanaians to change their attitude and perception
about Persons With Disability(PWDs).

He said anyone could be disabled too and hence it
was important for all to change their perspectives
that hinder the development of PWDs saying "we
must encourage and provide them with the necessary
support and assistance for their advancement and
welfare."

Mr Aidoo said these in a speech read on his behalf
at the launch of a project dubbed "Increasing
participation and voice of persons with
disabilities in local governance", in Takoradi.

The project was funded by Local Governance and
Decentralisation Programme(LOGODEP) and it was
aimed at building the capacity of PWDs to fight
for their rights.

The Regional Minister charged owners of public
buildings to provide appropriate facilities to
make them accessible for PWDs and admonished
parents and guardians of children with
disabilities to enroll them in schools, adding
that disability does not mean inability.

The Minister indicated that disabled persons had
the potentials of achieving great success in life
and society must assist them in all their
endeavours.

He noted "anyone who contravenes the Disability
law would be punished as stipulated in the law."

The National President of the Ghana Federation of
the Disabled, Mr Joseph Adu-Boapong, admonished
PWDs to desist from begging on the streets and
entreated them to find meaningful work to do for
livelihood.

He encouraged his colleagues to have confidence
and belief in themselves and cited persons with
disabilities that achieved great laurels.

He charged the various district assemblies to give
the 2 percent of the district assemblies' common
fund allocated to the disabled.

Mr Adu-Boapong advised them to form associations
in their respective districts in order to claim
the money meant for them.

Mr Chris Pul, a Citizen Participatory Expert of
LOGODEP, said the organisation is providing small
grants to civil society organisations towards
their activities.

He said 1050,000 US dollars had been set aside for
that purpose saying 25 CSOs had received support
and undertaken various projects in areas such as
sanitation, education, health among others, all
geared towards supporting vulnerable people in
society.

He said the project aimed at enhance the capacity
of vulnerable groups to fight for their rights.

Source - GNA

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