The Persons with Disability Act (715) (PWDA) is 10 years old, hurray!!! It is heart-warming that Ghana has come this far in its guest to promote disability rights. The National Council on Persons with Disability which is supposed to oversee the implementation of the PWDA is also established. These achievements are commendable. Nevertheless, a lot more needs to be done in order for persons with disability to fully enjoy their human rights as stipulated in the Act.
The regional and district Council on Persons with Disability are yet to be duly constituted and resourced to carry out their mandate. Also, many Ghanaians are yet to know about the existence of the PWDA and its provisions; hence, they continue to treat persons with disability in prejudicial manner. Sadly, even those Ghanaians who are knowledgeable about disability issues and the law don’t seem to have changed their attitudes about disability much. Infact, Ghanaians with disability seem to be treated as “second class citizens” because they cannot freely enjoy their human rights enshrined in the PWDA and the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana as they continue to encounter a myriad of challenges in their daily lives.
Attitudes toward persons with disability seem to be one of the major challenges persons with disability encounter. Negative perceptions and stereotypes about disability are still rife in Ghana. There is evidence that some Ghanaians have strong mentality regarding disability. They believe that disability affects the whole being of persons with disability in ways that make them inferior to able-bodied people. This results in discrimination against persons with disability in all spheres of lives. Countless times, persons with disability are turned away from employment, education and other opportunities, not because they are unqualified but due simply to their disabilities. Time without number, we see persons with disability being treated with scorn. For instance, when dealing with persons with disability, people prefer communicating through third parties instead of the persons with the disability. This happens in all settings of the society.
A friend told me a story about how she was treated in one of the ministries. She went to the ministry to collect a document and an official, who was supposed to give it to her, decided that her driver rather signs their guest book without consulting her. And, when she inquired why he did that, the official replied that he thought it was easier for the driver to sign for her. This man might have good intentions for his actions but it only makes sense to consult persons with disability when making decisions about them. My friend told me she felt so humiliated but she confronted the official and made him aware that it was so degrading to treat persons with disability in that manner. He could have at least sought her opinion, she noted.
Another friend told me how she went to the salon to braid her hair but the hairdresser preferred talking to her 19 year old daughter instead of her, although, the hairdresser was informed that it was my friend who wanted to braid her hair. I believe many people from the disability community have several of such demeaning experiences. Think about these examples and how you would have felt if you were treated that way.
Another barrier persons with disability face is the environment. The environment is still very challenging for persons with disability. The majority of buildings are inaccessible to persons with disability due to lack of elevators and access ramps. It is uplifting to see that some organisations are putting up access ramps to make their buildings more accessible. However, the majority of these ramps are not disability friendly because they are too steep and/or narrow. Making available standardized design dimensions for accessible ramps and enforcing the implementation of the design could be one way to make ramps more accessible to persons with disability.
Also, sidewalks are virtually non-existent. The few available sidewalks are not thorough, the starting point may be accessible but the end may not and vice versa. Sometimes the sidewalks are too narrow for wheelchair users. Other sidewalks are inhibited with obstacles, such as light poles, which render them inaccessible. Thus, persons with disability are compelled to use the main roads (amidst impatient drivers, motorcycle and bicycle riders and pedestrians), regardless of concerns for their safety, as they have no other choice.
The PWDA requires that operators of parking lots make provisions for special parking for persons with disability. It is heart-warming that some of the malls in Accra have heeded to this provision and have demarcated areas for handicap parking. However, since cars owned by persons with disability are not labelled, the security personnel at these parking lots seem to use their discretion about who could park in the reserved areas. A person with a disability has to show proof of their disability before they are allowed to park. Can’t there be a better means of handling this issue in ways that will save persons with disability the embarrassment they go through when parking at these car parks? Probably the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority can consider labelling license plates of cars owned by persons with disability as practiced in developed countries.
Furthermore, we all know the importance of transportation in our daily lives. We need transportation to do almost everything: to go to work, school, church, hospital and to run other errands. However, regardless of the importance of transportation, none of the transportation systems in Ghana is accessible to persons with disability. Think about the buses and the trotros, and just imagine a person with a mobility disability (e.g., someone using crutches or wheelchair) getting in and out of these vehicles, amidst impatient passengers and the man-made barriers they create in the vehicles?
Also, there is evidence that the local airlines do not take persons with disability, because, they claim they don’t have facilities to accommodate them. Imagine planning an important business trip from Accra to Tamale which you scheduled with one of the airlines. But, upon arrival at the airport, on the day of your travel, you were told that you couldn’t travel with the airline because there were no facilities to accommodate you, though you had disclosed your condition when you booked for the fight. How will you feel? This is exactly what happened to another person with a disability I know. We are celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the PWDA and yet persons with disability cannot travel by air domestically. Is it not very sad?
Why should Ghanaians with disability continue to endure these kinds of treatment by their fellow Ghanaian citizens? Persons with disability have same human rights as everyone else and should be given the opportunity to enjoy their freedom in every aspect of life including, social, political, economic and cultural. Like everyone else, Ghanaians with disability should be able to live a more dignified and productive lives.
They should be part of, and be able to contribute meaningfully to their communities. Persons with disability have variety of skills and expertise which they can contribute to national development. Their continuous exclusion from mainstream society, as a result of barriers identified, violates their human rights and it’s detrimental to national development. It does not speak well of Ghana which is known in the international arena as one of the most hospitable countries in the world.
I think it’s high time we considered our attitudes towards persons with disability. It’s time to wholeheartedly accept them as part of the Ghanaian society and treat them accordingly. This way, they will feel like they are important participants of the society. Let’s remember that disability knows no boundaries, neither does disability discriminate. Anyone, young, old, rich, poor, man, woman can acquire disability at any time. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the PWDA, let’s make contentious efforts to learn about the PWDA and its provisions. Let’s also try to adhere to its provisions and be mindful of our attitudes and behaviors towards persons with disability.