Editorial
Educate children to respect people with disabilities
In Ghana, people with disabilities (PWDs) still face a variety of discriminatory practices and social exclusion, despite the fact that they should have equal access to opportunities and services as people without disabilities.
Disability discrimination occurs when someone with a disability faces less favourable treatment in the same or comparable conditions than someone without the disability.
PWDs for example, must work, attend school, and have access to healthcare. Access to certain services like rehabilitation and assistive technology like wheelchairs and braille materials is also necessary for them.
Sadly, PWDs frequently face discrimination, prejudice, and stigma, even in the face of several anti-discrimination legislation designed to uphold their rights and encourage their involvement in mainstream society.
For example, the Persons with Disability Act, 715, was passed in 2006 with the intention of establishing the legal framework necessary to advance and safeguard the rights of PWDs, particularly women and girls with disabilities.
However, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) 2012 report PWDs, who make up an estimated three percent of Ghana’s 25 million inhabitants, are among the most marginalised groups in the country.
These views may originate from people’s conceptions of disability in society, which may include views of disability as a personal tragedy, a disease that must be healed or avoided, a penalty for misbehaviour, or a sign that a person is incapable of acting in a way that is expected of them.
It is imperative that the general public, particularly young people, be made more aware of the needs and struggles of people with disabilities, and that an open discourse and sense of empathy be fostered.
In light of this, the Spectator praises the opinions of Ms. Martha Awuley Lartey, a PWD advocate and the district coordinator of the Church of Pentecost’s Ministry to Persons with Disability (MPWD) at the New Moneomanye District in Ashaiman.
According to her, young children should be made aware of the need to fight discrimination against PWDs so that they might grow up believing that God loves PWDs and spreading this message to their peers to help improve the lives of all PWDs.
Ms Lartey believed that more active advocacy was needed in churches and schools, particularly through children’s programmes, to encourage more people to be responsible around PWDs.
She said that people may become incapacitated due to medical malpractice, domestic mishaps, car crashes, or other circumstances that are beyond their control and that children should be made aware of these.
In The Spectator’s opinion children who were well-informed, would hardly ever treat their classmates with disabilities disrespectfully. Rather, they will treat everyone the way they want to be treated.
We implore the government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), philanthropists, schools, and religious organisations, among others, to prioritise meeting the needs of PWDs so they can lead fulfilling lives.
Editorial
Kudos to Ho Teaching Hospital staff, but …
Dear Editor,
If there is any group of professionals that get bad-mouthed the most, then you are referring to nurses and medical doctors assigned to public hospitals across the country.
For this particular letter, I want to sing the praises of this same group of professionals that work at the Ho Teaching Hospital, famously known as Trafalgar.
Despite the work load and the mass casualties received at the emergency ward of the hospital, the welcoming nature of the nurses and the professional touch by the doctors can’t be ignored. My personal experience has got me travelling from my base in Accra to seek medical services from these professionals.
Special mention has to be made of the likes of Precious of the Pharmacy Department, Dr Brandon Banor (a maxillofacial resident) of the Dental unit, male nurse Justice assigned to the female surgical ward. Words cannot really do justice to their affable, professional caring nature. A simple thank you is all that I can say.
In the same vein, I can’t but call out the bad attitude of the auxiliary staff and contractors of the hospital.
Chief among them is some of the contracted bank staff that handle the payment section of the hospital and the patient registration section (those that check the status of the patient as to whether they are fee paying patients or NHIS sponsored).
The attitude at times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One such occurrence was a night staff of the registration section who had her legs on the office table whilst talking to patients.
The CEO of the hospital needs to shine his torch light on this support sections before they erode the awesome performance of the direct medical staff of the hospital.
Thank you for the space.
Kwesi Manu
Accra
Editorial
Develop policies to address disability concerns
Dear Editor,
AT the beginning of the year, when I went to the bank to deposit money into my uncle’s account, I observed a very sad situation where a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate his way around the facility.
This is because the structure is disability unfriendly.
As I stood and watched how the man struggled to move his wheelchair, I felt sad and wondered if this is how the life of a disabled person should be. It becomes worse if there is no one to offer help.
In Ghana, People With Disabilities (PWDs) are often treated differently and are often subjected to all forms of discrimination.
Most of these people find themselves in such a situation as a result of unfortunate happenings such as accidents and injuries.
It is, therefore, not appropriate for anyone to discriminate against them. Discrimination against such persons take many forms, including how buildings are constructed.
Most of the public structures are not disability friendly and impede their movement.
As a country, we should consider the PWDs in designing our structures. I also think that there should be a national policy that seeks to address this issue.
I have a strong conviction that when such a policy is developed by the government, people with disabilities would feel appreciated and also promote social inclusivity.
Ray,
Kasoa
