10% of Ghanaians disabled

The Kwahu-South District Chief Social Welfare Officer, Mrs Debora Daisy Kwabia has stated that about 1.8m persons are physically disabled in the country. That means about one tenth of the 19m or so people in the country suffer from permanent illness or injuries that make it difficult for them to use part their body completely or easily.

Mrs Daisy said this at the launching of the Kwahu South District branch of the Ghana Physically Disabled Association Trust Fund held at Mpraeso recently. The fund is to assist members of the Association to enhance their activities. She urged the society to accord respect and assistance t disabled persons to enable them fit into society and contribute their quota towards nation building.

She said, disability is not inability so society should not neglect those in such situation. The District social welfare officer urged all disabled persons to register with the association to enable them to be recognised to attract any assistance. She further advised them not to take their situation as a disaster but work hard and excel in endeavour they may find themselves.

The Kwahu South district chairman of the association, Charles Dameptey, urged the authorities concerned to assist the authorities concerned t assist the association to put up a building for its secretariat. He also appealed to the government to consider appointing disabled persons into the district assemblies since they have a lot to offer to enhance the administration of the country.

Dameptey further urged the assemblies to give priority to disabled persons when giving Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) loans to the people to enable them enhance their various vocations. The Kwahu South District Chief Executive, Paymond Osafo Djan, said being physical creatures who are highly susceptible t disease, accidents and injury. Ghanaians like other people at one time or the other suffer a disability of one kind or the other hence the need to assist the disables. Anybody at all can be in their position at anytime, he warned.

He noted that being disabled does not necessarily mean one is handicapped. He said in Ghana, there are several disabled persons who are doctors, lawyers, teachers and others working in various sectors who are performing better than the so-called normal persons. Kwahu Tafohene, Nana Ameyaw Gensiamah III, who chaired the function, offered the association a two-acre plot of land at Tafo to be developed as a disabled center in Kwahu to offer skill training to the disables.