Political scientist and development scholar Dr James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr has called on Ghanaians to view disability not as a limitation but as an integral part of humanity, urging collective commitment to inclusion and justice.

“For the stark reality of disability legislation in Ghana is not a verdict. It is a challenge,” he declared, inspiring the audience to “see ourselves as one people; one nation; one destiny.”

Speaking at the inaugural John Agyekum Kufuor Annual Disability Lecture (JAKAD), held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on October 14, 2025, under the theme “The Stark Reality of Disability Legislation in Ghana,” the lecture was jointly organised by the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Rights of Youth and Disability (RYD) International and UPSA.

The event brought together academics, policymakers, disability advocates and students to reflect on the progress and challenges of Ghana’s Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715).

Dr Bomfeh who doubles as
The Executive Director of Youth and Disability (RYD) International
noted that naming the lecture after former President John Agyekum Kufuor, while he is still alive was a living tribute to his moral clarity and legislative courage.

“President Kufuor did not merely preside over a government; he presided over a moment of moral awakening,” he said.

He referenced the former President’s role in signing into law Act 715, which remains one of Ghana’s most consequential social justice instruments.

He observed that Kufuor’s personal journey from being able-bodied to using a wheelchair added symbolic depth to the evening’s theme: “He assented to Act 715 with no known disability but today uses a wheelchair. His life embodies the truth that disability is as universal as life itself.”

He described the passage of the Persons with Disability Act as both historic and incomplete.

“While Act 715 was a landmark, it was not a destination,” he cautioned, lamenting that nearly two decades later, implementation gaps persist.

“Public infrastructure remains hostile to access. Employment discrimination endures. And the voices of persons with disabilities are too often muffled in policy corridors,” he noted.

He cited examples of wheelchair users still being carried into public buildings nearly ten years after the law’s deadline for accessibility retrofitting expired in 2016.

He therefore stressed that “legislation without implementation is like symbolism without substance. Disability inclusion is not charity. It is justice.”

According to statistics cited by Dr Bomfeh, Ghana’s population of persons with disabilities (PWDs) has risen sharply from 737,743 in 2010 to over 2 million in 2021, representing about eight percent of the national population.

Globally, over 1.3 billion people about 16 percent of the world’s population live with some form of disability.

He also warned that disability exclusion has economic costs, noting that the World Bank estimates that the unemployment of PWDs can cost developing economies up to 7% of GDP.

Anna-Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall, KAS Country Director for Ghana, reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting democratic inclusion.

“A society’s strength is measured not by its wealth or institutions, but by how it values and includes every human being,” she said.

Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, praised the lecture as a timely intervention to promote inclusive education and policymaking.

Traditional ruler Nana Kobina Nketsia V added his voice, reflecting on the need for society to appreciate the “abilities within disabilities” and to harness the intellectual and creative potential of all citizens.



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