Enforce the Disability Act now - Major Don-Chebe

Major Albert Don-Chebe (Rtd), Chairman of the Northern Development Forum (NDF) has advocated the enforcement of the Disability Act, which was passed into law many years ago without any action.

“We are not doing our work well because the law was passed long ago and no action had been taken. High buildings are springing up, hotels, and other public facilities are all over the places, but no access is made for the disable persons” he said.

“Private developers are given permits to build facilities without compliance with the Ghana Disability Act 2006, Act 715, making persons with disabilities more vulnerable and detached in society” he added.

Major Don-Chebe made these remarks, when some persons with disability invited to attend the Northern Development Forum in Wa could not access the conference hall of the hotel, where the meeting was held.

Organisers of the forum had to support them to get to the conference hall after they tried on their own to reach there but failed.

He said authorities, who were to ensure that the law was enforced, were themselves not perturbed about the plight of the disabled.

Building plans and designs were developed, which were not in compliance with the Act yet they were approved without given due consideration to the disabled persons, and always, “we increase their predicament on daily basis”.

Talking about the forum, Major Don-Chebe tasked the stakeholders to brainstorm and come out with issues that were pertinent and crucial to the development of the north so that they could be shared with political parties to capture them in their manifestoes.

He said the era, where political parties were allowed to sit in Accra and reflect what they thought were the concerns of northerners were over, and mistakes made in the past should not be allowed to continue any longer.

Major Don-Chebe explained that apart from political parties, views collated from the forums would be documented and shared with traditional rulers, and other vibrant organisations to enable them speak on one common voice whenever they meet leaders of political parties to demand for their share of the national cake.

In a statement read on his behalf, Mr Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, Executive Director of STAR Chana Foundation, said it was the wish of STAR Ghana to ensure that development were equitably distributed to all sectors of society.