The Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) has submitted to Government a six-page position paper on “Affirmative Action for Persons with Disabilities in Ghana,” asking for proportional representation and participation in the governance process.

The proposal is in response to Government’s move to pass an Affirmative Action Law aimed at reducing discrimination and marginalisation of vulnerable groups placing women, persons with disabilities, children and the poor at the centre.

Mrs Rita Kusi Kyeremeh, Executive Director of GFD, made the document available to the Ghana News Agency and thanked STAR-Ghana for funding the development of the paper which would lead to change in the quality of lives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Star-Ghana is a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism funded by DFID, DANIDA, EU and USAID to increase the influence of civil society on Parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery, with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of the Government of Ghana, traditional authorities and the private sector.

Mrs Kyeremeh said the document had already been presented to Government through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Developed in 2013, the document is a consolidated position paper containing extended proposals generated from consultations with individuals and organisations working in the interest of PWDs nationwide.

The proposals are made around six thematic areas of governance covering participation and representation, education, employment, health, women with disabilities and accessibility.

The federation and its partners say an Affirmative Action Law that has clear supporting provisions for PWDs would lift the provisions in the PDW’s Act 2006 (Act 715) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified by Ghana.

The 1992 Constitution of Ghana frowns upon all forms of discrimination. Article 17(1) states that “all persons shall be equal before the law”, and Article 17(2) provides that “a person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, social or economic status”.

The Constitution again, under Article 17(4), enjoins Parliament to enact reasonable laws that will pave way for the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic or educational imbalance in the Ghanaian Society.

The United Nations Human Rights Commission states that "the principle of equality sometimes requires state parties to take Affirmative Action in order to diminish or eliminate conditions which cause or help to perpetuate discrimination prohibited by the Covenant”.

The report of the Constitution Review Commission and its subsequent White Paper issued by Government affirms the establishment and implementation of an Affirmative Action Law that should deal with all types of discrimination against vulnerable groups and minorities.

Approximately 700,000 out of the over 25 million people counted in the 2010 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Statistical Service of Ghana were classified as persons with severe disabilities in Ghana.

According to the paper, disability might visit any citizen in the course of their lives irrespective of one’s social class, gender, religion or ethnicity and, therefore, it is necessary for Government to take an assertive stance to ensure the integration of PWDs in nation building.

It said though Ghana has, over the years, taken some measures to institute broad policies and laws to provide space for PWDs, there was the need for specific and coherent interventions to ensure that these laws and policies became a reality in the lives of PWDs.

The federation says it is aware that Ghana has implemented some successful Affirmative Action policies such as basic education for the girl child, science education for girls, admission of more science students into tertiary institutions, and lower cut-off point for admission of girls into tertiary educational institutions.

These policies, implemented in the past, had led to the inclusion of women in nation building, the federation said.

It said many PWDs across the country faced serious integration and inclusion challenges affecting their effective participation and representation in governance and decision making at all levels.

Also, grave challenges in access to quality education and employment abound, given the handicap when it comes to accessing information, public places, traditional authorities and economic opportunities.

The federation observed that affirmative action by Government to leverage the contribution of marginalised groups and individuals to the development of Ghana could equally be applied to PWDs to enhance their wellbeing.