I almost gave up – Visually impaired radio presenter

A visually impaired radio presenter at Uniiq FM has shared how he almost gave up his dream of being a radio presenter after school due to the frustrations he was facing in his quest to get a job.

Selassie Sikanku says his disability almost cost him his hopes because many employers didn’t believe he can deliver.

He said, “When I was looking for job and I couldn’t get and we had to go from one radio station to another which was a bit challenging because I felt my dream to be a presenter will be dashed but by God’s grace it didn’t.”

DJ Odo, as most colleagues and listeners call him, is a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon, and began his radio career as a service personnel at the school’s radio station, Radio Univers.

“You go to look for job and people don’t take your certificate into consideration but they take your disability into consideration and they tell you, you can’t do the job… that’s very challenging because you will not know how to even prove yourself when they won’t give you the chance.”

After trying without success to secure a job after school, he enrolled in GBC’s radio and television training school where his story took a turn.

“After the radio and television training school, my former boss, Mr William Ampem-Darko saw the potential in me so I applied to be a staff of GBC and I was accepted,” he recounted in an interview with GhanaWeb's 'The Untold' team.

Selassie has since 2010, been an employee of GBC and has successfully hosted and served as a panelist on a number of shows. Currently, he hosts ‘Lunch on Uniiq’ from 2pm to 3pm every Monday.

He urged employees to give persons disability equal consideration they give to others as they can have what it takes to get the job done.

“When a person with disability approaches you for employment, you need to check his certificate, find out to see what he says he can do and if his certificate qualifies him, you have to take him on.”