70% of persons with physical disabilities in Ghana need assistive devices – Otiko Djaba

The Executive Director of Henry Djaba Foundation who is also a former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, says about 70% of persons with physical disabilities in Ghana lack assistive technologies particularly wheelchairs to aid their mobility.

She said, assistive technology enables people living with a disability to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives.

It also helps them to access education, operates in the labour market and civic life, reduces the need for long-term care and the work of caregivers.

According to Otiko Afisa Djaba, the situation in Ghana creates discrimination, exclusion, isolation and locks persons with disability into poverty, thereby increasing the impact of the disability on the individual, their family, and society.

Madam Otiko Djaba said this when the Eastern Regional Women’s Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party who doubles as the Regional Coordinator for School Feeding Program, Mrs Fati Vondoli donated ten brand new wheelchairs and five boxes of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to the Henry Djaba Foundation on her birthday towards the foundation’s “1000 wheelchairs per Region project."

“Ghana has over 187,000 who have been affected with physical disability out of that number only 30% have wheelchairs. Within that 30% some of their wheelchairs are not working they have spoilt beyond repairs. The rest -estimated of the 70% come up to about a little over 131,000 people who need a wheelchair. We need over 131,000 wheelchairs and as we speak there are people getting involved in accidents, people who are being born with physical disabilities, people who require this assistive aide and not just wheelchairs. We need crutches, zimmer frames, elbow crutches, callipers all other types of assistive aides like white canes for the blind,” Otiko Djaba said.

She commended Mrs Fati Vondoli for the support and appealed to the general public to also “donate to the wheelchair challenge, we need 1000 wheelchairs per region to give us a minimum of 16000. Even if you have Ghc1 donate a wheelchair is GH¢500 little drop of water makes a mighty ocean. The number to call is 0248510067 it is also a Momo account. Make the reference wheelchair challenge. Indicate the region. The 16000 wheelchairs are not enough it is just a drop in the ocean ”

The Eastern Regional Women’s Organizer of the NPP Mrs Fati Vondoli told the media that, persons with a disability need support reason she decided to donate the wheelchairs to the Henry Djaba Foundation for onward distribution to physically challenged persons in need of them.