Capture children with cerebral palsy in disability register - Project

Parents of children with cerebral palsy have been urged to register their children in the on-going registration exercise for all persons with disability.

Mrs Ellen Affam-Dadzie, Head of 'With God Cerebral Palsy Centre', an inclusive education centre for children, who gave the advice, said she has been able to register the children at her centre with the LEKMA District Assembly.

She urged mothers of children with cerebral palsy to liaise with the Social Welfare Officers at the various districts to register their children with cerebral palsy in the register of persons with disability.

“Usually children with cerebral palsy are excluded, even from the disability fraternity, due to their peculiar challenges, they may not be speaking nor walking, so it is left with the parents to become their number one advocate,” she said.

The National Council for Persons with Disability is embarking on a registration exercise to capture the data of all persons with disability.

The exercise will also inform the disbursement of the three per cent District Assemblies Common fund for Persons with Disabilities in Ghana.

Ms Esther Sackey, a mother of a child with cerebral palsy in an interview, said, she would register her child to ensure she is captured in the data collection and subsequently benefit from the fund.

"Usually, they do not capture children with cerebral palsy even though they also have disabilities and their condition comes with a huge financial burden on family", Ms Sackey noted.

She called on the Social Welfare workers in the various district to help capture all children and adults with cerebral palsy.

Mr. Kwamena Dadzie-Dennis, Ag. Executive Secretary of the National Council for persons with Disability, said children with cerebral palsy should not be left out in the exercise.

He urged the Social Welfare Officers at the Various Districts to "help parents of children with cerebral palsy to register their children".

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, initiator of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation platform on cerebral palsy issues, said usually parents do not even have access to such important information.

“Only a negligible percentage of children with cerebral palsy benefit from the fund for persons with disabilities, yet parents make huge sacrifices to even keep the children alive”

“We have issues with the educational system, so most of the children are not in school, the lack of support and services including care-giver services is also huge,” she added.

Mrs Awadzi urged government to pay attention to children with cerebral palsy and help formulate policies that will help enhance the lives of the children.