Support the physically challenged to acquire employable skills - Reverend Antwi

Government has been urged to do more to support the physically challenged to acquire the requisite trades and vocations that would make them economically self-supporting.

The Very Reverend Moses Antwi, Minister of the Offinso Methodist Church, said deliberate efforts would have to be made to provide them with employable skills to lead descent lives.

The situation where some are seen on the road side and traffic intersections begging for alms is both a cause for concern and hurtful to the conscience of humanity.

The Very Rev Antwi was speaking at an end-of-year get-together organized by the Physically Challenged Action Foundation Centre at Offinso.

The centre has been training the disabled in hairdressing, leather works, dressmaking and shoemaking and at the end of their program, trainees are presented with basic tools and seed money to start their own businesses after the training.

The Very Rev Antwi said it was not enough to “help them out with coins” but to assist them to wean-off, from charity.

He reminded the church of its responsibility to the poor, the socially disadvantaged and vulnerable and asked that it joined hands with the government and other organizations to promote the welfare of the physically challenged.

He poured scorn on the continued discrimination and stigmatization of the disabled and said this must stop adding that they needed to be integrated into society and be aided and encouraged to have self-confidence and self-pride.

He praised the centre for the good job it was doing and assured it of the church’s support.

Mr Barimah Antwi, Founder and Director of the Centre, appealed to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to give serious attention to disability issues.

He said it must not be lost on anyone that those with physical disability have potentials which could be tapped and utilized to benefit the society.