Dr Freda Prempeh, a former legislator has called on the nation to do more to improve the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) for them to live dignified lives.
As the nation join the rest of the world to mark the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North Constituency in the Ahafo Region called on the government to enforce provisions in Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715).
December 3, every year marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, established by the United Nations in 1981 to raise awareness and increase understanding of disability issues and the commitment to ensuring dignity, rights, and well-being of people with disabilities.
This year’s celebration is on the theme: “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress”.
Speaking in an interview with the media at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Ahafo
Region, Dr Prempeh, also a former minister of state, and the founder of the Ultimate Women Foundation (UWF), said the Act 715 affirmed the rights of all PwDs.
She said the UWF worked to empower indigenous women and girls,
including PwDs to contribute meaningfully in the upkeep of the family and the society in general.
Dr Prempeh noted that though the Act 715 guaranteed the PwDs easy access to education, employment, public services, and accessible facilities, many of public buildings and facilities, including hospitals, schools were unfriendly and thereby denied PwDs access.
She said it was unfortunate that since the passage of the Disability Act in 2016, many PwDs still remained on the streets depending on alms begging for their livelihoods.
Others are also unable to access other essential services like healthcare due to the unfriendly nature of public buildings, she stated.
“So, we must think outside the box and see how we empower the PwDs economically, get them out of the streets and successfully reintegrate them into society for them to also contribute their quota toward progressive national development”, Dr Prempeh stated.
She emphasised that social inclusion remained a legal right and constitutional obligation, but not a charity, and called on the government to create an easy movement for the PwDs to access public services by improving access to health facilities, schools and public buildings at the community levels.
Dr Prempeh reminded that the “central promise of the 17 United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals is to leave no one behind”, saying unless the PwDs had full and active participation in all aspects of development, it would be difficult for the nation to achieve the targets for the global goals by 2030.
By Dennis Peprah
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