KNUST Disability Day promotes inclusion, empowerment

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in collaboration with Wilfrid Laurier University, has reaffirmed its commitment to disability inclusion and accessibility through a Disability Awareness Day event celebrating students with disabilities. 

The event, organised by the Disability Desk of the Directorate of Student Affairs (DoSA) and the Department of Health Promotion and Disability, aimed to raise awareness on disability inclusion and promote equal opportunities for all students on campus. 

As part of the programme, participants embarked on a campus-wide awareness float to engage members of the university community on the importance of disability inclusion and accessibility. 

The event also featured interactive simulations, including Mobility Impairment Simulator, Blindness Types Simulator and Deafness Simulator, which provided participants with first-hand insight into the daily experiences and challenges faced by persons with disabilities. 

Professor Samuel Amos-Abanyie, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Student Affairs, called for sustained efforts to create an inclusive university environment where students with disabilities could be empowered to achieve their full potential. 

He stressed that disability awareness was important and must be supported by deliberate actions to remove barriers and promote equal opportunities for all members of the university community. 

Prof. Amos-Abanyie encouraged participants to use the engagement as an opportunity for meaningful conversations, challenge misconceptions about disability, and strengthen their commitment to building a more accessible and welcoming university environment. 

The Head of the Gender Inclusion and Vulnerability Office, Prof. Mercy Badu, called for sustained efforts to institutionalise inclusion across all aspects of university life, stressing that accessibility and equal opportunity must become defining values of the institution. 

She said the celebration was more than an awareness campaign, but also a recognition of progress and a renewed commitment to creating an enabling environment for all. 

Prof. Badu urged higher education institutions to lead efforts in promoting diversity, equity and accessibility, arguing that inclusion should be regarded as a core institutional principle rather than an additional obligation. 

Prof. Magnus Mfoafu McCarthy of Wilfrid Laurier University said greater awareness and action were needed to address challenges faced by persons with disabilities. 

He emphasised that disability should not be viewed as a condition that separates people but as a reality that anyone could experience, urging society to adopt a more compassionate and inclusive approach. 

Prof. McCarthy identified stigma as one of the major barriers confronting persons with disabilities in Ghana, explaining that misconceptions and social prejudice continued to limit opportunities for inclusion and participation. 

Source: GNA