The National Council on Persons with Disability has held an inter-sectoral engagement on Ghana’s eight commitments made during the Global Disability Summit; http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/commitments/stakeholder/ghana-ministry-gender-children-and-social-protection.
During the Global Disability Summit in 2018, Ghana, through the Minister for Gender, Children and Social protection, made eight commitments aimed at removing specific barriers that work against the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all levels of development. The eight commitments are: to eliminate stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities, to promote inclusive education, to ensure routes to economic empowerment of persons with disabilities, to harness technology and innovation to better the lives of persons with disabilities, to build disaggregated data on persons with disabilities to inform policy formulation and implementation; to make adequate provisions for women and girls with disabilities on account of the double discrimination; and mainstream disability into conflict and humanitarian responses; and ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities.
The National Council on Persons with Disability, the state agency mandated to coordinate matters on disability, prepared the 2019 progress report. Acknowledging that disability is a cross-cutting and inter-sectoral issue, the Council held the first inter-sectoral engagement to strengthen synergies, avoid duplication and sharing of information on disability inclusion along the 8 commitments. The report from the inter-sectoral engagement will form the basis for the preparation of the second progress report.
The inter-sectoral engagement includes MDAs such as National Commission on Civic Education, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, Special Education Division of GES, National Ambulance Service, Office of Students with Special Needs (Legon), Ghana National Association of Teachers, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ghana Health Service-Infrastructure Directorate, Min. of Local Government and Rural Development, Secretaries to the Disability Fund Management Committees, Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) & its member organisations, Mental Health Authority, Basic Needs, Sight Savers, National Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the media including TV3 and GBC.
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At the event held in Accra on Thursday, October 15, 2020 and hosted by Ghana Somubi, a six-member steering committee was composed to direct the affairs of the inter-sectoral engagement. The steering committee is expected to meet on 20th October to validate the report; which will be submitted by the Hon. Minister for Gender and Children Protection.
By Esther Akua Gyamfi
(Executive Secretary-National Council on Persons with Disability)
Email: esther.akua.gyamfi@gmail.com
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