The national PRO of the PwDs, Emmanuel Laryea has described people living with disability as unfortunate and neglected by the people in authority when it comes to job placement and access to the high buildings. The law to make government institutions and offices in Ghana accessible to the PWDS was passed in 2010, but more than 90 per cent of newly built government offices are unfriendly to the PwDs. He spoke to Nkyeremu News at their annual conference held at Super TESS in the Bono East region.
He says many of the people living with disabilities have first degrees, master and PhDs but still find it difficult to get employment due to high buildings. They face the worst situation in building schools. The most worrying situation, that he stressed, is the washrooms as some of their colleagues walk through their hands.
According to him, it becomes more pathetic when they are travelling, since buses are not friendly. Carrying wheelchairs become a problem and also expensive, all the same, they have certificates but are not employed. He says these unfortunate situations compel most of their colleagues to ask for arms to make a living.
About 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, of whom 2-4% experience significant difficulties in functioning. The global disability prevalence is higher than previous WHO estimates, which date from the 1970s and suggested a figure of around 10%. This global estimate for disability is on the rise due to population ageing and the rapid spread of chronic diseases, as well as improvements in the methodologies used to measure disability.
The PwDs are the vulnerable class in society, and irrespective of their economic and social conditions, the current economic turn has made it difficult for them to meet their needs. According to the 2021 population and housing census, PWDs constitute 8 per cent of Ghana’s population, which represents 2,088,138 individuals.
The national PwDs communicator, Emmanuel Laryea has pleaded with the government and the public to provide elevators in all high buildings.
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