The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Henry Djaba Foundation, Otiko Afisah Djaba has passionately called on corporate organizations in Ghana to stop discriminating against persons with disabilities in terms of job placement.
According to the former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, it is unacceptable for businesses, ministries and agencies to discriminate against the less privileged who have gone through struggles and social exclusion to educate and qualify for employment.
Madam Djaba’s appeal follows a touching story of one Maclean Atsu Dzidzienyo, a physically challenged graduate accountant who was a special guest on her newly introduced television show ‘Let’s Talk Ability†on TV3 Sunday 13th December, 2019.
Mr. Dzidzienyo told the studio audience that after his graduation in 2011 from the Accra Technical University he had attended several interviews but was refused employment by different organisations due to his disability.
“I have gone for different interviews and I always qualified but what they keep telling me was that you did so well in the interview but we are sorry we can’t employ you because our building is not disability friendly and even when I insist of managing the environment they still refused meâ€.
Currently Mr. Dzidzienyo has switched to disability sport (national lawn tennis team) whilst his accounting certificate keeps gathering dusts.
However, the CEO of Henry Djaba Foundation and Co-Host of the “Let’s Talk Ability†TV show, Madam Otiko Djaba insisted that the time had come for Ghana to show respect and love to persons with disabilities and create equal opportunities for them to contribute their quota to national development.
“We must show love and support persons with disabilities to bring out the potentials in them. Most of them have exceptional talents, they are creative and can do better to help our nation grow. So we must give them the opportunityâ€.
Meanwhile, the “Let’s Talk Ability†show which is fast gaining massive viewership and popularity is aimed at promoting self-confidence, social equality, equity, respect for, and rights of persons with disabilities among others.
Being sponsored by the Henry Djaba Foundation, Electroland limited and Samaritan Purse, the show creates the platform for persons with disability who have made a mark in society to share their experiences to inspire other less privileged, and invite key questions from the studio audiences, majority of whom are with different disabilities.
Madam Otiko Afisah Djaba who is a renowned international human rights and gender advocate, is currently using her NGO, the Henry Djaba Foundation, to empower the vulnerable, persons living with disabilities (PWDs), head potters (kayayie), women and children and to assist them to access good health care, education, through social live empowerment.
, December 17, 2019