The Henry Djaba Foundation (HDF) has passionately called on the Planning Committees (Organisers) of the 62nd Independence Day Celebration to extend invitations to Ghanaians with Disabilities to participate fully in the parade in Tamale, and all other ceremonies across the length and breadth of Ghana.
Executive Director of HDF, Otiko Afisah Djaba in a statement issued in Accra served a strong reminder to the Organisers about what appears to be their deliberate but consistent attempt to discriminate against persons with disabilities in such an important national event.
She further reminded them that ‘disability is not inability’; Ghanaians with disabilities are “capable of functioning as effectively on a parade ground as they are at marching, performing at cultural displays, drama and musical performancesâ€.
Ms Otiko Afisah Djaba, Executive Director of HDF
The former Minister for Gender indicated that Ghanaians with disabilities were bona fide Ghanaians who were entitled to all the rights and privileges enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, and must neither be excluded, disregarded nor discounted during occasions when all Ghanaians must join hands to proclaim unity as a nation, especially when the events were being funded with the taxes of all the citizens.
“We wish to draw the attention of the organizers at national, regional and district levels to mainstream disability and include sign language interpreters to ensure that we leave nobody out or behind to enable our beloved GHANA achieve our dreams and the sustainable development goalsâ€.
In order to reverse the consistent marginalization and neglect, the Executive Director of HDF suggested to the organisers to work with people with disabilities when planning and making rules because they were as much Ghanaians as any other citizens.
, December 02, 2019