The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative
Justice (CHRAJ) on Thursday commended the physically challenged for their achievements, contributions, commitment and aspirations toward the advancement of the society.
The acknowledgement is in a statement issued by CHRAJ and signed by Mr. Richard Qyason, Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, on the occasion of the
International Day of the Persons with Disability which falls on Thursday.
The day is observed to promote and spread awareness of the rights of persons living with disability all over the world.
It is also to take stock of the performance of governments, civil society and all other stakeholders in terms of their contribution towards fulfilling the plights of the persons living with disabilities.
The statement said everyday persons living with disability were faced with physical and social barriers obstructing them from their full
potentials and attaining higher recognition in society.
Ghana's effort to improve the life of the physically challenged, including the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, according to the
statement, led to the Persons with Disability Act (Act 715) which seeks to offer a meaningful policy and legal framework for realising these
objectives.
The statement commended government for its social intervention of giving all children of school going age with disabilities free education.
This, the statement explained, would go a long way to reduce the growing number of children with disability in the streets.
However, this commendable effort by government is still a far cry from the comprehensive and systematic implementation of the Persons with Disability Act needed to ensure the fulfilment of the right of those identified under the Act.
The commission called on the government and all stakeholders, including the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, as well as individual persons with disability, to work hard to operationalise the objectives and intendment of the Act to give hope to all persons with disability in Ghana.