Mrs Nana Amua-Sekyi, Western Regional Director
of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), on Friday said persons with disabilities are entitled to exercise their civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights on an equal basis with
others.
She stated this is in a paper presented on her behalf at a day�s training programmed on �Coverage of Disability Issues in the Media and Human Rights of Persons with Disability�, organized by the Sekondi-Takoradi branch
of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled for media personnel at Takoradi.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi said the concept of human rights means that every person is entitled to the standards or conditions necessary for living a decent life.
�In simple terms, human rights are those claims, entitlements or conditions that enable us to satisfy our basic needs with dignity and
respect,� she said.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi said these rights are not based on religion, colour, tribe, nationality, ethnicity, race or gender.
She said the 1992 Constitution guarantees human rights for all persons but there is a special law for those with disabilities.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi said this is because people with disabilities like children, women and the aged form the vulnerable in society, and so should
be protected as such.
She said persons with disabilities suffer from discrimination based on society�s prejudice and ignorance, and in addition, they often do not enjoy the same opportunities as other people because of lack of access to essential services.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi said exclusion and abuse of people with disabilities are violations of their human rights.
She said a human rights approach to disability acknowledges that people with disabilities are rights holders, and that social structures and policies restricting or ignoring the rights of people with disabilities often lead to discrimination and exclusion.
She said a human rights perspective requires society, particularly governments to actively promote the necessary conditions for all individuals to fully realize their rights.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi said, �As full citizens with equal rights, people with disabilities are entitled to access to education, equal rights to
parenthood, rights to property ownership, access to courts of law, political rights such as the right to vote and equal access to employment�.
Mr Samuel Quansah, Regional President of the Federation, called on the government to fully implement the disability law and ensure that the
provisions of the law are compiled with.
He said some modern buildings do not have facilities for the disabled and persons with disability find it difficult to gain employment, forcing them to take to streets to beg for alms.
Mr Quansah further urged the government to ensure that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies release two per cent of their share of the Common Fund to the disabled as directed by law.