Lecturer builds access ramps to aid education of boy with cerebral palsy

A Researcher, Senior Lecturer, and the Head of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana, Dr. Augustina Naami has made a significant contribution to the education of a 19-year-old student with cerebral palsy at the Ghanata Senior High School, Dodowa.

The researcher who is on a campaign to make buildings accessible to persons with disabilities, has constructed three access ramps at the Ghanata SHS to aid in easy access to some specific parts of the school environment for Gabriel Buertey Narh.

The improved structures include a classroom which will be Gabriel's class throughout his 3-year studies at the school. The others are the dining hall and a washroom dedicated to him.

Dr. Naami's intervention was sought by Adonai Studios, a social enterprise that is into disability rights advocacy when it discovered that the buildings at the school were all not accessible to Gabriel who got SHS placement there after his Basic Education Certificate Examination.

At a short ceremony on Friday, February 16, 2024, to hand over the ramps, Dr. Augustina Naami called on the government to be intentional about disability inclusion, by ensuring that all educational facilities in the country are disability-friendly.

She recounted how disappointed she was when she first visited the school to assess the environment. According to her, the school environment is not safe for even non-disabled students, and emphasized the need to ensure that everywhere on the campus is safe for all.

She urged teachers to take special interest in the development of their students with disabilities, adding that some children with disabilities also have learning difficulties that require special attention.

Dr. Naami also urged Gabriel and all students with disabilities not to be discouraged by the challenges they face in pursuing education.

She acknowledged that education in Ghana is extremely challenging for the disabled, but said, with determination and hard work, they would be able to attain their dreams and aspirations.

She repeated calls for corporate entities and well-meaning Ghanaians to support her campaign to make the built environment accessible to persons with disabilities.

Dr. Augustina Naami, after undertaking research into the challenges persons with disabilities face in accessing the built environment in Ghana, embarked on a campaign to change the situation. In 2022, she launched an initiative dubbed "Breaking Barriers Campaign". She targets to build at least 5 access ramps annually for buildings, including public facilities and compound houses where persons with disabilities reside.

She aims to improve access and ensure the safety and inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream society.

Since 2022, she has constructed a total of 16 ramps for 6 basic schools in the Ga East Municipality, a vocational school at Kaneshie-Accra, and Ghanata SHS-Dodowa.

Gabriel, his mother, Madam Mary Lartey, and the Assistant Headmaster of the school, Mr. Wilson, all thanked Dr. Naami for the project.

Mr. Laweh asked for more such interventions to help improve the deteriorating infrastructure situation at the school.

Dr. Naami also donated a video camera to aid Gabriel's studies. The camera will be used to capture activities on the board which will serve as notes for him.

Gabriel has a severe form of cerebral palsy which has rendered him paralyzed and also unable to use his hands. He, therefore, relies on aid to do everything, including eating, bathing, writing, and even using the washroom.

Source: Adonai Studios