Minority Caucus pledges to push for employment opportunities for graduates with disabilities
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has pledged to support calls for the recruitment of qualified unemployed graduates with disabilities into the public service.
The pledge follows a petition presented to the Minority Caucus by the Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities on Wednesday, September 2.
The Coalition is demanding the immediate recruitment of qualified graduates on its verified list, strict enforcement of the employment quota for persons with disabilities, and incentives for private sector employers who hire qualified persons with disabilities.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the Minority Caucus, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, said the concerns raised by the Coalition were legitimate and grounded in existing constitutional and legal provisions.
“The Minority reaffirms its commitment to championing policies that give real effect to these constitutional and statutory guarantees, close the gap between the law as written and the law as experienced,” she said.
The Minority said Article 29 of the 1992 Constitution guarantees persons with disabilities protection from exploitation and discrimination and mandates Parliament to enact laws to enforce those rights.
It also cited the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), which provides for assistance to persons with disabilities to secure employment and offers tax rebates and other incentives to employers who engage them.
The Caucus further referenced Article 17 of the Constitution, which permits affirmative measures to address social and economic imbalances.
“Ability, competence and determination, not disability, define one’s access to opportunity,” the Minority said.