International Day Of Persons With Disabilities Observed In Tamale

The event which took place at the Kalandan Park saw two goalball teams, one from  Sagnarigu district and the other team from Tamale Metro competed for championship in blind ball playing.

Speaking to the media, Iinternational Service Alumini and Logistics Coordinator, Mr.  Godfrey Chanase said the day was an important day for IS  as an Organization that works towards empowering the vulnerable in society.

According to him,  IS develops policies through its youth centered programmes (International Citizens Service or ICS)   that are geared towards empowering the vulnerable such as women, children and Persons With Disabilities.

He  said IS is a development charity organization with fundings from UKAID working in many countries including Ghana.

"International Service as a development charity,  we focus on some key vulnerable groups in the society which includes but not limited to women,  young people, persons with disabilities, and today happens to be an International Day Of Persons With Disabilities.  So we the Alumini of that group,  we are liaison with the Tamale Resource Center For Persons With Disabilities to mark this day which is a special day for Persons With Disabilities" he said 

Speaking on the theme for this year's celebration "Transforming Ghana Through Inclusive And Sustainable Development For All" the Northern regional chairman of the Persons With Disabilities (PWD), Seidu Mohammed Chentima lamented that, issues of PWD were not taking serious in the country. 

He said issues of social inclusion, unemployment, education and health care are all serious problems  faced by PWD in Ghana. 

He stated that,  despite calls by the disability associations and advocates, to make building accessible for PWD, many buildings in the country especially,  the Northern region are still not disability friendly.

He explained that, the celebration of the International Day Of Persons With Disabilities is important as it gives stakeholders opportunity to deliberate and strategize on how to make life easier for PWDs.

It is quite important to celebrate the International Day Of Persons With Disabilities because,  it is a day where educate the general public about the issues of persons with disabilities " he said. 

"That is where we can tell you what difficulty, what achievement,  what stakeholders state parties ought to do in order to help bring an inclusive development and inclusive work for persons with disabilities " he added.

He  mentioned lack of interest by parents to invest in children who have have some disabilities, leading to several of them begging on the streets.

He used the occasion to called for pragmatic measures to ensure that,  the right of persons with disabilities are not trampled upon.

World Disability Day is celebrated on the 3rd of December every year to acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of the social group who have disabilities.

The day allows policy makers and implementing bodies in every country to discuss the way forward in solving the problems facing PWDs.

Ghana's theme for the celebration of the event is TRANSFORMING GHANA THROUGH INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL.

At the end of the event,  the two teams all had 11 goals each for the Goal ball competition whilst the Sagnarigu Wheel chair basketball team scored 15 goals defeating their Tamale Metro opponents who had only 4 goals.