Hope For Future Generations On International Day Of Persons With Disability

Since 1992, the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) has been celebrated globally on 3rd December every year to promote understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities (PWDs). This year’s theme is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”.

The theme draws the world’s attention to the need to leave no one behind as we work towards creating sustainable development in all sectors. PWDs should, thus, not be left out of the educational, health, political and economic spheres of society, as they are active contributors to development.

Persons with disabilities cut across all age brackets - children, adolescents, youth, the middle-aged and the aged; and all these groups have their own unique needs and challenges. A former UN Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, had said “Equality of opportunity simply does not exist, where a disabled child cannot go to school, where a disabled mother has no health care, where a disabled man cannot get training or a job, or where disabled people cannot move freely on the streets.”

Though we have a Disability Act in Ghana which commits government and stakeholders to a nationwide approach aimed at improving the lives of persons with disability, the progress in implementation has been slow. Basically, not all public (and private) places are disability-friendly.

We call on the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and all other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to be more accommodating and sensitive to the needs of differently able persons by integrating their needs into all sector policies and, ensure implementation of same.

Hope for Future Generations is currently implementing the Get Up, Speak Out (GUSO) project as a member of the Ghana Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR) Alliance for Young People. Under GUSO, with support from Simavi in the Netherlands, we seek to empower young people, including persons with disabilities, to voice out and stand up for their rights, while demanding for improved sexual and reproductive health services.

We also take this time to call on you to support our HopePal project, aimed at contributing to improved lives of young persons with disabilities in and out of school. Contact us via any of our platforms to find out how you can be a HopePal to our uniquely abled friends.

On this day, let us increase our own knowledge on disability issues and be responsive in our language and actions to persons with disabilities. Let us be truly inclusive by ending stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities. The action begins with one person.

Signed,
Cecilia Senoo
Executive Director
About HFFG
Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) is a children, youth and women-focused non-governmental organisation. Since its inception in 2001, HFFG has continuously worked to reach urban, rural and under-served communities through its interventions, with the aim of enabling members of these communities to be adequately informed and empowered to enable them take critical decisions that will improve their quality of life.

HFFG seeks to provide equal opportunities in all our interventions for these target groups.To this end, HFFG has over the last 15 years, ensured gender mainstreaming and meaningful participation of women, children and young people, as well as marginalised and under-represented groups in all our programming.