The Plight Of The Phyiscally Challenged / Disabled In The Ghanaian Society

According to the World Health Organisation, disabilities is an unbrella covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Overcoming the difficulties faced by these people requires interventions to remove environmental and social barriers. In this piece, I will try to highlight on some of these challenges and what we can do to break this segregation between the disabled and non disabled.

I once witnessed a deaf/dumb (someone with hearing impairment) at a Police Station lodging a complaint, this took the police officers at that station several minutes to understand the report that person was making. Although the woman has a genuine case, the officers were not familiar with her sign language and found it difficult to interpret. Some civilians at the scene just burst out in laughter while others who were touched with the situation and familiar with her language tried to assist. This is one of the many scenarios.

Can you imagine what may go on in a doctor’s consulting room, when the patient is deaf or dumb? How does the doctor or medical assistant who is a layperson understand the sign language when there are no sign language experts at the hospital?

It is highly possible that the patient who would not be able to communicate well will not receive the desired medical attention from a doctor who does not understand him or her either.

Most of them do not receive the desired medical attention due to misinterpretation of sign language, because sign language interpreters are not stationed in the various hospitals

Although there is a provision in section 32 of the Disability Act 715/2006, which entreats the ministry of health to include in their curricula the study of disability and it related issues to equip health professionals with skills to handle disability issues, it has turned out to be a fiasco.

I would not say the medical practitioners do not receive these training but the fact remains that there is a barrier in communication between these health practitioners and people with hearing and speech challenge.

People with disability refuse to go to many public places due communication barriers, unfriendly environments and discrimination.

It is sad to know that despite provision in the Disability Act which entreats owners of public places to make them accessible to people with disability, there are still new buildings in the system which are not disable friendly.

Architects either deliberately or otherwise fail to design projects that factor in needs of the physically challenged. Some hospitals, schools, ministries, and many public places still remains ‘a no go area’ for the physically challenged.

In communities where public toilets are used, the situation of people with disability is not considered.

Most ATMs for instance are fixed at places where most physically challenged and visually impaired are unable to access them.

The1992 constitution talks about “freedom of movement” and I do not know how it affects the physically challenged. Most of the recently constructed flyovers on our highways are not disabled friendly making it difficult for our brothers and sisters in that situation to patronise them.

There are no pedi cans at the various traffic lights to be used by the visually impaired. Most of the pedestrian’s walkways that people with wheel chairs can use have also been taken over by hawkers.

Most drivers and other road users do not regard people with disability on the road. The Disability Act again makes it clear with regards to reserving seats on vehicles and demarcating parking space for people with disabilities, but this only remains in the books. How often do you see our commercial drivers and bus conductors adhering to these laws? There are punishments for those who contravenes these laws but the question is, are they enforced? Who see to their compliance?

The media is to inform, educate and entertain. With all the numerous televisions stations in the country, I have observed that it only GTV that uses sign language while telecasting news and national programmes.

Also I have not come across a newspaper for the blind, so how do these people also get involved or participate in the country’s development?

I would be glad to see a physically challenged one day participating with others in beauty pageant such as Miss Ghana, Ghana most beautiful or the many TV contests. For those who may disagree with me on this point let me ask whether they are not part of us? Why then do we relegate them to the back when it comes to such events?

Our culture towards the people with disability is nothing to talk about. There are myths and beliefs that people with disabilities are linked with. Such beliefs make people with disabilities lose their self-esteem. Parents of these children are normally tag with some omen and some become laughing stock of town. Out of shyness, some parents do poison their child during infancy. Again, in some societies, children born with disabilities are seen as ‘gods’ and are at times sacrificed to their so-called gods. Some parents hide these children from the public domain denying them social life. Women with disabilities do not get their unfair share when it comes to marriage. No one wants to marry them yet some men impregnate them without taking care of them.

Again, in some of the traditional settings in the country, people with disabilities are not allowed to be Chiefs or part of the decision makers. In some traditions too, they are even banned from entering the chief’s palace; you heard some of the comments some traditionalist made when Dr. Henry Seidu Daanaa was made the Chieftaincy Minister. Article 272(c) of the 1992 constitution states that the National house of Chiefs shall “undertake an evaluation of traditional customs and usages with a view to eliminating those customs and usages that are outmoded and socially harmful.” I humbly ask what is more harmful than banning the physically challenged from going to the palace and calling them derogatory names in our societies? When they are denied of their social lives is it not outmoded?

When you take a walk on our streets especially in the cities, you see most of these physically challenged begging for alms. Some live in extreme poverty and because of this they ignore all the threats on their lives to stand in the middle of the roads begging. In fact some live in terrible situation, what are we doing as a nation and people to help our brothers and sisters in these situation? The District Assembly Common Fund that is allocated to people with disability, does it get to them? Under what criteria are those money disbursed? Religious bodies, public institutions, N.G.O’s and individuals what role are we playing in bringing the issues of the physically challenged to light?

What can we do to better the lives of people with disability or the physically challenged? I believe the media should start educating the public on issues related to the physically challenged, throw more light on the Disability Act 715/2006 of Ghana. Advocacy groups should also not relent in their fight for the rights of the physically challenged; the government should see to the enforcement of the Disability Act 715/2006 of Ghana.

Pregnant women should visit hospitals or clinic for early detection and prevention. Not all disabilities are born with or are natural, some become disabled through accidents and many work hazards. Safety precautions at work places should be adhered to and care must be taken especially when driving.

Let us all admit the fact that disability is not inability. People with disability are the same as any other person, it is never a taboo so we must embrace them into the society. Anybody can be disabled at a particular time, so let us join hands with our brothers and sisters who are disabled or physically challenged to turn the wheels of development in our nation. We are all one.

By: Jonas Owusu Ohemeng

Development Communicator

Inspirational speaker

Security Analyst.

[email protected]