Accra, May 29, GNA - The Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB) on Thursday called on government and policy makers to involve Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in decision-making to help care for their interests. Madam Agnes Tetteh, Chairperson of the Greater Accra Regional Council of GAB, said this at the opening ceremony of the Branch's belated 2007 Regional Convention which is on the theme: "Inclusion, making life meaningful for the blind and the partially sighted person". She said PWDs, including the blind faced many challenges because policy makers had failed to seek their views on issues before policies were implemented.

She said when the old ten thousand and twenty thousand cedis notes were about to be introduced into the system, people were made to know that there were symbols on them which would make identification easier for the blind and partially sighted persons. Unfortunately when the notes were circulated, the blind could not feel the symbols on them as promised. Madam Tetteh said the introduction of the new Ghana cedis was another indication of how the blind were marginalized in decision-making.

"The newly introduced Ghana cedis and also the new electronic device which is being talked about, the 'E-Zwich' smart card have the same problem in dealing with the blind and partially sighted. We need consultation to make our participation in the national development agenda, a must", she said.

She appealed to the public, politicians, the Road Safety Commission and all policy makers to make disability issues a priority in planning programmes and activities to ensure a meaningful life for blind and partially sighted persons as well as all PWDs. Madam Tetteh said during the period under review, the association went through difficult times as far as supporting its members was concerned, however it managed to secure a credit facility from the government's one billion cedis micro financing scheme and the District Assemblies Common Fund for PWDs to meet their needs, especially the unemployed.

"The region can confirm that, the facility has been of great help to some of the members", she added.

She explained that as a result of lack of financial support from their traditional sponsors and other sources, the convention was postponed from last year to May this year.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Solomon Ajiri Blankson, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the main objective of the AMA was to promote economic activities in the metropolis, especially for vulnerable and the excluded. He said the Assembly in its effort in making life meaningful for the blind and the physically challenged had assisted some five blind students to acquire Braille materials for their education, while the registered associations had benefited immensely from micro finance schemes since their inclusion in the District Assembly's Common Fund since 2006 till date.

He said the Assembly was worried about the activities of some blind persons who beg for alms, especially those who used children of school-going age as guides, exposing them to dangers of street life through which some were killed or deprived of their education. "You should try and bring back these innocent children who are being used as guides from the street and send them to the appropriate agencies to be enrolled in schools", he added. Mr. Yaw Ofori Debrah, National President of GAB said many people in Accra beg on the street thus portraying the blind as people who were only good at begging, an act he described as unfortunate and embarrassing.

He called on the blind who had not yet registered with GAB to do so to access credit facilities that were available to PWDs. He said the only way for the blind to gain social acceptance and enhance their image was for them to live decent lives and avoid shameful acts such as begging and over relying on people. Rev. Titus Awote Pratt of the Mount Olivet Methodist Church - Dansoman Circuit, said the church had not done much for those who were handicapped and disabled, saying that everybody in this world was handicapped or disabled in one way or the other. He said the church as a social setting had a responsibility towards people who were in need just as Christ himself demonstrated during his time. Rev. Pratt said it was sad to note that some family members of PWDs forced and send them on the street to beg for alms only to collect it from them by close of day.