National Co-Ordinator of Inclusion Ghana, Auberon Jeleel Odoom has called on Ghanaians to advocate for the human rights of persons with Down Syndrome in the country.
He made this call during the World Down Syndrome Day celebration which was held yesterday, March 22, 2019 in Accra.
The World Down Syndrome Day, on the theme, ‘Leave no one behind’ aims at finding quality teaching and learning environment for disabled persons in the society which is goal 4 of the sustainable development goals of the country.
In a press release signed by the National Co-Ordinator of Inclusion Ghana, Auberon Jeleel Odoom and copied to GhanaWeb noted that, persons with Down Syndrome are to be treated with love and also allow them to participate in all socio-economic roles in the country.
“Leave no one behind also represents a call for the total inclusion of all persons with Down Syndrome in cadets of socio-economic life and also make sure that they have equal access to social services”, the release said.
This, when done, Aureberon Jeleel Odoom believes can stimulate their intellectual and social growth.
The statement further stated that, there is a need to educate people and brainwash them from all negative perception they have towards people with intellectual disabilities.
The day celebration is geared towards raising awareness, creating singular global voice and advocating for the rights of persons with Down Syndrome.
There is the need to ensure that persons with Down Syndrome have access to other social services such as quality healthcare in order to bridge the inequality gap between disabled and non-disabled persons, as stipulated in goal 10 of the sustainable development goals.
National Co-Ordinator of Inclusion Ghana stated that, “bringing persons with down syndrome explicitly into mainstream development discourse will not only benefit us, but it will enable the whole of Ghana to realize that there is immense untapped potential to transform Ghana into a better place for all people”