Accra, March 1, GNA - The only National Assessment and Resource Centre for Children with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs has been left to rot due to lack of funds.

The dilapidated wooden structure situated at Achimota a suburb of Accra leaks badly such that when it rains during working hours, the staff have to vacate the premises, Madam Grace Preko, Deputy Head of the Centre told the Ghana News Agency on Monday.

She said what had worsened the situation at the centre was a tree that fell on top of the structure on June 14, last year, which had resulted in severe leakages and the degeneration of electrical gadgets used to diagnose children with special needs.

The centre was established to provide avenues for the identification and detection of early childhood disabilities and special educational needs. Madam Preko who is visually impaired said about three years ago the centre launched an appeal for funds to give the facility a facelift. She said although government responded positively to the appeal, the centre was yet to get the needed support to commence the project. "We are now aware that government has approved some funds for the contract to be put on tender, but we are not sure about what is happening," she said.

She said disability was a multi-disciplinary issue that needed to be tackled by all sectors of the society. Madam Preko called for attitudinal change towards people with disabilities to make it possible for the vulnerable in society to compete favourably. "Accepting persons with disability will make the world a better place," she noted. Mr. George Pat Tackie, Head of the Centre reiterated the need for government to pay urgent attention to their plight. He said government promised to assist the centre with funds from the Ghana Educational Trust Fund to construct new structures. Mr. Tackie said the state of the centre was not attracting clients, whilst some of the expensive items in the office were at the mercy of the rains.

"We need security," he stressed, adding "this place is not suitable as an office". Commenting on society's attitude towards the disabled, he said most people were ignorant about people with disabilities, due to superstitions and other prejudices. Mr. Tackie said science had proven that disabilities were a result of chromosomal and genetic abnormalities or incidence that occurred during or after birth.

He urged the public to accept persons with disabilities since they have a lot to offer society. He said it was important that the Ghana Education Service begun an extensive educational campaign on disabilities to enable people to accept them.

Nana Yaa Agyeman, Founder of ShareCare Foundation, a civil society organisation and a support group for people with neuro-immunological diseases in Ghana, appealed to the public to pay attention to people with disabilities. She said the only way Ghana could catch up with development was to assist the vulnerable in society. Nana Agyeman therefore urged government to develop structures that supported people with disabilities and the vulnerable in society.