A stakeholder’s dissemination workshop on universal periodic review report on sexual and reproductive health and rights of People with Disabilities [PWD’s] has been held with a call on stakeholders to step up their efforts.

The one-day workshop put together by the Plan Parenthood Association of Ghana [PPAG] brought together experts from the academia, research institutions, politicians, Civil Society Organizations’ [CSO’s] and the media to brainstorm on better ways of dealing with challenges facing the PWDs.

Mr. Albert Wuddah Martey, the PPAG Programs Director, said the essence of the workshop, the second of its kind was to complements the efforts of government in the provision of sexual and reproductive rights of the PWDs which according to him is basic human rights.

He among other things mentioned that the PPAG do engage in a lot of advocacy programs in its quest to ensure that voice of the vulnerable in the society is heard and equal opportunities are accessed by voiceless within our set up.

We do conduct some form of little research on the PWDs and come up with findings and solutions which is shared among the various stakeholders working for the interest of the People with Disabilities in the country.

He admitted that they alone cannot do it hence the need to bring on board experts, researchers as well as other stakeholders to share ideas and tap into each other’s expertise and experience for the betterment of the PWDs
He called on the government and other stakeholders to create an enabling and equal opportunities for people with disabilities to realize their potentials.

Mr. Martey further called on corporate bodies within Ghana to commit some financial resources to help better the lives of people living with disabilities in order to complements efforts been put in place by the PPAG and its external donors.

On his part, Dr. Eugene Dartey , of the Population Department of the University of Cape Coast , called for the formulation and implementation of concrete plans and actions with timelines.

He also welcomed the news on the introduction of sign language in the new curriculum for nursing training schools across the country and called for its extension to other training institutions nationwide.

He said CSO’s with interest in PWD issues should be given the chance to make inputs into the newly adopted curriculum of schools as the PWDs have more potentials which needs the help of the people for it to be realized.

Participants including policy makers and stakeholders were tasked to move away from workshops and advocacy meetings to implementations. It was recognized that a lot of policies have been formulated for the PWDs but its effective implementation has been a challenge.

Participants also blamed the media for not supporting the course of the PWDs.

The media need to give enough airtime and spaces for broadcasting and publishing of issues of disabilities and its related issues thereby helping in the dissemination of things affecting them.

Participants also agreed on the need for a stronger collaboration between the stakeholders and the media to help disseminate PWD’s information to the people especially the rural areas.

Stakeholders dealing with disability issues need to involve PWDs in their planning from the initial to implementation stages. Participants also expressed sorrow on the lack of a disable person in the set-up of the Ghana National Disable Council.

The workshop was chaired by Dr. Cecilia Bentsi, a patron of the PPAG.