Kumasi, July 26, GNA - A day's public education seminar on "Promoting and Protecting the Rights of People with Disabilities (PWDs)" in Ghana was on Wednesday held in Kumasi.

The seminar was aimed at educating the public, particularly service providers and heads of ministries, on the sections of the Disability Act that could be implemented immediately. It also sought to stimulate reflections on some of the difficult tasks and questions that could impede the effective implementation of the law as well as creating awareness in the public for a positive attitudinal change towards the disabled. The seminar, organized by Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and Ghana Federation of the Disabled with the support from USAID, was attended by heads of educational institutions, traditional heads, some law-enforcing agencies, Ghana Employers Association, hoteliers, journalists and the judiciary from Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions.

Mr Peter Owusu-Donkor, Deputy Head of Programmes of CDD, said discrimination against the disabled was grounded in the cultural beliefs and attitudes of Ghanaians.

These, he said, were among some of the factors that hindered the smooth integration of the physically challenged to the broader society thus making it difficult to secure their civil rights. Mr Owusu-Donkor said provisions in the legislation had a potential of enabling PWDs to fully enjoy the rights enshrined in the constitution.

He said, "Now that we have credible and fairly progressive disability legislation, we must address the challenges of implementation. The Centre certainly hopes that all stakeholders are poised to make every effort to implement the Act. But we also recognize that there will be many challenges to implement a law of this nature". Mr Charles Gyamfi-Danquah, Ashanti Regional Director of Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, said it was not by accident that the constitution devoted its Article 29 on the rights of the disabled persons.

He said it appeared society had turned a blind eye on the problems of the disabled, adding, "We do not even talk much about them as far as national issues are concerned".

"It is the responsibility of the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary, state institutions, non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and civil society to work in harmony to achieve results," he said.