The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, has called for amendment of the Disability Act 2006 to conform to international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

She said the amendment would also ensure that the needs of Ghanaians with disability were addressed in accordance with the new mandate given to the Gender Ministry.

Mrs Lithur made this call during the inauguration of the National Council on Persons with Disability. She charged the Council to develop modalities for raising funds to facilities its activities.

According to her, the Council is mandated to pursue and promote a better Ghana experience for the estimated 20 per cent of the nation’s population with disability.

“The Council is also mandated by section 42 of Act 715 to develop policies and strategies to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in the national development process.”

The sector Minister urged the Council to come out with a plan to enable all public structures disability friendly as the deadline for such compliance would expire in about three years’ time.

She tasked them to conduct thorough investigations into issues surrounding the disbursement of common fund allocated to persons with disabilities saying, “I will also appeal to you to develop a plan to secure access to services where there are communication challenges, especially with the accessing of health care for person with hearing impairment.”

She called for the establishment of regional and districts offices with proper operational capacities to establish a national register of Persons with Disability.

This, she said, would help to address issues relating to the rehabilitation centres at the district level initiating right based interventions and programmes and also help secure better and well planned programmes for the disabled adding that each member of the board was specially chosen to enhance the work of the board with his or her unique attribute and expertise.

Ms Emma Lilian Bruce-Lyle, who represented the Federation of Persons with Disability on the board, on behalf of the chairman express her appreciation to the minister for the trust reposed in them and pledged their readiness to work for the disabled in the country.

The Council members were Prof. Gyimah Boadi, Chairperson, (Centre for Democratic Governance); Dr Akwesi Osei, Ministry of Health Representative; Mr Sampson Nii Trebi, Department of Social Welfare; Mr Humphrey Koffie, Mental Health Society of Ghana; Nana Yaa Agyeman, ShareCare Ghana and Mrs Gertrude Oforiwaa Fefoame, Sightsavers Ghana.

The rest were Ms Patience Opoku, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Ms Emma Lilian Bruce-Lyle, Federation of Persons with Disability; Father Andrew Campbell, Christ the King Catholic Church, Mr Divine Ayidzoe, Ministry of Education and Mr Max Varden, Executive Secretary for Council of Persons with Disability.

The Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development, Employment, Labour Relations and the Ghana Employers Association are all required to present a representative each.