Accra, Nov. 17, GNA - The Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), on Tuesday spelled-out a 10-point agenda to be included in the Local governance reforms being initiated by Government.

It includes one per cent representation by People With Disability (PWD), at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, reservation of about two to three per cent government appointments at the assemblies for PWDs and establishment of Community Based Rehabilitation centres.

Others are the enrolment of PWDs with minimal disability challenges in regular educational institutions, promotion and protection of the human rights of PWDs; elimination of negative cultural norms and practices that discriminate against disabled persons.

Mr Yaw Ofori Deberah, Spokesperson of GFD, announced these at a consultative forum organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with GFD on the theme: "Twenty Years of Decentralisation and the Assembly System of Local Government in Ghana - the Role of People With Disabilities," in Accra.

It was to provide an opportunity for PWDs to contribute to the review process, reflect on the performance of the assembly system over the past 20 years especially in relation to the rights and participation of the disabled.

It also gave opportunity for PWDs to examine the interpretations of concept of decentralisation, issues that have arisen in the different sectoral approaches to its operations.

The GFD called for the creation of enabling environment for PWDs to leave independently and participate in other social activities with little or no assistance.

Participants demanded that the reforms should take into consideration information, communication and technological needs of PWDs, and tasked the assemblies to initiate policies and bye-laws to combat stigmatisation against PWDs.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said consultations to solicit views and ideas on the future of decentralisation in Ghana was to provide an opportunity for all sections of the population to participate and contribute to the review process.

He said it would also help government to acknowledge particular concerns and experiences, good practices and priorities that different regions and interest groups might have to make decentralisation more effective.

Mr Yieleh Chireh, said the exercise was part of a broader effort to create a more efficient decentralised governance system capable of delivering social services to majority of the people.

He explained that it sought to enhance ownership of the decentralisation process among citizens and foster wide recognition and validation of the direction in which local governance was being operated. Mr Yieleh Chireh said various recommendations had been made in relation to the need to review the local government sub-structures and relevant legislations involving local authorities and local level development.

He said there were considerable agreement among experts that the current system of decentralization needed to be reformed, and what was needed was to build consensus on the kind of reforms that were likely to produce the desired outcome of an efficient and responsive system of local governance.

The ideas collated from the consultations would be the focus at the National Stakeholders' Conference scheduled for December this year.