347 Views Posted on 17-Nov-2010

The Director of the Ghana Disable Association, Charles Appiagyei has advised Ghanaians to address the physically challenged with their names.

He said it defaming to address them with their disabilities.

He said this at a workshop for representative of security agencies in Ghana, organized by the Mind Freedom (GH), A Non-Governmental Organisation based in Accra.

He added that, addressing the physically as disabled was hurting.

He urged that Ghanaians should not wait to become physically challenged persons before they get up to be fighting for the passage of the disability bill, but it should be an all inclusive affairs added that the country should come together as a nation to campaign for the passage of the bill.

He stated among other things that it would be very important to develop a data and statistics on persons with disabilities, because doing that could go a long way to show how the country is concerned about the physically challenged.

He lamented that, disabled in Ghana are not independent, always intimidated and discriminated, but the bill (UNRPD) if passed will cater for all the problems facing the physically challenged ones in the society and also help Ghana in building a legal regime as there is no current favourable law for the disabled.

The Director of the Mind Freedom (GH), Mrs. Janet Amegatcher on her part, pointed out that, the passage of the mental health bill will improve heath care in Ghana and eradicate the problem of psychological disabled loitering around the streets.
She continued that, the passage of the bill will ensure that the psycho-social disabilities in the prayer camps will not have their right violated anymore.

She complained that, for the time being, people with psycho-social disabilities are treated like criminals.

Mrs. Janet therefore, called on all the security agencies especially the police to treat the psycho-social disabilities with a minimal force because disability is not a crime.

The Director of the Ghana Organization on fatal Alcoholic Syndrome, Mrs. Amanorbea Dodoo also explained that, the only way people get problem with the psycho-social disabilities is when they fail to understand them.

She therefore advised Ghanaians to always be in the shoes of the mentally-ill people when dealing with them and in so doing the mental health bill is apply by default.

Story by: Evans Okai (Reporter, Health Digest News)