Executive Director of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, Dr Otiko Afisa Djaba, has criticised successive governments for paying little attention to the needs and welfare of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana.

Dr Djaba, a former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, said persons with disabilities constituted more than three per cent of Ghana’s population, yet their concerns remained largely marginalised in national development planning.

She made the remarks during the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.

“Some people are born with disabilities, while others acquire them through illness, accidents, or old age. It could be you, your child, a family member, or a friend,” she said.

She explained that disability was a natural part of human life, noting that people who lived long enough were likely to experience some form of physical limitation, making inclusion and accessibility a shared societal responsibility.

Dr Djaba identified accessibility as one of the most pressing challenges confronting persons with disabilities and called for practical and deliberate actions to ensure their full participation in society.

“In Ghana, accessibility remains a serious problem. There are no proper road signs or indicators for blind persons, and boarding public transport is often difficult. For someone in a wheelchair, even boarding an aircraft can become impossible,” she stated.

She cited instances where airlines failed to provide appropriate spaces for mobility aids such as crutches, describing such situations as discriminatory.

Dr Djaba also highlighted discrimination in education, social interventions, and economic activities, noting that some people refused to transact business with persons with disabilities due to the mistaken belief that disability was contagious.

She called on the government to enforce existing laws, particularly those related to education, to ensure that children with disabilities were not hidden at home or sent to prayer camps but were enrolled in schools.

“Children with disabilities should not be on the streets begging. They should be in school and at workplaces, doing what other people are doing. Public spaces must also be made accessible,” she said.

Dr Djaba expressed concern about the lack of basic facilities in schools, such as lifts, which often forced students in wheelchairs to be carried, a situation she described as undignified and unacceptable.

She further commented on the low representation of persons with disabilities in governance, pointing to their limited presence in Parliament and at the district assembly level.

She stressed that disability should not deny any citizen the right to participate fully in national life, noting that the 1992 Constitution guaranteed equal rights for all Ghanaians without discrimination.

The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, she said, targeted advocacy at the entire society, focusing on promoting awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and changing negative public attitudes.

She called on citizens to actively participate in raising awareness about disability issues.

“Persons with disabilities are part of us. Their lives matter, and it is important that we all join hands to promote inclusion, dignity and equal opportunities for them,” she said.

The celebration was climaxed with a float through the principal streets of Somanya, with participants marching with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Would You Like My Disability?”, “I Can Be Educated Even If I Am in a Wheelchair”, “PWDs’ Lives Matter”, “Disability Has No Age Limit”, and “Do Not Discriminate Against Me Because I Am Disabled”.

The event also featured indoor games, health screening and interactive sessions aimed at promoting inclusion, wellbeing and public awareness of disability issues.