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Only seven percent of people living with disabilities (PWD) benefit from the Coronavirus Relief Program (CAP), according to research by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD).
The program, which was introduced by the government to protect Ghanaian businesses from the impact of the pandemic, largely failed to take into account the particular needs of people with disabilities in implementation, according to research conducted in Greater Accra and the Great Kumasi.
Christopher Agbega, GFD Covid-19 Project Officer, presenting the key findings of the investigation that was to assess the impact of Covid-19 on PWD, said that the correct channel was not used to bring information to PWD, for what most of its members were does not count.
“People like the deaf and dumb, the blind and those with mental health problems were not considered in terms of dissemination of information, so they were practically left out of the program,” he said.
He stressed the need for the government to consider the particular challenges of these vulnerable groups in implementing programs and policies so as not to leave any Ghanaians behind.
Mr. Kwame Mensah, GFD Program Manager, appealed to Ghanaians to show interest in the issues that affect people with disabilities because anyone can be a victim at any time.
According to him, about 85 percent of people with disabilities were not born with their conditions, but suffered their fate from accidents and other natural causes.
Alfred Tabi Amponsah, PWD National Chairman, said that the GFD was made up of nine different disability groups and that it was discouraging that the government considered only a few when formulating policies for PWD.
This, he said, was excluding some of his members from government interventions and called for adequate engagement with GFD leaders in order to reach out to all PWD.
