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The Ghana Persons with Disabilities Entrepreneurs and Business Association (GPWDEBA) has called on the government to address the problem of discrimination against members of the group.
President of GPWDEBA, Mr Richard Offei, who made the call, said the situation has forced many entrepreneurs with disabilities to resort to begging on the streets instead of receiving support for their businesses.
Mr Offei, at a press conference in Accra on Monday noted that GPWDEBA would have no other alternative than to embark on a nationwide peaceful protest, if the government failed to act and ensure that the issue of societal discrimination against its members was addressed.
“We’re doing something for ourselves, but the nation, including the government, is not supporting us,” he lamented.
Mr Offei said, “We have launched a nationwide campaign advising our members, families and friends not to vote untill the government addresses our concerns and listens to our views.”
Additionally, he indicated that the Association has planned to empower entrepreneurs with disabilities through business capacity building, mentorship, and orientation which was expected to be launched on November 6, 2024.
The National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GPWDEBA, Alhassan Sulleyman, a local craft entrepreneur with a disability, mentioned that he always struggled to access grants and support from organisations despite meeting eligibility criteria.
“As I’m sitting here as a person with skills in crafts. As my president was saying, there are a lot of challenges that I’m facing. I do apply for grants from various organisations, which I normally hear that they are giving grants, but with my challenges that I have, as person with disability, they normally refuse,” he said.
The National Executive Administrator of GPWDEBA, Mr Godfred Afenyadzu Dzigbordi, called on the authorities to include members of the group in special voting, following their shortcomings.
This according to him “will move Ghana closer to true democracy, where every citizen has an equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process.”
“We go through a lot of challenges in order to move from one point to another. Some of us are amputees, both legs, some one hand, others blind, others deaf. These are people who need assistance.”
“So that during the elections day characterised with tension and struggles to join queues for long hours, we can easily cast our votes”, Dzigbordi added.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
