Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in Ghana and Africa have been yearning for an equal opportunities to be given them as their counter parts without disabilities for some times now. As in securing jobs, schools, churches clinic and other offices, provision of disabled friendly facilities in buildings of all forms and even respect for their human rights.
As we get ready the mark this year’s International Day for Persons with Disability on 3rd December 2011, Disability they say is not inability or dysfunction. It is for these reasons and more that ICT giant RLG Communications Ghana in collaboration with Ghana Government has taken a bold step towards recruiting, training and equipping disabled persons with employable ICT skills. This includes Mobile phone and computer assembling and repairs.
The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana Mr. John Dramani Mahama, launched the project which was dubbed “Persons with Disability ICT Project in Accra. The project was in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare. The project seeks to train 5,000 persons living with disabilities (PWDs) in the assembling and repairs of mobile phones and computers.
The beneficiaries project would be deployed to the 45 training centres of the Institute of Technology of the RLG Communications located across the regional and district capitals of Ghana where they would be provided with the best hands-on ICT training expected to commence in January, 2012.
The theme for the day was “Equipping Persons with Disability with ICT Skills for Today’s World”, brought together PWDs across the country.
Mr. Mahama said that Cabinet in October, this year, approved a memorandum of understanding for RLG Communications a local ICT firm to partner government, in the training of lasting six months per training programme.

He said, the objective was to build the capacity of PWD’s in order to empower them to secure sustainable jobs anywhere in the country.

The Ghana 2011 Population and Housing Census Provisional estimates of put the number of PWDs at 4.2 million thus representing 20 per cent of the Ghanaian population. For which reason the government found it prudent to conceive a programme to develop the capacities of PWD’s to contribute their quota to national development and also modernise and add value to the their other skills through ICT.
He said, the establishment of the National Disability Council in the early days of the government is in fulfillment of our manifesto promise as a social democratic government.
Meanwhile Vice President Mahama , has ordered the suspension of permits for construction of public buildings that are not disability friendly. These include schools, churches and clinics.
The CEO of RLG Communications, Mr. Roland Agambire assured the government that RLG will carry out the programme to a successful end.

He said that ICT which is changing the world has come to stay and called on the private sector to compliment government efforts in improving the livelihood of persons with disability.
The total cost of the training is GHC 21,741,000 whilst RLG will absorb GHC 1,983,000.
He noted that, RLG’s determination is to ensure that the physical challenges that our brothers and sisters suffer do not in any way impede their ability to acquire ICT skills in mobile phone and computer repairs, entrepreneurship, business development, sales as well as customer service competencies.
The President of the Ghana Federation of the disabled( GFD), Antwi Boahen Obeng, bemoan the high level of discrimination against persons living with disabilities and said they are not given the opportunity to take part in social activities and benefit from educational and other forms of training and urged government to continues assisting them

The Chairman of the Council of the Disabled, Mr. Andrew Okai Koi noted that persons with disability form a very significant segment of the nation with an estimated 21% of the population.

He therefore acknowledges the need to give them the necessary skills and training that will effect the economic growth of the country.
Meanwhile a lot needs to be done a country in the National Disability Act that was passed by Ghana’s Parliament and for the country to also speed up all process ratifying the UN convention on People with Disabilities (PWDS).
Well if all of you Africans, out there are reading this article then I want you to say to yourself “it is time to change the perception that a person is incapable because he or she cannot stand, walk, hear, talk or see.”

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