QUOTA FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY INCREASED (PAGE 20, NOV 24)

THE Government has increased quota for Persons with Disability (PWDs) from two to five per cent of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), the National Chairman of the National Council of Persons With Disability, Mr Andrews Okai-Koi, has announced.
He said funds allocated for disability purposes would be applied and not misappropriated, adding that non-qualified persons would not access the fund, but would only be accessed and used for disability purposes.
Mr Okai-Koi announced this at the inauguration of the South Dayi branch of the Federation of Persons with Disability at Kpeve in the South–Dayi District.
He said the Government considered disability issues as its priority, adding that the increase in the Common Fund epitomised main streaming of persons with disability.
“The road may be very rough and hazardous, but nonetheless, we must start today and mark the continuation of the journey with the message of equal opportunity,” Mr Okai-Koi stated.
He said the Disability Act 715 would be used as a spring board to transform the social and welfare landscape of PWDs.
The South-Dayi District Co-ordinating Director, Mr David Kanyi, announced that service centres would be established with the Common Fund to train PWDs in small-scale ventures, such as mushroom production, bee-keeping and grasscutter rearing.
He said the district assembly would do its best to make them comfortable, adding that their quota of the Common Fund would not be disbursed to any individual to enrich themselves.
The District Social Welfare Officer, Mrs Emma Adom, said many people claimed that disability was hereditary, but that was not so because health hazards, accidents, old age and some cultural practices could disable a person.
She said disability could happen to any person, so able-bodied persons should stop discriminating against those with disabilities.
The Regional Chairman of the association, Mr Wilson Anku,
called for the abolition of obsolete customs that discriminated against them, stressing that the public should wage a campaign to integrate them into the mainstream of society.
Other speakers at the function included the District Chairman of the association, Mr Emmanuel Amoah Darko and Togbe Agbi Nani, who chaired the function.
The national chairman donated a pack of 50 white canes to the members.