In a rallying call for equity and inclusion, Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has called for the creation of immediate and comprehensive employment opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Mr Asare while bemoaning the dire state of several Persons with Disabilities graduates in the country, strongly posited that the biggest obstacle they face lies not in accessing education, but in securing meaningful employment opportunities post-graduation.
He lamented the plight of thousands of Persons with Disabilities, who according to him remain idle, for years after obtaining their tertiary degrees.
The root of this crisis, Mr Asare noted lies in the pervasive reluctance of employers, both in the public and private sectors, to accommodate Persons with Disabilities in their workplace.
The Executive Director of the education think-tank group further indicated that the cost of retrofitting facilities and “unfounded concerns” about the productivity of Persons with Disabilities have contributed to the widespread discrimination against them in hiring practices.
“The promises of free tertiary education for PWDs will ring hollow if we fail to address the systemic barriers they face in the job market. It’s not enough to grant access to education; we must ensure equitable employment pathways are in place to facilitate their integration into the workforce”.
Kofi Asare, Executive Director Eduwatch
Furthermore, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch recounted that despite nominal efforts by successive governments and other stakeholders to promote inclusive hiring, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
He emphasized that Persons with Disabilities in the country continue to encounter significant barriers to employment, which is exacerbated by the lack of incentives for businesses to prioritize diversity and inclusivity.
Calls for Action
To combat this entrenched inequality, Mr Asare advocated for the implementation of robust equitable employment policies.
Such policies, he argued, are essential to create job opportunities that would absorb several graduate Persons with Disabilities and foster an environment where they can thrive professionally.
Here, Mr Asare advocated for the need for the government to provide tangible incentives for employers to invest in accessibility measures and accommodate diverse talent pools.
The social activist stressed that without meaningful action on this front, the dream of shared economic prosperity for Persons with Disabilities will remain elusive.
Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch concluded by urging all stakeholders, particularly the two leading political parties in the country to prioritize the development and implementation of comprehensive employment policies that will ensure Persons with Disabilities are not left behind in the country’s quest for prosperity and inclusivity.
He emphasized that failure to do so risks eroding the potential of an entire segment of society and perpetuating the cycle of marginalization and exclusion.
The Vice-President and the governing New Patriotic Party flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, during his recent tour pledged to eliminate residential and tuition fees for all Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) attending tertiary institutions, if elected President in the upcoming general elections.
The New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer further indicated that when elected as President he do this by reallocating some funds from the Scholarship Secretariat and the Ghana Education Trust Fund to pay for the tuition and residential fees of PWDs, thereby ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder the academic pursuits of persons with disabilities.
His pledge has since received criticisms from the opposition National Democratic Congress with some leading figures of the opposition party including Lawyer Joyce Bawah Mogtari accusing the Vice President of “stealing” former President John Dramani Mahama’s policy.
Lawyer Mogtari strongly stated that the National Democratic Congress in its 2020 Peoples’ Manifesto pledged to provide free tertiary education for all Persons with Disabilities.
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