Training Report on Disability Rights and Inclusion for 50 Traditional & Religious Leaders

1.0 Introduction/Background

The Foundation for Community Empowerment Programme (FOCEP) in partnership with Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (GSD) with funding from UK aid is implementing an intervention dubbed: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for All in the Mamprungu Moaduri District of the North East Region of Ghana.

Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) is a four-year disability and mental health programme in Ghana, with a specific focus on mental health. This programme is funded by UK aid from the UK government.

As part of the activities to create awareness and advocate for the rights of the persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions, FOCEP organized a one-day capacity building workshop for traditional, religious leaders and executive member of Disabled People Organisations and Shelf-Help Groups on disability rights and inclusion.

2.0 Opening.

An opening prayer was said by Rev. Elijah Gomnah, Assemblies of God Pastor. This was followed by self-introduction of participants. Mr Akampisi Solomon, the Executive Director, introduced Mr. PP. Apaabey Baba as the facilitator for the training. Mr. PP. Apaabey Baba is the Regional Director for National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for the Upper East Region.

Mr. Akanpisi, welcomed all to the training program and stated that each of them invited were carefully selected because of the important role they play in the society. He admonished them to cooperate and participate actively to make the programme a success.

Production and distribution of the Disability Act 715 and Mental Health Act 846

The Executive Director, also informed participants that 500 copies 250 each of Disability and mental health Acts have produced and each participant will receive a copy each for their study and reference. He added, the production of these simplified copies of the Disability and Mental Health Acts were made possible with funding support from UKaid. In addition, each religious leader or traditional leader was given 50 copies 25 each of the Disability and mental health Acts to share with the local council of Churches and traditional council members to enable them have access to the documents  to sensitize their members in their respect jurisdictions to enhance social inclusion.

3.0 Presentation by the resource person Mr. P.P. Apaabey Baba ( Executive Director)

Mr. Appabey thanked FOCEP for the opportunity to facilitate the training and stated that each of us has a key role to play in helping persons with disability to be included in the development planning process. He emphasized that disability is no respecter of persons, and that each of us could become disabled at any time.  Mr. Appabey hinted that old age and disability are directly related, and advised that we should make our homes disability friendly.

The facilitator added that the Sustainable Development Goals of UN came out with a slogan that “leave no one behind”. He explained that this implied inclusion of persons with disability and persons with mental health conditions in decision-making processes since “disability is not inability”. He reechoed that ‘’if you are planning as a leader and you don’t include persons with disability in your plans then you have failed to plan”.

The facilitator assured participants that his was going to be brief and straight to the point, and that the Disability Act, Act 715 2006 and Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846) were the reference materials to be used. He said, participatory methodology was going to be employed throughout the training hence the need for all to actively participate.

3.1 Presentation highlights

Human rights:

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status.

We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

Human rights principles

• Inherent –not given, bought and earned or inherited
• Inalienable– cannot be taken away or transferred
• Indivisible –not separable or separable
• Universal-are the same for all human beings regardless of our diversity

Definition of disability

The international definition of disability in the UN convention, states in Article 1 that: “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”.

The Lebanese law 220/2000 on disability defines in Article 2 a disabled individual as a: “person whose capacity to perform one or more vital functions, independently secure his personal existential needs, participate in social activities on an equal basis with others, and live a personal and social life that is normal by existing social standards, is reduced or non-existent because of a partial or complete, permanent or temporary, bodily, sensory or intellectual functional loss or incapacity, that is the outcome of a congenital or acquired illness or from a pathological condition that has been prolonged beyond normal medical expectations”.

Types of disability

• Physical, hearing, visual, sensory and mental impairment.

Disabilities statistics in Ghana

• The common disabilities are physical, hearing, visual, sensory and mental. According to the Ghana National Disability Policy (NDP) document (2000), there are more women with disability than men. Except in the Northern and Upper East Regions where females constitutes 55.1% of the disability population whiles males form 44.9%
• The blind/visually impaired constitute the highest proportion of PWDs found in Ghana with 59.0% for females and 55.1% for males.
• The physically disabled represents the second largest category of PWDs with disabilities. Persons with learning disabilities are in the third category with 14% for females and 13% for males.
• The deaf/hearing impaired also constitutes 11% for males and 10% females.

Disability Act, Act 715 2006

The PWD, Act 715 was passed into law by Parliament on 9th August, 2006. The Act is aimed at ensuring that PWDs enjoy the rights enshrined in Article 29 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, with the main focus of improving the quality-of-life PWDs as well as mainstreaming their activities.

Besides, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights; the World Programme of Action ‘WPA’ concerning Disabled Persons; and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

An employer shall not discriminate against, exploit or subject a person with disability to abusive or degrading treatment. Employer shall not discriminate against a prospective employee or an employee on grounds of disability unless the disability is in respect of the relevant employment.

Where a person with disability is a party in judicial proceedings, the adjudicating body shall take into account the condition of the person with disability and provide appropriate facilities that enable the person with disability to participate effectively in the proceedings.

Employment of persons with disability

• The Ministry shall through the public employment centre, assist to secure jobs for persons with disability.
• The Government shall grant a person who employs a person with disability an annual tax rebate of the taxable income in respect of each person with disability employed as shall be prescribed in Regulations made under this Act.
• The Government shall grant special incentives to persons with disability engaged in business and also to business organizations that employ persons with disability.
• A person who employs a person with disability shall provide (a) the relevant working tools, and (b) appropriate facilities required by the person with disability for the efficient performance of the functions required by the employment
• An employer shall not post or transfer a person with disability to a Section or place of the establishment not suited for the person.
• Where a person in employment suffers a disability as a result of the employment, the employer shall counsel, re-train and re-deploy the person to another Sections more suited to the person with disability and this shall be in addition to any other relief which the employee is entitled to under the Workmen’s Compensation Law, 1987 (PNDCL 187).

Education of persons with disability

• A parent, guardian or custodian of a child with disability of school going age shall enroll the child in a school.
• A parent, guardian or custodian who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine nor exceeding ten penalty units, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding fourteen days.
• The Government shall provide free education for a person with disability, and establish special schools for persons with disability who by reason of their disability cannot be enrolled in formal schools.
• Where a person with disability has completed basic education but is unable to pursue further formal education, the Ministry shall provide the person with appropriate training.
• A person responsible for admission into a school or other institution of learning shall not refuse to give admission to a person with disability on account of the disability unless the person with disability has been assessed by the Ministry responsible for Education in collaboration with the Ministries responsible for Health and Social Welfare to be a person who clearly requires to be in a special school for children or persons with disability.
• A person who contravenes Subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both.
• The Minister of Education shall by Legislative Instrument designate in each region a public technical, vocational and teacher training institutions which shall include in their curricula special education, such as: sign language, Braille writing and reading
• A public library shall as far as practicable be fitted with facilities that will enable persons with disability to use the library.

Transportation

• The Ministries responsible for rail, air, and road transport and where appropriate the Ministry of Local Government shall ensure that the needs of persons with disability are taken into account in the design, construction and operation of the transportation network.
• A person with disability may import a vehicle adapted or modified for use by persons with disability.
• A motorist shall stop for a person with disability who shows an intention to cross the road either at the pedestrian crossing or at an appropriately designated point for crossing by persons with disability.
• A District Assembly or an operator of a parking lot shall demarcate a special parking place which shall be reserved for the exclusive use of persons with disability.
• A person with hearing disability may own a driving license upon passing a driving test and satisfying conditions prescribed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.
• A person responsible for the booking of passengers on a commercial bus shall reserve at least two seats for the persons with disability except that where the bus is full without the reserved seats having been occupied, the driver or the person responsible for putting passengers on the bus may, fill the reserved seats with other passengers

Health care facilities

• The Ministry of Health in formulating health policies shall provide for free general and specialist medical care, rehabilitative operation treatment and appropriate assistive devices for persons with total disability.
• The Ministry of Health shall include the study of disability and disability related issues in the curricula of training institutions for health professionals to develop appropriate human resources to provide general and specialized rehabilitation services
• The Ministry of Health shall include education on disability and disability issues in health care programmes.

Social Inclusion

Definition of key terminology

• Social Integration, Social Inclusion, Social Exclusion, Social Cohesion and Social Participation

What is meant by an inclusive society?

An inclusive society is a society that over-rides differences of race, gender, class, generation, and geography, and ensures inclusion, equality of opportunity as well as capability of all members of the society to determine an agreed set of social institutions that govern social interaction. (Expert Group Meeting on Promoting Social Integration,Helsinki, July 2008)

Scope of inclusion

• Health and Medical Sector, Education Sector, Rehabilitation: Accessibility and transport, Employment, Sports and other integrative programmes, Political and civic participation

Persons with disability council

• The objective of the Council is to propose and evolve policies and strategies to enable persons with disability enter and participate in the mainstream of the national development process.
• To achieve the object, the Council shall:
• monitor and evaluate disability policies and programmes,
• formulate strategies for broad-based inter-sectorial, interdisciplinary involvement and participation in the implementation of the national disability policy,
• produce an organizational manual on the operations of the Council and its secretariat,
• coordinate disability activities;
• advise the Ministry on disability issues and submit to the Minister proposals for appropriate legislation on disability,
• Mobilize resources for the attainment of its object,
• coordinate activities of organisations of persons with disability, and international organizations and nongovernmental organisations that deal with disability,
• promote studies and research on issues of disability and provide education and information to the public on issues of disability,
• maintain a register of, (i) persons with disability, and (ii) institutions, organizations and associations which provide rehabilitation, services or support for persons with disability,
• Ghanaians attitudes and behaviours towards persons with disabilities are occasioned by socio-cultural factors such as our traditional practices, norms, values, belief systems and social relations. Persons with disabilities are facing discrimination, stigmatization, marginalization and poverty by virtue of the way we perceive disability in Ghana.

PWDs are perceived as:

• a curse from God /gods and therefore should be discarded or isolated; and should not be associated with either in marriage or in the arena of traditional power;
• a disgrace to the family and therefore need to be hidden from public view and;
• physically weak and incapable and therefore cannot contribute in any way to the socio- economic development processes
• Fund for Social Protection of People with Disabilities, vocational and training rehabilitation centres,
• employers and people with disabilities themselves, as well as other stakeholders;
• lack of motivation of employers to employ people with disabilities;
• low degree of job search of persons with disabilities, because of discouragement, relatively low level of wages, disbelief in the effectiveness of employment services;
• Shortcomings of vocational training provided to people with disabilities, etc.

Elements necessary for creating an inclusive society

• Social justice refers to the principles, values and belief that every individual and group is entitled to fair and equal treatment, which is necessary for the achievement of a society in which all people have equal access to rights, not only under law, but in all aspects of life, and all people get an impartial share of the benefits as well as carry a fair share of the responsibilities of society Fundamental human rights values
• Respect for all human rights, freedoms and rule of law
• Legal framework and instruments
• Maintaining security for all individuals and their immediate environment
• Participating in civic, educational, economic and political activities
• Existence of strong civil society
• Universal access to public infrastructure and facilities
• Effective appreciation and leadership-transparency, accountability etc
• Create a positive narrative of an inclusive society of the future

Dimension of social inclusion and exclusion

• Global, Regional, National, Local, Community, Household and Individual

Steps to promoting social inclusion

• Visibility, Consideration, Access to Social Interactions, Rights and Resources to fully participate in society

Removing the obstacles to social inclusion

• Eliminating/Amending Discriminatory Laws and Practices, Special Measures, Transforming the Mindset of People

The way forward

• System Strengthening: System strengthening occurs when efforts are made to improve the functioning of all elements in a coordinated and systematic manner. Effective protection depends on the following elements: (i) appropriate policies, legislation and regulations; (ii) well-defined structures and functions, and adequate capacities; (iii) supportive social norms; (iv) effective promotion, prevention and response actions; (v) high quality evidence and data for decision-making; and (vi) efficient fiscal management and sufficient resource allocation.

Conclusion

Social inclusion is a multi-dimensional and cross-sectional concept, which needs to be mainstreamed into various areas, at national, regional and local levels. It lies, not only within one tier or section of society, nor does it rely on only one area of policy to exact changes. There is a larger and infinitely more comprehensive aim to social inclusion that encompasses many areas of society and humanity.

If a vision can be created which is communicable to the masses and stems from a collective agreement that promotes diversity, tolerance, empowerment, inclusion, participation and community-minded action, then important steps can be made. Fostering a common purpose in all members of society which has input from all sectors is crucial.

Effective Community structures: This refers to family and social structures especially in rural settings that recognize traditional authorities such as family heads, chiefs, queen mothers, elders and religious leaders.

Traditional and religious leaders should make deliberate inputs into the MTDP of District Assemblies.

Deliberate sensitisation of subjects/congregation on issues of disability through such channels as: annual festivals, durbars, pulpit etc

Queen mothers as part of traditional authorities should step up education on child protections issues and other preventive, responsive and rehabilitative issues

Empowerment of PWDs to make them assertive, responsible, economically relevant to themselves and society. thank you

4.0 Attendance

In all, 50 Participants comprising 37 males and 13 females attended the workshop.

Closing Remarks

Mr Akanpisi Solomon, Executive Director of FOCEP, thanked the facilitator and participants for their active participation to make the programme a success. He called on all participants to put into practice what they have learnt. He added that FOCEP will re-enforce the training with community level sensation and solicited for the support to organize their people for the sensitization.

Compiled by:

Enoch Dokurugu

(Project Officer)