Ghana’s Disability Law Is Older Than TikTok — PWDs Want a 2025 Update NOW!
The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has called on the government and Parliament to expedite the approval of a reformed disability legislation as quickly as possible. The amended Bill would modernize Ghana’s legislative framework for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), clarify institutional obligations, and increase access to education, employment, healthcare, transportation, and justice, according to a statement made by Vice-President Martha Coffie in Accra. She emphasized that there are still systemic inequalities that affect approximately two million people with disabilities in Ghana, which is about eight percent of the population. She also noted that the Persons with Disability Act of 2006 (Act 715) is outdated and does not fully comply with contemporary disability rights or the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). GFDO issued a demand for the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection to accelerate the process of Cabinet approval and the presentation of the Bill to Parliament. At the same time, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities should make efforts to strengthen stakeholder engagement, raise the level of public awareness, and prepare for the implementation of the Bill. The federation stressed the need of taking early legislative action in order to guarantee inclusive development and to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
