The Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) has supported 29 persons with disabilities with items and financial assistance to promote education, health and livelihoods and help them become self-reliant.
The support, provided under the Disability Fund, forms part of the government’s commitment to inclusive development and improving the livelihoods of persons with disabilities in line with the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006 (Act 715).
The beneficiaries received business capital, financial assistance, educational and livelihood support, as well as equipment to improve their living conditions at a ceremony held yesterday at Kwame Nkrumah Circle-Dubai.
Speaking at the ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the Disability Fund Management Committee, Mr Joshua Addy, said the fund was intended to support persons with disabilities in education, health and livelihood development.
He said the 29 beneficiaries were being supported to become self-reliant and live with dignity, stressing that the intervention should not be regarded as charity but as an empowerment initiative.
Mr Addy explained that the allocation to the Disability Fund under the District Assemblies Common Fund had been increased from three per cent to five per cent, providing additional resources to support persons with disabilities.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Allotey Ato-Gaisie, described the initiative as an economic empowerment intervention aimed at providing persons with disabilities with sustainable livelihood opportunities, economic independence, dignity and meaningful participation in society.
He noted that the support was a statutory entitlement and demonstrated the collective responsibility to provide persons with disabilities with equitable opportunities to participate in the social and economic development of the country.
Mr Allotey Ato-Gaisie further stated the increase in the allocation from three per cent to five per cent demonstrated the government’s commitment to disability-inclusive development by providing additional resources and broadening economic and social opportunities.
He also mentioned the introduction of free tertiary education for persons with disabilities as another intervention aimed at removing financial barriers to higher education and providing qualified persons with disabilities with greater opportunities.
Mr Allotey Ato-Gaisie urged the beneficiaries to use the items and resources for the purposes for which they were approved and not keep them at home as decorations or divert them to other uses.
He encouraged them to engage in meaningful work, grow their businesses, support their families and contribute to national development, saying the assistance should translate into productive work and improved livelihoods.
The assembly said its Social Welfare and Community Development Department and the Disability Fund Management Committee would continue to monitor the use of the support by the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries are expected to cooperate with assembly officers and provide the necessary information during monitoring and follow-up exercises to ensure that the resources are used for their intended purposes.
Moreover, Mr Allotey Ato-Gaisie also appealed to parents, spouses, caregivers and family members of the beneficiaries to encourage and support them in safeguarding and effectively utilising the resources provided.
He urged the public to reject discrimination, stigmatisation and negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities, while recognising and protecting their rights, dignity and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to national development.
BY RASHEEDA AFOAKWAH AND JESSIE PRINCESS DUAH
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