Accra: The Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) has called on policymakers and duty-bearers to deliberately include persons with disabilities in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policies and programmes. Mr. Humphrey Matey Kofie, the Executive Secretary of MEHSOG, emphasized that disability considerations should not be treated as an afterthought but should be incorporated from the initial stages of policy planning to ensure that the needs of vulnerable groups are adequately addressed.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Kofie made these remarks at a capacity-building training organized in collaboration with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations and the Africa Disability Institute, with support from the European Union Delegation in Ghana. The training gathered policy planning, monitoring and evaluation officers, and other duty-bearers responsible for developing and implementing policies across institutions. The aim was to enhance participants' knowledge and skills to identify, target, and include persons with disabilities in inclusive policies, programmes, and services.
He further stated that merely identifying persons with disabilities is insufficient unless they are deliberately targeted and actively included in policy development processes. He highlighted the importance of integrating disability concerns into institutional plans and budgets, ensuring that resources are allocated to address their specific needs. Mr. Kofie called for stronger collaboration between policymakers, duty-bearers, and organizations of persons with disabilities to promote inclusive development and ensure that their perspectives inform decision-making.
Moreover, the training sought to improve the use of disability data to support evidence-based planning and decision-making, equipping participants with practical skills to integrate disability inclusion into policies, programmes, plans, and budgets. Participants were expected to leave the training with practical commitments to apply their knowledge and ensure that persons with disabilities are considered in future policy planning, including preparations for the 2027 budget.
Mr. Alexander Bankole Williams, a Disability Rights consultant, urged institutions to adopt a human rights-based approach in addressing the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. He stated that this approach requires equality, non-discrimination, participation, and full inclusion, while ensuring that goods, services, and public places are accessible to persons with disabilities. Mr. Williams emphasized that duty-bearers have a responsibility to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of persons with disabilities and make them active participants in decisions affecting them.
He contrasted the human rights model with charity and medical approaches, noting that the former recognizes persons with disabilities as people with rights, choices, and agency, rather than recipients of pity or dependence. The principle of 'nothing about us without us' necessitates that policymakers consult persons with disabilities on matters affecting them. Mr. Williams also recommended that institutions review their policies, programmes, and projects to identify unintended discrimination and apply accessibility and universal design principles to infrastructure, transportation, health facilities, communication platforms, and other public services.