Speaker of Ghana's Parliament Promises Disability Law
By Kay Schriner (kays@uark.edu)
Peter Ala Adjetey, the Speaker of Parliament, said last month that he would secure the passage of a bill that would provide antidiscrimination protections and ensure access for people with disabilities from discrimination.
Disabled Ghanaians feel the need for such a law because, despite the provisions of the 1992 Republican Constitution (which guarantees their rights), they continue to face significant barriers to social and economic equality. New Metro buses are inaccessible, individuals with physical disabilities cannot hold a driver's license, and buildings and streets are being built with no concession to the need to make them accessible.
In 2002, a National Disability Policy document was issued, which raised expectations that a law would soon follow. But at this writing, there is no new law. The Speaker's promise has raised expectations in the disability community in Ghana, and disabled citizens wait to see if the promise is fulfilled.
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