The Government of Ghana has held a workshop with stakeholders to discuss the importance of digital access to the physically challenged, interventions that can be implemented, gaps in digital accessibility, and solutions to strengthen policy directives in this regard.
Speaking at the workshop for people with disabilities, the Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful stated that digital tools provide the means for providing dignified sustainable jobs for all, and present an excellent opportunity to provide job-ready digital skills for all and reduce unemployment, thereby solving multiple problems for us all.
“Whether you are vision, hearing, speech, developmental or mobility impaired or suffer from any other disability, there is digital technology available to provide you with a decent quality of life. Disability is not Inability.” She added
Giving people with disabilities the right skills and providing them with assistive technologies, the Ablekuma West Constituency legislator claims, will allow them to take advantage of available job opportunities and even work remotely, conveniently, and safely.
She urged the private sector and development partners, on the other hand, to provide assistive technology-enabled handheld devices such as screen readers, magnifiers, captioning, transcription, subtitles, wearable devices, and others.
On his part, The World Bank’s country director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Mr. Pierre Laporte, stated that the global development and poverty reduction agenda can only be met when the full potential of everyone, including people with disabilities, is explored.
According to him, digital skills are required for everyone to participate in various aspects of life. However, there is a digital divide that affects people with disabilities of all ages, as well as the elderly.
He, therefore called for collective efforts from the Government, International Organizations like the World Bank, and also from the private sector to strengthen systems and opportunities that will enable persons with Disability in Ghana to live a productive and self-fulfilling life.