‘Punish men who abuse women with disability’
Persons with disabilities (PWDs) who attended a forum on physical accessibility have called for punitive measures against men who deliberately abuse women with disability and later abandon them.
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One of the participants from Agotime-Kpetoe in the Agotime Ziope District, Madam Edith Korda, who made the call during an interactive session of the forum, maintained that some men took advantage of their condition and approached them to solicit sexual pleasures but neglected them after making them pregnant.
She said it was often offensive and embarrassing for some men to engage in such acts which created a burden on them.
The forum, organised by a non-governmental organisation, Future Hope International, at the Agotime Ziope District Assembly in the Volta Region, also discussed a review of sexual and reproductive health service in Ghana.
Cases pending
An official of the Department of Social Welfare, Mr John Dodzi Akusah, confirmed the allegation made by Madam Korda and said there were presently two cases pending at their office.
A disabled tutor at the Agotime Senior High School (AGOSEC), Mr Prosper Kporku, said physical accessibility must be focused on schools, hospitals and public toilets and urged the Town and Country Planning Departments of district assemblies to take note of their plight to ensure that constructional work was executed to meet the needs of PWDs.
Another disabled tutor from AGOSEC, Mr Joshua Agbavor, called for a change in attitude towards PWDs, pointing out that any person could face the consequences of disability and that there could be visible and invisible disability.
Societal problem
The Agotime Ziope District Coordinating Director, Mr David Kanyi, said issues of disability should be tackled from the family level, from where the public would be convinced to accept issues and conditions of disability as a societal problem.
He said extending humanitarian assistance to the disabled should be prioritised to make life comfortable for them because disability could happen to any person at any time.
The Executive Director of Future Hope International, Mr John Inkoom, said despite the passage of the Persons with Disability Act by Parliament, much had not been done on the provision of access for PWDs in public buildings, although accessibility was fundamental to the concept of disability rights.
