20 years after Ghana’s Persons with Disability Act, has Ghana moved from promises to inclusion?
Twenty years after Ghana’s Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), has Ghana moved from promises to inclusion?
Introduction
On any weekday morning, the city awakens to its familiar rhythm, with vendors calling out prices, trotro mates announcing destinations, and office workers navigating the endless traffic in pursuit of another day's livelihood.
It is a scene of energy and hope. Amid this bustling movement, many Ghanaians remain unseen. For thousands of persons with disability (PWDs), daily life is less a routine and more a constant struggle to navigate a system that was never designed with their needs in mind.
Each day begins not with excitement, but with anxiety and uncertainty. Simple activities that others take for granted, such as boarding a bus, crossing a street, entering a bank, visiting a hospital, or accessing a public office, become exhausting battles against barriers that society has erected and too often ignored.
The city moves forward with purpose, but for thousands of persons with disability, each day is a struggle to navigate a world that has not been built with them in mind.
It is important to remember that none of us is immune to disability. The distance from ability to disability is only one event, one accident, one illness, one diagnosis, or simply the inevitable process of ageing.
Disability is not a minority issue; it is a human issue. It is a reality that can touch any one of us. That is why disability rights are not acts of charity; they are investments in our shared humanity and safeguards for our collective future. Every law on disability is, ultimately, a law about ourselves and the kind of society we aspire to build.
Shakespeare’s timeless words remind us that every human being embodies inherent dignity and profound potential. As he writes in Hamlet: “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty!” These words echo across centuries, challenging us to build a society where such worth is recognised, respected, and reflected in our systems, infrastructure, and attitudes, especially for persons with disability (PWDs).
As the widely cited maxim reminds us, the true measure of a society is not how it treats the strongest among its members, but how it protects and includes those who are most vulnerable. This enduring truth defines the moral and developmental benchmark by which the progress of nations should be measured.
In Ghana, this test is most clearly reflected in the lived experiences of persons with disability and the extent to which the State has translated its legal commitments into meaningful inclusion. In Ghana, the law often speaks more clearly on paper than it does in practice.
23rd June 2026 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the passage of the Persons with Disability Bill, which was subsequently assented to on 9th August 2006, ushering in the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). Two decades on, the question remains whether the promise of inclusion embodied in the law has translated into meaningful change for persons with disability in Ghana.
The Act was hailed as a landmark achievement, promising equal access to education, healthcare, employment, transportation, and public spaces. It was designed to ensure that no Ghanaian would be excluded from full participation in national life due to physical, sensory, or intellectual limitations. Building on this commitment, Ghana ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with disability (UN CRPD) in 2012 as the 119th country in the world. This landmark international treaty mandates the protection and promotion of human rights for more than 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide.
Ghana submitted its initial report to the UN CRPD Committee in June 2018, signaling its intention to align national policies with global standards for disability rights.
It is important to acknowledge that successive governments have, over the years, made meaningful contributions toward strengthening the disability framework in Ghana, including the passage of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), and the establishment of the Ghana National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPD) to promote, coordinate, and monitor disability-related policies and interventions across the country.
Recent initiatives, such as the Bank of Ghana's Financial Inclusion Directive and the increasing adoption of digital financial services, have sought to bring persons with disability and other vulnerable groups into the mainstream financial ecosystem. Across the banking sector, some universities, and public institutions, efforts are gradually being made to improve accessibility, promote inclusive products, and remove barriers to participation.
However, these encouraging developments and contributions are laudable but represent only a fraction of what is required. The promise of inclusion cannot be limited to only a few universities, public institutions, and the financial sector. Transportation, education, healthcare, housing, telecommunications, the built environment, and employment practices across both the public and private sectors continue to present formidable obstacles to millions of Ghanaians living with disabilities. Such cumulative efforts reflect a sustained national commitment to improving the disability framework in Ghana.
For many persons with disability in Ghana, the greatest burden they carry is not their physical, sensory, or intellectual impairment, but the stigma, prejudice, and misconceptions that society attaches to disability. Children born with disabilities or physical deformities are often viewed not as children deserving love, dignity, and opportunity, but as symbols of misfortune, punishment for wrongdoing, or manifestations of evil spirits.
In some communities, disability is perceived as a source of shame to families, leading parents and relatives to hide affected children from public view or deny them opportunities available to their peers. Such beliefs discourage families from investing in the education, health, and development of children with disabilities, restrict their social participation, and normalize exclusion as a way of life. For many persons with disability, the tragedy lies not only in the impairment itself, but in the barriers, prejudices, and indifference that society has constructed around them.
It was against this backdrop of stigma, exclusion, and systemic neglect that Parliament enacted the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). The passage of the Act was intended to remedy these long-standing injustices and usher in a new era of dignity, equality, and inclusion for persons with disability.
However, nearly two decades after its passage, these challenges are evident in persistent accessibility barriers, inadequate institutional support, limited enforcement of disability rights, and insufficient allocation of resources to disability-focused interventions.
Many streets, public buildings, and transport systems remain physically inaccessible. Many mainstream schools lack ramps, disability-friendly classrooms, Braille materials, assistive devices, or trained teachers. The 10-year moratorium that Act 715 granted for all public buildings to become accessible expired around 2016, yet many public buildings remain inaccessible — no ramps, accessible toilets, or disability-friendly access. Special schools, though essential, are under-resourced and overcrowded. A large number of children with disabilities remain out of school, especially in rural communities. Transport infrastructure (public transport, roads, pedestrian walkways) is similarly failing PWDs.
Public information that reaches persons with disability is limited because it is not available in accessible formats, such as Braille, Easy Read, and sign language. Information that most of the health facilities, institutions and equipment are physically inaccessible and information on health services is also not available in accessible formats, in particular sign language, and other modes of communication;
According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service, approximately 2.1 million Ghanaians, representing about 8 per cent of the Ghanaian population experience some form of disability, with a higher prevalence among females (8.8%) than males (6.7%). Behind these statistics are millions of lives, aspirations, and untapped potential; individuals who seek not sympathy, but dignity, opportunity, and equal participation in the life of the nation.
The 1992 Constitution guarantees, under Article 12(2), the fundamental human rights and freedoms of every individual, including persons with disability. Article 29 further provides specific protections for persons with disability. At the same time, Section 4 of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), Section 14 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), and Section 3 of the Children's Act, 1998 (Act 560) collectively seek to promote equality, prohibit discrimination, and safeguard their rights.
Despite these constitutional and statutory guarantees, the reality confronting many persons with disability tells a different story. Inequality and discrimination remain deeply entrenched and are experienced across virtually every sphere of Ghanaian society.
For many, the promise of equality embodied in our laws has not translated into equal opportunities in our schools, workplaces, hospitals, courts, banks, and public spaces. Their rights are recognised in principle, but are too often denied in practice. Consequently, the struggle of persons with disability in Ghana is not merely against physical or sensory impairments, but against the barriers of prejudice, indifference, and exclusion that continue to deny millions of citizens the full enjoyment of their humanity and constitutional rights.
For many persons with disability, the promise of Act 715 has remained more symbolic than transformative. As Ghana reflects on two decades of Act 715, attention has increasingly shifted to the Persons with Disability (Amendment) Bill currently before Parliament. The proposed legislation represents a welcome and necessary attempt to modernize the country's disability framework and align it with contemporary human rights standards and international obligations.
A perusal of the Bill reveals several commendable innovations, including stronger anti-discrimination provisions, communication rights and access to information, enhanced accessibility requirements, and the introduction of the principle of reasonable accommodation.
However, while the Bill is undoubtedly progressive in many respects, there remain several concerns that deserve careful consideration before its passage. Issues relating to enforcement mechanisms, institutional capacity, regulatory dependency, funding obligations, and the practical implementation of some of its provisions require further scrutiny.
Given that legislation of this nature has far-reaching implications for persons with disability, employers, public institutions, and society at large, Parliament must subject the Bill to rigorous review and broad stakeholder consultation to ensure that the final legislation is not only ambitious in its aspirations but also effective, enforceable, and capable of delivering meaningful change in the lives of our brothers and sisters with disabilities.
It is equally important to note that several provisions within the Bill are likely to generate significant legal contestation once it comes into force. In particular, the expanded definition of discrimination, especially the inclusion of indirect discrimination and failure to provide reasonable accommodation, is likely to become a major source of litigation between employees, employers, and regulatory authorities.
In addition, the enhanced accessibility obligations relating to infrastructure, transportation, and service delivery may require substantial capital investment and operational restructuring across both public and private sectors.
Public interest litigation is also likely to increase, as advocacy groups may seek judicial enforcement of inclusion standards against state and non-state actors alike. While such judicial engagement is not inherently negative, it signals that the Bill, once enacted, will likely become a fertile ground for legal interpretation, clarification, and precedent development before its boundaries are fully settled in law and practice.
Recommendation
The government should urgently implement and enforce the Accessibility Standards for the Built Environment alongside the national Building Code. This process must be undertaken in active consultation with persons with disability and their representative organizations, ensuring that their lived experiences inform all technical standards and compliance requirements.
Regulatory frameworks should be strengthened to ensure that architects, engineers, developers, and contractors are legally bound to comply with accessibility requirements. The government must update all building laws and make sure all new buildings are free from barriers. Changes should be made to the existing ones, too.
The State must take the lead in setting the standard for a barrier-free society. All publicly funded projects should be fully accessible. Efforts should also be made to progressively retrofit existing public infrastructure to remove physical barriers.
The accessibility must be extended to public transportation systems, ensuring that persons with disability can access safe, reliable, and inclusive mobility options. Furthermore, all public information and services must be made available in accessible formats, including sign language interpretation, Braille, Easy Read formats, and other alternative communication methods. This is essential to guarantee equal access to justice, healthcare, education, and public administration.
The government should implement sustained public education campaigns aimed at addressing stigma, harmful cultural beliefs, and misconceptions about disability.
These campaigns should target schools, communities, media platforms, and traditional leaders. In addition, State interventions should include the establishment of psychosocial support services and community-based monitoring systems to protect persons with disability who are vulnerable to neglect, abuse, or exclusion.
Comprehensive disability rights training should be provided for all stakeholders, especially those in the built environment and service delivery. This includes architects, engineers, construction professionals, landlords, housing providers, and administrative decision-makers such as tribunal members, landlords, tenants and regulatory authorities. Officials responsible for housing, urban planning, and social protection must also receive structured training on disability rights, inclusive housing standards, and broader principles of equality and non-discrimination.
Finally, Persons with disability must be actively involved in the development of all housing-related laws, policies, building codes, and social protection programmes. Their participation should not be symbolic but substantive, ensuring that policies reflect real needs and lived experiences. This participatory approach is essential to achieving inclusive, accessible, and sustainable development outcomes that serve the entire population.
Conclusion
Imagine standing before a court to defend your liberty or dignity, not understanding a single word spoken because there is no sign language interpreter to bridge the silence. Imagine entering a police station to report an injustice, only to find a system that cannot hear you. Imagine sitting and watching the news, unable to understand what is being said due to the absence of sign language interpretation.
For many Ghanaians living with hearing impairments, and indeed many persons with disability, this is not imagination but a daily reality. Across courts, hospitals, banks, schools, and public offices, they encounter systems that were never designed with them in mind. Communication barriers persist, physical access remains limited, and their voices are too often absent from decisions that shape their lives.
For a nation that prides itself on justice, equality, and respect for human dignity, we must ask ourselves a painful question: if our courts cannot hear them, our police stations cannot understand them, our hospitals cannot accommodate them, and our public institutions cannot serve them, have we truly included them in the Republic we call Ghana? Inclusion is therefore not charity; it is justice. It is the true measure of whether a nation truly values dignity, equality, and belonging for all its people.
Pass the disability bill now!!! God bless our homeland, Ghana, and make our nation great and strong!
The writer is a lawyer, a chartered accountant, and a human rights advocate.
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