One major challenge faced by persons living with disabilities in Ghana is lack of societal support and acceptance. This is based on our everyday experiences with the people living with disabilities as we go about our daily activities. As a result, it discourages them from reaching higher heights in their career paths. Again, the increasing demand in the use of information and communication technology both at workplace and in academics have also become a great challenge faced by persons living with disabilities. In our visit to one of the Senior High Schools in Cape Coast, the students indicated that anytime they had an exam, the questions needed to be read out to them, as the Centre does not possess a working Embosser. They also indicated that they needed these items to enhance effective teaching and learning: Audio recorders, Laptops, Perkins Brailler, CCTV for the partial students, Magnifying glasses, Audio dictionary, Multipurpose printer and Scanner. Without these, studies are interfered with as documents and other particulars are likely to be truncated with, hence, making tracking of documents difficult.
Purpose: This empowerment program will seek to empower persons living with disabilities to pursue their career goals despite the challenge and guide them in choosing a career-oriented program at the tertiary levels.
The program shall also seek to build capacities of persons with special needs through trainings, workshops and donations (provisions of exclusive laptops, hearing aid, groceries, among others).
The program will host guests who are persons with special needs and are Government Appointees, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs, IT Experts, Musicians, Teachers, and other great personalities, both Ghanaian and other speakers from International Communities.
The empowerment program shall also include a free medical screening for the participants and parents or guardians of the participants shall be invited and empowered not to give up hopes on their wards and enable them understand the need to support their wards achieve their dreams.
This will help them to be equipped with easy usage of information technology, provide opportunities for self-sufficiency and improvement in their academic studies and living conditions. Again, it will empower them to acquire skills that are relevant to the current labor market demands.
Target: 5 Integrated Senior High Schools in Ghana (schools that accommodates and have incorporated other forms of learning for persons with special needs) in Ghana.
Scheduled Activities: The Project shall commence in May, 2022 – October, 2022.
