By Ashiadey Dotse
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that government will strictly enforce a minimum 5 percent employment quota for persons with disabilities (PWDs) across both public and private sectors as part of efforts to promote inclusion and equal opportunity in national development.
Speaking at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative in Accra on Friday October 24, 2925, President Mahama said the enforcement forms part of broader measures under his administration’s renewed commitment to advancing disability rights and social inclusion.
He explained that every public institution, through its respective minister, will be required to report annually on their compliance with the quota, while private sector organizations that meet the requirement will enjoy tax incentives.
The president emphasized that the initiative is not just a policy but an activation of our national conscience and our sense of justice, stating that the soul of any nation is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.
The president emphasized that Ghana can only achieve true progress when it values the contributions of all citizens, regardless of physical ability.
“When we exclude, we waste talent; but when we include and empower, we multiply national progress,” he added.
President Mahama also indicated that as part of the government’s broader disability agenda, announced that the allocation from the District Assemblies Common Fund for persons with disabilities will increase from 3 percent to 5 percent next year.
He further disclosed that the government will begin distributing rechargeable motorized wheelchairs nationwide to improve mobility and independence for PWDs.
The president also said an amendment to the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), will soon be laid before Parliament to update the law and strengthen enforcement measures, including stiffer penalties for non-compliance.
President Mahama urged the private sector, civil society, development partners, and the media to support the government’s inclusive vision. “Let us transform our national attitudes from sympathy to solidarity and from exclusion to empowerment,” he said.
