Eighteen years after the passage of the Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), Persons with Disability (PWDs) have called for the speedy passage of the revised Act into law to improve their living condition.

They said although the current law, which was passed by Parliament on June 23, 2006, and assented to by former President John Agyekum Kufuor on August 9, the same year, had lifted the image of PWDs, it contained certain lapses that had been addressed in the re-enacted law.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic to mark the 18th anniversary of the assent to Act 715, the Chairman of the National Council for PWDs, Yaw Ofori-Debrah, said the enactment of Act 715 preceded the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of PWDs (UNCRP) in 2012, and therefore, there were some gaps to be filled to align the domestic law with the Convention.

“Analysis done on the UNCRPD in relation to the domestic law revealed incredibly large gaps to be filled with provisions contained in the UN convention. Some of the apparent gaps include needs and aspirations of children, women and youths; disaster and risk management, politics and governance, participation and community living,” he said.

Mr Ofori-Debrah said it was in a bid to remedy those shortfalls that efforts were being made to re-enact the existing law to make it more relevant and responsive to current life demands of PWDs in the country.

He stressed the need for the government to expedite the process of passing the draft bill into law.

Again, Mr Ofori-Debrah cited the absence of a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to give effect to provisions of the parent law and the lack of enforcement mechanisms to buttress the implementation of the law as the major reasons for the insignificant impact of the law on PWDs.

“As of today, the draft bill and the Cabinet memo have been completed for Cabinet to study and approve for onward transmission to Parliament to pass into law.

“I am appealing to the President and Cabinet to give passionate consideration to this bill and place it under certificate of urgency to enable the 8th Parliament to pass it before it rises finally,” he said.

The disability community reminisces those two dates as critical historical milestones in the push for disability rights.

Mr Ofori-Debrah said the coming into effect of Act 715 had been the turning point in the lives of PWDs in the country.

“The law is significant to the lives of PWDs in several ways. For the first time, PWDs had a law to protect and guarantee their human rights; PWDs had a legal reference for judicial litigations; a law to ensure social justice and inclusion; a legislation that equalises opportunities for them among others,” he said.

Notwithstanding the important role Act 715 played in the lives of PWDs, Mr Ofori-Debrah called for the immediate passage of the revised Disability Act to make it resonate more with the current needs of PWDs.

He stated that while Act 715 had been in operation for the past 18 years, its positive impact on PWDs, particularly in terms of social equity and equality, had been “incredibly minimal.”

Key provisions

Mr Ofori-Debrah said the revised bill recommended that the status of the National Council on PWDs to change to a commission to give it more authority.

He said the bill had also made provisions for the Disability Fund to be made robust to promote the wellbeing of PWDs.

Again, the Chairman of the National Council on PWDs said the revised bill made room for support for mothers and caregivers of severely disabled children, especially children with cerebral palsy.

Source: Graphic.com

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