Hope for Life, a disability advocacy organisation has held its fourth exhibition programme for artisans with disabilities in Accra, with a call on the government and corporate Ghana to make deliberate efforts to patronise products and services of persons with disabilities.
The Administrator of Hope for Life, Madam Fanny Amartey suggested to the government to consider coming up with a policy that would compel all state agencies and even private organisations to contract dress makers with disabilities to sew all their uniforms and national Friday wears.
She said the same conscious effort could be made by institutions and organisations to patronise the services of persons with disabilities producing food and beverages, as well as those into other products and services.
Madam Fanny believes that such deliberate efforts will boost the businesses of persons with disabilities, as it will also encourage the general public to do away with discrimination and patronise goods and services of persons with disabilities.
The exhibition which took place at Christ the King Parish in Accra on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, 2022, was the first to be held in Accra by Hope for Life.
Their three previous events were held at Kasoa, Winneba and Awutu Senya, all in the central Region.
The 2022 event provided a platform for some 60 persons with disabilities to exhibit various products, including fashion designs, bead works, pastaries, sanitary products, beverages, footwears among others.
The exhibition was launched by the Parish Priest of Christ the King Catholic church, Father Ebenezer Akesseh, who represented the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofe.
The Executive Secretary of the National Council on Persons with disability, Lawyer Esther Akua Gyamfi, who represented the council and the Minister for Gender and Social Protection, commended Hope for Life for the initiative.
She disclosed that the Government would soon roll out an entrepreneurship programme for persons with disabilities in the country, which would be expected to improve their lives.
The President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Mrs. Mawunyor Yakor-Dagbah, the Executive Director of Center for Employment of Persons with Disabilities (CEPD), Mr. Alexander Tetteh and other dignitaries attended the event and motivated the exhibitors, as well as Musician, Amanziba Nat Brew who entertained the exhibitors and patrons.
Hope for Life initiated the annual exhibition exercise to promote the businesses of persons with disabilities, aimed at improving their living conditions.
It is also the hope of the organisation that the exhibition would help take disabled beggars off the streets, as lack of employment opportunities and lack of market for their products and services are some of the factors that push them to the streets.
Source: disabilitynewsgh.com