The project was supported by STAR-Ghana (www.star-ghana.org). The baseline data/evidence of the accessibility audit shows that several schools structures in the Ho Municipality have no provision of access for persons with disabilities. Mr. Francis Asong, Director of VOICE GHANA said, his organization has been utilizing the baseline data/evidence to engage stakeholders in education sector in the Ho Municipality including mission schools and PPMC, which is the consultant of GETFund schools projects in some parts of the Volta Region to provide access ramps to their schools structures for use by persons with disabilities. He said this is in line with Sections 6 and 60 of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006, (Act 715), which make provision for all public buildings in Ghana including schools to have disabled access by 2016. In an interview with Mr. Emmanuel K. Ametsi, the Volta Regional Director of PPMC, he said his office has issued directives to all contractors engaged for GETFund schools project that they are supervising in the Volta Region to provide access ramps to their structures for persons with disabilities. He said his team is monitoring the implementation of this instruction as they go on inspections of projects. According to Mr. Francis Asong, PPMC has kept to its statutory responsibilities by holding their contractors in check to add on access ramps to their work. This, he said has made it possible for several on-going GETFund schools structures that they are supervising in the Ho Municipality to have provision for disabled access. He was grateful to PPMC for this laudable example and called on other consultants for GETFund schools projects in Ghana and all contractors to emulate this shining example to also make their schools structures disability friendly and buildings meant for public use, accessible to all irrespective of whatever challenge one may face.
Signed:
Francis Asong. Director, VOICE GHANA 27th January, 2012. |
