I imagine that, because the legislative arm of the Ghanaian govt, parliament is a vital best friend that organisations operating to steer the enactment or implementation of legislations or insurance policies will have to believe participating with.

I’ve been main Ghana Somubi Dwumadie in enticing with a parliamentary caucus in Ghana to verify the rights of folks with disabilities are upheld inside nationwide regulation. Ghana Somubi Dwumadie is a non-profit organisation which collaborates with other stakeholders together with organisations of folks with disabilities (OPDs), govt and its businesses, in addition to the Psychological Well being Authority.

Armed with learnings and reports from Sightsavers, we contacted the Parliament of Ghana in our quest to steer insurance policies and budgets, and to re-enact Ghana’s Incapacity Act, put in force the Ghana Accessibility Requirements for the Constructed Surroundings and ratify the African Incapacity Protocol (ADP) to verify disability-inclusive building.

In 2021, I used to be confronted with the problem of securing an appointment with the minister for gender, kids and social coverage – however I used to be no longer on my own on this problem. Different stakeholders within the incapacity neighborhood had additionally discovered it nearly inconceivable to satisfy with the minister, who have been clear of place of business for a while because of well being problems. The absence of a substantive determine on the Ministry impeded main actions, together with development of Ghana Somubi Dwumadie advocacy targets with Ghana Federation of Individuals with Disabilities (GFD) and the incapacity neighborhood.

Curiously, there was once a prolong within the appointment of the Nationwide Council on Individuals with Disabilities (NCPD) board for 10 months after the inauguration of the brand new govt. This made securing influential governmental allies vital as a way to make certain that incapacity problems weren’t left in the back of.

The herbal plan of action was once to revisit the theory of beginning a incapacity caucus in Ghana – even supposing identical makes an attempt by way of different stakeholders had no longer been sustained. A former member of parliament, honourable John Majisi (himself a incapacity recommend), supported the id of like-minded contributors of parliament to begin the status quo of the parliamentary caucus. Studying from earlier makes an attempt, we’re that specialize in making sure the assignation and formalisation of a parliamentary clerk to the caucus, which might building up its probabilities of sustainability – although present elected contributors have been voted out of parliament.

The incapacity caucus is a voluntary staff made up of parliamentarians curious about championing the reason for folks with disabilities in Ghana, with preliminary club comprising 12 contributors of parliament, together with its patron the second one deputy speaker. Lately, 22 contributors of parliament have signed up as contributors – and this quantity is prone to develop.

On 26 October 2022, I led a group from Sightsavers comprising a trustee, the rustic director and senior programme supervisor – in addition to a group from GFD and Ghana Somubi Dwumadie – to talk about the development of formalising the caucus. On that day, the chair of the caucus honourable Dr Clement Apaak knowledgeable the delegation that formalisation was once in development and that the management supposed to satisfy with the speaker of parliament, introduce the caucus and assign a clerk. Deputy speaker of parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, additionally expressed how the desires of folks with disabilities should be prioritised, and he pledged his improve to their motive.

The focal point for the crowd’s status quo in parliament was once to provide the incapacity neighborhood a platform, and to make certain that incapacity problems are promoted and mainstreamed within the paintings of parliament. Allowing for the truth that incapacity problems are cross-cutting, the caucus is there to:

1. Enhance disability-inclusive regulation in Ghana
2. Constitute folks with disabilities in parliament to verify incapacity inclusion
3. Act as incapacity champions

The caucus will give you the incapacity neighborhood with a platform and make certain that incapacity problems are promoted and mainstreamed in parliamentary paintings. We now have proved that it’s subsequently conceivable to have a functioning parliamentary caucus inside parliament in Ghana.