CORD-Ghana calls on policymakers to strengthen measures that protect children with disabilities

The Center for Opportunity and Rural Development (CORD-Ghana) has donated educational materials to Yumba Special School and Zanzamiya M/A Primary School as part of activities marking this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The donation was aimed at putting smiles on students living with various forms of disabilities and highlighting the need for an inclusive society.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed annually to raise awareness about the challenges persons with disabilities face, including inaccessible infrastructure, discrimination in employment, and societal stereotypes.

This year’s celebration focuses on inclusive financing and how it can improve the lives, health, well-being and social participation of persons with disabilities and their families.

The theme for 2025, “Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress,” emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive environments that allow persons with disabilities to participate fully and contribute to society.

Teachers at both schools expressed appreciation to CORD-Ghana for recognizing their needs and providing support.

Inclusion teachers Abdul Rahaman Warahamatu and Alaba Emilia appealed to government and corporate organizations to extend more assistance to inclusion teachers and special schools.

 According to them, many parents of special-needs children are financially disadvantaged and often struggle to engage in business because of the high level of care required for their children.

They urged government to provide financial support to such parents to help them establish small businesses.

The teachers also noted that parents of special children often suffer social discrimination, with some community members perceiving their children as a curse.

They revealed that many special children continue to use diapers even at ages 15 to 20, placing additional financial pressure on families.

Special educators at Yumba Special School highlighted several challenges confronting the institution, including lack of water, inadequate staff, shortage of trained caregivers, and insufficient infrastructure.

 Beyond academic instruction, the school also trains students in employable skills such as doormat weaving, bead making and sandal production.

However, the teachers stressed that significant support is required to sustain and expand these activities. Special educator Mr Atta Wulahi Fuseini explained that the nature of disabilities among students affects their cognitive abilities, limiting their capacity to learn basic life skills such as bathing, washing, and maintaining personal hygiene.

“Training them to take care of themselves independently is our primary focus,” he said. He added that the school aims to equip students with basic employable skills to enable them to earn a living after school.

He appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to deploy more special educators and provide a school bus to facilitate educational trips and excursions.

CORD-Ghana’s Programs Director, Esther Nyamekye Opoku, emphasized the importance of children with disabilities learning alongside their peers without disabilities to reduce stigma and promote inclusion.

She called on policymakers to strengthen measures that protect children with disabilities from discrimination in educational settings.

 Madam Opoku assured Yumba Special School that CORD-Ghana would liaise with partners to help address the school’s critical needs, particularly water and infrastructure challenges.

The objective she added was to promote Inclusion, encourage governments, organizations, and individuals to adopt inclusive practices and policies that benefit persons with disabilities and also inncrease awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and the benefits of inclusion.

The support to the school she explained was made possible by CORD Ghana in partnership with Naglogu care foundation, Youth Alliance for Climate and Environmental Sustainability (YACES Ghana), Rural Connect, Network of Youth for Climate Action Africa (NYCA Africa).