Accra: An initiative aimed at promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana's 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections has been launched by the Africa Disability Institute (ADI) in the Volta and Oti regions. The initiative, supported by the STAR Ghana Foundation and funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, is designed to target 10 districts across these regions to ensure that PWDs can participate more fully in the electoral process. According to Ghana News Agency, the project, named the #InclusiveElection4All, specifically focuses on PWDs, including women and youth, as well as residents of Zongo and other deprived communities. It was officially introduced during a regional conference where participants discussed the development priorities of PWDs and outlined strategies to engage political parties, specifically the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). During the conference, attendees highlighted several challenges faced by PWDs in previous elections. These included difficulties in accessing campaign venues, the unavailability of election materials suited for those with visual or hearing impairments, and a general lack of consideration of PWDs' needs in candidates' development plans. Charles Nyante, Operations Manager of ADI, emphasized that the initiative would also promote accountable governance post-elections to ensure PWDs have access to quality public services. Further efforts include the operation of a Temporal Situation Room during the election to monitor the accessibility of polling stations in targeted constituencies. Engagements with the Volta and Oti Regional Offices of the Electoral Commission are planned to increase the recruitment of PWDs as Polling Assistants. In his remarks, Alex Korsi Akpo, Ho Municipal President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, cautioned against political partisanship within the Federation, stressing that it could undermine their advocacy efforts. The conference concluded with ca lls for practical measures such as enforcing seat reservations for PWDs on commercial vehicles and ensuring that public facilities like hospitals, hotels, and banks are accessible to everyone. Additionally, there was a strong demand for health sector adjustments, including permanent health insurance premium waivers for PWDs and the appointment of sign language interpreters in hospitals to aid those with hearing impairments.