Accra: Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are being encouraged to leverage existing legal frameworks to seek redress for emotional and physical abuse. This call was made by a panel of experts at an event organised by Smiles of Hope, a non-governmental organisation with specialisation in PWD matters.

According to Ghana News Agency, the event held in Accra spotlighted the silent but pervasive issue of emotional abuse against PWDs to educate and empower them on their rights and the available channels for seeking justice. Dr. James Kwabena Bomfeh, Chief Executive Officer of Rights of Youth and Disability International and the Centre for Citizenship, Constitutional and Electoral Systems, highlighted the legal provisions that protected PWDs from such abuses. He emphasised that the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006 (Act 715), made it unlawful for anyone to use derogatory words against a person with a disability or to deny them opportunities due to their condition.

Dr. Bomfeh stated, 'Once we know those things, we will be able to, as it were, exercise the rights that are available to us at law.' He added that the Act, which is an expansion of the fundamental freedoms and human rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, provided a strong basis for PWDs to demand their civic rights. However, he identified institutional gaps in disseminating information about these rights to the PWD community. To bridge this gap, he said efforts were being made to make the Persons with Disabilities Act available in Braille and audio formats to ensure wider circulation and access.

Mrs. Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Inclusive Family Alliance, stressed the crucial role families played in providing emotional support. She urged families to understand that 'disability is not a curse' but a part of the human experience, and asked them to empower their disabled relatives to become self-advocates. She also called for a national conversation on the language used to describe PWDs, noting that many terms used were illegal and derogatory but overlooked. Mrs. Awadzi emphasized the need for a positive approach to communication to change public perception and foster an inclusive society. She called on the government to ensure the enforcement of laws promoting inclusion and stressed the need for monitoring mechanisms to ensure PWDs can access all public and social facilities.

Ms. Valeria Adzo Adzatia, Director of Smiles of Hope, provided an overview of the programme, stating that it was designed to create a platform for conversation on emotional abuse, an issue that is often invisible. She noted that PWDs were particularly vulnerable to this form of abuse and that many victims did not know where and how to seek help and protection. 'This is to create a platform, have a conversation, educate people on abuses that happen, especially emotional abuse, because the first kind of abuse starts before the rest comes,' she said. She reiterated that the law was a powerful tool for PWDs to protect themselves and demand respect, urging victims of emotional abuse not to suffer in silence but to take advantage of the legal provisions available to them.