Mahama unveils major reforms to strengthen disability rights

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled sweeping reforms to modernise Ghana’s disability rights framework and promote full inclusion for persons with disabilities across all sectors of national life.

Delivering remarks at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative in Accra on Friday, President Mahama announced that the government will introduce a new Persons with Disabilities Act and an accompanying Legislative Instrument to update and strengthen existing laws.

“We will introduce a Persons with Disability Act and a Legislative Instrument to modernise Ghana’s disability rights regime and ensure effective enforcement,” the President stated.

He said the new legislation will amend the current Persons with Disability Act, passed in 2006, to reflect contemporary needs and ensure that disability rights are fully integrated into national development priorities.

The President explained that the new legal framework will be backed by concrete institutional and policy measures aimed at improving healthcare, rehabilitation, and employment for persons with disabilities.

“This new amendment act will amend the Persons with Disability Act that was passed in 2006 in order to bring it up to date with current realities,” he added.

To improve healthcare access, President Mahama announced the establishment of district health and resource centres nationwide to provide specialised assessments and maintain a comprehensive national health database for persons with disabilities.

He further revealed plans to build and upgrade rehabilitation centres in all regions to enhance physical recovery and expand vocational training opportunities.

“Every District Assembly and Municipal Assembly will establish a Disability Desk,” he said. “These Disability Desks will integrate disability issues into the Assemblies’ development planning.”

On employment, the President pledged to enforce a minimum 5% employment quota for persons with disabilities in both public and private institutions, noting that the measure will be backed by incentives.

“Private sector organisations that meet the quota will be given tax incentives,” he explained. “And every public sector institution, through their respective ministers, will have to report annually that they have met the 5% quota.”

President Mahama reaffirmed that inclusion, accessibility, and empowerment remain central to his administration’s vision of equitable national development.

In June this year, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu set up a committee to chart a roadmap for the implementation of free tertiary education for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

The eight-member committee was co-chaired by Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, and National President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), Mr. Joseph Atsu Hormadzi.