A donation of over 50 wheelchairs by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) to support people with disabilities in the Krachi East Municipality has gone unused and is now left to deteriorate in the elements.
The wheelchairs, which were donated in 2019, remain stacked at the premises of the Ghana Education Service, gathering dust and rusting under the open sky.
An investigation by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that the wheelchairs were originally intended for the Krachi West Municipal Assembly. According to Emmanuel Donkor, President of the GFD in the Oti Region, the PWDs in Krachi West attempted to secure funding from the district assembly to transport the wheelchairs but their requests were ignored.
“Unemployment rates among disabled people in Ghana are higher than for non-disabled people,” Donkor explained, highlighting the financial challenges faced by many PWDs. “Statistics indicate that Persons with Disabilities in Ghana are estimated to be 10% of the total population, so where will they get the money to transport these wheelchairs?”
Adding to the problem, Caleb Niwi, Regional Secretary of the GFD, revealed that many of the donated wheelchairs are faulty, with issues ranging from broken castors to damaged push rings, tip assist bars, heel loops, and footplates.
“The rising cost of maintenance scared the beneficiaries,” Niwi explained. “Repairing each faulty wheelchair could cost up to GHS300.”
The situation highlights a larger issue: the lack of support for PWDs in Ghana. While the initial donation of wheelchairs was intended as a gesture of goodwill, the lack of follow-up, funding for transportation, and repair for faulty equipment underscores the challenges faced by PWDs in accessing essential resources.
SOURCE: GNA/DisabilityNewsGH.com