The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) has urged deaf individuals to take advantage of an inclusive training and employment programme in the textile and garment industry, aimed at securing sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative, dubbed “Signs of Success”, held a job fair and recruitment session at the DTRT Apparel premises in Accra on Thursday, July 16, 2026, to onboard new trainees.
The project is supported by the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition” (operating under the brand “Invest for Jobs”), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ Ghana, in partnership with Dignity DTRT and GNAD.
Under the programme, selected beneficiaries receive four months of free training in factory equipment and textile machine operations.
To ensure accessibility and ease participation, trainees are provided with free transport, daily meals, and monthly stipends, with secure accommodation provided on a needs-tested basis during the training period.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants are guaranteed immediate, full-time employment with standard salaries and continued free transport.
The initiative has already successfully trained over 80 deaf associates, with more than 40 permanently employed at Dignity DTRT’s established factories in Accra and Tema.
GIZ and its partners are now aggressively scaling up operations, targeting the recruitment and training of an additional 200 deaf individuals by the end of 2026.
GIZ has also onboarded a new partner in the Northern Region – Northshore Apparel, based in Savelugu – extending the project’s inclusive job-creation model beyond the south.
Speaking at the job fair, the GNAD Sign Language Project Officer, Mr. Richard Doku, expressed gratitude to the German government and DTRT Apparel for actively promoting inclusive employment.
“For many years, deaf persons have faced severe barriers in accessing decent work due to limited opportunities, skills gaps, and persistent misconceptions about their abilities,” the Mr. Doku stated.
“Through this initiative, deaf persons are not only acquiring employable skills but are also being recognised as valuable, capable contributors to Ghana’s workforce”, he added.
He said GNAD remains committed to cultivating partnerships that advance the fundamental rights and socio-economic empowerment of deaf individuals nationwide.
Representing Dignity DTRT, Mr. Indika Gamage praised the work ethic, focus, and productivity of the current deaf staff, describing them as highly suited for the precision required in garment manufacturing.
Mr. Gamage indicated that the company intends to support long-term career growth, expressing a desire to see deaf employees promoted to supervisory and managerial roles within the factory in the coming years.
He also noted that the inclusion of deaf staff has enriched the company’s broader workplace culture.
To facilitate seamless daily operations, factory management and over 45 supervisors have undergone training in Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL).
The project is also developing specialised instructional videos and a GSL technical dictionary tailored to garment manufacturing terms.
Mr. Gamage encouraged the new recruits to remain confident in their professional capabilities, perform to their highest standards, and actively share information about the recruitment drive within the wider deaf community.
The “Signs of Success” initiative is structurally aligned with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) policy marker on the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities, which was adopted by the German government in 2024.
While Ghana’s textile and apparel sector currently employs approximately 10,000 individuals, sector analysts estimate that targeted investments in inclusive skills development could help the industry scale up to 150,000 jobs in the future.
The organisers of the job fair emphasised that the success of the programme proves that inclusive economic growth is highly achievable in practice.
They have urged other corporate organisations and development partners in Ghana to study the “Signs of Success” model and replicate its structured approach to disability inclusion in their respective industries.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
