The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality, Accra, has begun monitoring the accessibility of the Labone Junction overpass, calling for persons with disabilities to be involved in the planning and design of public infrastructure.
The local GFD team visited the site on Thursday, October 22, 2026, to assess the overpass. The team, however, could not complete its audit due to ongoing work. At the time of the visit, contractors were still working on the ramp.
The visit followed the GFD’s earlier intervention over the ramp’s original design, which the group said could have exposed users to danger.
Although the overpass included a ramp intended to improve access for persons with disabilities, the Circle-facing end was originally directed towards the busy La-Circle Highway.
Under that design, people using the ramp would have emerged very close to traffic or been directed onto the road.
This could have placed wheelchair users and other pedestrians at risk from passing vehicles, while undermining the purpose of the overpass: providing a safer way to cross the junction.
The local GFD drew the Assembly’s attention to the problem two weeks earlier. Contractors were subsequently asked to return to site and are now redirecting that end of the ramp towards a safer section. This was the work observed during the visit.
The Municipal GFD President, Mr Anthony Kwame Adarkwah, said the design flaw reflects a broader problem: persons with disabilities were not involved at the planning stage.
Mr Adarkwah cited his own experience of nearly being knocked down at the junction, as well as the death of Emmanuel, a physically disabled man from Ashaiman, in a similar incident at the same location.
He said the overpass will make an important difference to pedestrians, including persons with disabilities, schoolchildren and older persons, but stressed that disability groups should have been consulted before the design was finalised.
“We, persons with disabilities, appreciate this overpass the most. It will help many people every day, especially schoolchildren, older people and, importantly, vulnerable people like us,” he said.
Mr Adarkwah welcomed the project and appealed for more overpasses in densely populated communities without traffic lights or safe pedestrian crossings. He emphasised that “accessibility must not be a luxury.”
Mr Adarkwah acknowledged the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Alfred Nii Anyetei Sowah, for facilitating funds to support the accessibility audit. He also acknowledged the area’s Member of Parliament, Hon. Rita Adoley Sowah.
Municipal Road Engineer, Gideon Kwame Toklo, commended the disability community for raising the ramp-design concern and promised to involve its representatives in future projects. These include a similar overpass planned for the Kanda Highway near GBC.
The GFD says it will continue monitoring the Labone project and conduct a fuller audit once construction is completed.
It is urging the Assembly and project planners to consult persons with disabilities from the outset of future developments, so that safety and accessibility are built into designs rather than addressed after construction has begun.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
