A proposal submitted to the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) to extend the mandatory retirement age for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from 60 to 65 has ignited a complex debate. While the move aims to compensate for the “lost years” PWDs face due to late entry into the workforce, some advocates are warning that the focus may be on the wrong problem.
As at 2025, the CRC, led by Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh, has recommended removing the fixed mandatory retirement age from the Constitution entirely, allowing Parliament to set specific ages for different groups.
In response, PWD stakeholders are pushing for a 65-year limit and the right to retire on full current salaries. However, on the ground, the discussion has revealed a community deeply divided over whether an extended working life is a “reward” or a “punishment.”
The “Late Entry” Dilemma
The push for an extension is rooted in the systemic barriers PWDs face long before they reach the office. Abdul-Malik Aduata, speaking on Ghana Disability Forum, a WhatsApp page of disability rights advocates, highlighted an uncomfortable truth: PWDs in Ghana lose time at every stage of life.
“Many of us start school late because inclusive schools are scarce. Tertiary education often comes years later than for our peers, and employment becomes another uphill battle marked by discrimination,” Aduata explained.
“For some, stable work only begins in their forties. Asking such people to retire at 60 feels like shifting the burden of injustice onto those who already carry the heaviest load.”
The Strategic Risk: “Selective Inclusion” and “PWD Fatigue”
Despite the need for “catch-up time,” a new concern has emerged: if the law is framed as a “PWD-only” exception, it could backfire.
Critics argue that if employers perceive PWDs as a group that requires “special” retirement rules or higher long-term costs, they may become even more hesitant to hire them.
Michael Obeng, a Policy Analyst, warned on Inclusive Youth Network, a WhatsaApp page of young PWDs, that a “benefits-only” narrative is dangerous. “It risks portraying PWDs as people who always and only need support,” Obeng stated.
He cautioned that this can lead to “PWD fatigue” among policymakers. “Inclusion is not charity. If we ask the nation to include us, we must show readiness to contribute our quota with the right support and flexibility.”
The Youth and Succession Crisis: A Question of Power
The debate has also exposed a generational rift regarding who holds power within the movement. Young PWDs fear that keeping older officeholders in place longer will further “lock them out” of an already scarce job market.
“This debate is not only about policy; it is also about power,” Aduata argued. “If older officeholders stay longer, where exactly are young PWDs expected to go? A movement that does not make room for its youth is stagnant.”
Obeng echoed this, insisting that any extension must be tied to succession planning, where elders actively mentor the youth to take over. “Power must circulate, not accumulate.”
The Real Barrier: “It’s the Transport, Not the Age”
Perhaps the most stinging critique is that the retirement debate ignores the fundamental struggle of the Ghanaian PWD: Transportation.
Advocates point out that even if the retirement age were 70, it wouldn’t matter if a worker cannot find an accessible bus or navigate broken sidewalks.
“You can extend the retirement age to 70, but if getting to work every day remains a struggle, we are just extending the period of hardship,” a contributor on the Ghana the Disability Forum argued. “Employment inclusion starts with access. Transport, infrastructure, and urban planning are the foundation al issues.”
A Call for Holistic Reform: The Hybrid Approach
To bridge these divides, Michael Obeng has proposed a comprehensive six-point manifesto for the CRC to consider.
The goal is to create a policy that honours the diversity of the disability experience—recognising that while a blind academic may wish to work until 70, a person with chronic physical pain may need the dignity of an early retirement.
The proposed framework includes:
1. Strict Optionality: Any extension must be voluntary, never mandatory or automatic.
2. Succession Planning: Those who stay longer must actively prepare younger PWDs to take over.
3. Equity-Based Benefits: PWDs who retire at the standard age must receive substantially enhanced pensions.
4. Employment Pathways: Guaranteed quotas and leadership pipelines for young PWDs.
5. Humane Disability Allowances: State support for unemployed or retired PWDs so that “choice” is not tied to survival.
6. Institutional Protections: Explicit legal safeguards to ensure “flexibility” that does not lead to exploitation.
As the CRC moves toward finalising its recommendations, the disability community remains firm: any new law must reflect the right to rest as much as the right to work.
“Until Ghana prioritises accessible transportation and the broader ecosystem that supports participation,” concluded the contributor on the Ghana Disability Forum, “debates about retirement age—while important—risk missing the real problem.”
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
