By DisabilityNewsGH
Speakers at a recently held disability education forum have lauded the Seventh–Day Adventist (SDA) Church for introducing disability advocacy into their service.
The initiative which is dubbed The Adventist Possibility Ministry, seeks to inspire, equip, and mobilize those who are differently-abled to serve God and community as expressed in the mission statement of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Saturday April 23, 2022, the SDA church worldwide dedicated the day to disability advocacy. Members of the church were educated on disability rights and inclusion.
At the Bread of Life Seventh Day-Adventist Church at Danfa-Accra, a member of the National Council on Persons with Disability, Mrs. Mary Amoah, Programme Advisor (Disability Inclusion) at SightSavers Ghana, Mr. Peter Anomah-Kordieh and a teacher at Akropong School for the Blind, Madam Rubby Chawey were the guest speakers.
During their presentations, they all heaped praises on the church for the initiative.
They observed that more of such programmes by churches would go a long way to help change public perceptions and attitudes toward persons with disabilities and their families.
The congregation was taught the different types of disabilities, how to detect early signs of disability in children, the need to seek immediate medical care, how to manage such conditions and harmful effects of stigmatisation and discrimination on persons with disabilities and their families, among other.
Mrs. Mary Amoah who has a child with autism, shared her experience with the congregation.
She admonished the public to pray for and support families of persons with disabilities.
She noted that, having a child with disability could be emotionally and psychologically draining, and families in such situations would need love and support from society, but not stigmatisation, discrimination or any other negative treatment.
Mr. Peter Anomah-Kordieh who has a visual impairment, also shared his experience and how family support made it possible for him to attain his aspirations and living a fulfilling life today.
He encouraged families who have children with disabilities to show them equal love and care like their other children without disabilities, adding that, that would provide them with a strong foundation to face life.
He also spoke about how accessibility of the built environment and assistive technology could make life easy for persons with disabilities.
Mr. Anomah-Kordieh advised the public to be mindful of the needs of persons with disabilities when putting up buildings to ensure exclusivity.
Madam Rubby Chawey, among other things, spoke on the relationship and love lives of persons with disabilities.
Citing herself as a virtually impaired person who is married with fourth children, she stated that persons with disabilities could also marry and raise their families without any challenges.
She emphasized the need for society to do away with negative perceptions and feel free to marry persons with disabilities.
An elder of the Danfa Bread of Life SDA church and former Member of Parliament for Krachi Nchumuru in the Oti Region, Honorable John Majisi said “The Adventist Possibility Ministry seeks to bring wholeness to all in a world that is broken. A sense of wholeness that is not dependent on the elimination of one’s special need, but is a rediscovery of a person’s completeness in God”.
“This Ministry has a unique opportunity of not only proclaiming, but also emphasizing the value and dignity of each person. The Church is not only known by what it says, but also by what it does. Therefore, this Ministry exists to coordinate and promote acceptance, support, and inclusion of people who have special needs and those who care for them”.
Honourable John Majisi who is a known disability rights advocate added that, “this Global Ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church encompasses Ministry for and with those with different abilities such as the Deaf, blind, orphans, and those with mental health and mobility challenges. It also seeks to provide support for caregivers of those with special needs”.
“At the heart of this Ministry is the conviction that all have something to contribute and by contributing they have entered the journey toward wholeness”.
The Theme for this year’s Possibility Day celebration was “All Are Gifted, Needed and Treasured”.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH