COVID-19 Education: consider needs of Persons with Disability

A statement issued by the Executive Secretary of National Council on PWD, Ms Esther Akua Gyamfi and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday said that PWDs, particularly, persons with auto-immune conditions and persons with multiple disabilities were most likely to have their immune systems easily compromised by this virus.

The Council urged government to make a budgetary allocation towards strategies that target PWDs in the eradication of COVID-19.

It said access to information was often a barrier for PWDs who have specific communication needs including; the deaf, deaf-blind, the hard-of-hearing and the non-verbal.

“They remain at a higher risk of being socially isolated, if deliberate measures are not implemented to include them,” it said.

The Council, therefore, called on government to have specific communication needs including; the deaf, the hard-of-hearing, the non-verbal in the sensitisation on COVID-19.

Others include; sign language interpretations at least within the period of COVID-19 and all information on COVID-19 meant for the public should have a video version with subtitles, captioning and sign language interpretation.

“Social distancing is the biggest form of concern to persons with disabilities who depend heavily on human support to go about their daily activities,” it added.

“The message on social distancing education without the disability component leaves persons with disabilities vulnerable, neglected and potentials for abandonment”.

The statement said sensitisation on social distance must stress on the need for the personal assistants, caregivers, guides to wash their hands and arms and sanitize their hands and arms as they offered support to PWDs.

However, it commended the Government for providing the public with relevant information and awareness on the COVID-19 epidemic.

It called for inclusion of sign language interpretation in some of the information dissemination sessions aimed at updating Ghanaians on the coronavirus situation in the country.

GNA

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