President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, October 24, 2025, announced that to make inclusion a lived reality, the Government will soon roll out a comprehensive set of seven complementary action points.
He made the announcement at the official launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disability, which seeks to provide equal access to higher education, particularly for persons with disabilities.
The President announced that firstly the Government would introduce a Persons with Disability Amendment Act and a legislative instrument, an ally, to modernize Ghana’s disability rights regime and ensure effective enforcement.
This new amendment act would amend the Persons with Disability Act that was passed in 2006 in order to bring it up to date with current realities.
Secondly, he said the Government would establish a Disability Health and Resource Centre in each district to provide specialized health assessments and build a credible national health database for persons with disability for informed action.
The third is Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disability.
He said the Government would construct and upgrade rehabilitation centres in all regions to support fiscal recovery and vocational training for persons with disabilities.
The President said the fourth action point was the establishment of Disability Desks in all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembles (MMDAs), ministries and Parliament.
These Disability Desks, the President said would integrate disability issues into the district assembly’s development planning.
The fifth action point is the enforcement of five per cent quota for persons with
disability.
“Five per cent employment quota for persons with disability and this will be across public and private sectors,” the President stated.
“For private sector organizations that meet the quota, they will be given tax incentives. And every public sector, through their ministers, will have to report annually that they have met the five per cent quota.”
The sixth action point is gender empowerment.
President Mahama said the Government would launch dedicated programmes for women with disability to provide them with entrepreneurship grants and leadership training.
The seventh is accessibility and infrastructure.
“We will enforce the Ghana Accessibility Standards for all public buildings and facilities. 2026 will be 10 years since the enforcement of accessibility to public buildings was meant to be enforced. Therefore, in the Amendment Act to Act 715, we will increase the term of imprisonment for persons who refuse to comply,” he said.
“And we will also increase the fines that they have to pay. Act 715 says the penalty for not complying is three months in prison or GHS600.00. GHS600.00 is too small.”
He said in the new Act, they were going to increase the penalty, suggesting that they might increase the imprisonment from three months to six months.
President Mahama said in the District Assemblies’ Common Fund Formula, the Government intends to increase the allocation to persons with disabilities from three per cent to five per cent.
Adding that the Disability Desks in every District Assembly in consultation with the local branch of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, would prepare a budget each year for how they intend to spend the five per cent that had been allocated to them.
The President further announced that the Government intends to introduce a system for distributing rechargeable motorized wheelchairs to be distributed for persons with disabilities.
He said, he had directed all Ministers of State to review their obligations under the Disability Act and present action plans for full compliance within the shortest
possible time.
“Every year, as part of the obligation of Ministers, you have to provide a report on how they’ve complied with the Disability Act.
He called on the private sector, civil society, development partners, universities, and the media to join hands in this noble mission.
“Let us transform our national attitudes from commiseration to partnership,” he stated.
GNA
