A Disability Reporting Club was launched last Friday by students in the Mass Communication Department of BlueCrest College, to create awareness about the challenges people living with disabilities faced.
According to the students, the club aimed to draw the attention of policymakers, stakeholders and general public to address their issues promptly and thoroughly.
The Manageressat the Department of Partnership and Collaboration at BlueCrest College, Ms Henrietta Mensah during the launching, expressed her gratitude and excitement that students have realised the problems of the disabled and established a club to report accurately on their issues, since the disabled in Ghana were not projected well.
“Disability is not inability, there are many people living with disabilities that are doing well in the society but government, stakeholders and the public do not encourage or realise their efforts,” she said.
Ms Mensah, however, tasked the students to report the truth about what people with disabilities have been doing to support the economy and other sectors, in order to fight the stigma people have about them.
“I urge the club members and leaders to use the opportunity given to them, to work tirelessly to see to it that the vision of the club becomes a reality and not a seven-day wonder,” she noted.
The secretary of the club, Patience Entsie, encouraged the club members and leaders to try their best and support persons with disabilities in whatever ways they could, in order to improve their lives.
“As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword so we believe with the ballpoint of our pens we can together help address some of the challenges of our brothers and sisters living with disabilities face”, she added.
Mrs Entsie also appealed to policymakers, to do their best and consider the issues of disabilities, as well as supporting them because they could qualify for every position as abled people do.
In attendance was the rector of the college, Dr Sujith Jaraprakash, the Head of Department for Mass Communication and Journalism, Mr Philip Acquaye, lecturers and students.
BY IGNATIUS AWUAH TANOE BLAY
