The
first edition of Camp Ability Ghana was on Wednesday launched at the University
of Ghana (UG) to kick-start a massive campaign to teach, engage and include
physically disabled and visually impaired in competitive sports.
The event was launched by the founder of Camp Ability Distinguished Service Professor, Lauren Lieberman, from the College of Brockport in New York with support from the Physical Education (P.E) & Sports Studies Department of UG.
The maiden edition of the event in Africa started yesterday and expected to end tomorrow at the UG campus in Accra.
It will attract several visually impaired students to be camped and compete in sports disciplines including football, volleyball, swimming, and running.
Speaking to the Times Sports, Prof. Lieberman said “We teach children with visual impairment with the hope to empower them to feel confident and feel like they can run, swim, bike and play football.”
“We want to get the kids out of the communities; we want people to see that they are able. We want to show people that it is possible for them to engage in sports here and all over Africa as well,” she added.
The head of P.E & Sports Studies, Department of UG, Prof. Reginald Ocansey expressed his enthusiasm about the event.
“We have set the tone and we will begin with the training of trainers; I see light at the end of the tunnel because the lineup of events is organised in such a way to empower those who are at the workshop to acquire the skills and knowledge that will enable them train the youth who will be coming to the camp,” he said.
Mrs Bernice Addae, a representative from Inclusive Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) highlighted the service’s interest in the inclusive education.
“Inclusive Education in Ghana is very important now; previously teachers did not attach importance into identifying the needs of the children. Even though they used to do it, they were not too critical in investigating some of the special problems that the children have.”
“Now we have specifically trained personnel in those areas; when we come to the grassroots level. We have coordinators in the schools that have also been specially trained. I want to encourage the teachers to cooperate with these coordinators to help them understand the needs of the children better,” she said.
BY PACOME EMMANUEL DAMALIE
