The maiden edition of the H4P’s Ability Praise Concert was held on Wednesday evening in Accra to showcase amazing talents and abilities of Persons with Disability (PWDs).
It was organised by H4P (Here for Perfection) Organisation, an NGO in partnership with Fire City Chapel as part of celebrations to mark its 11th Anniversary celebration.
The night was greeted with musical artists from the disability community including Vicky Grant, Madam Gladys Agbenu, Lady Kate Sam, Prophet Isaac Yeboah, Pastor Lord Eben, Minister Jerry Charles and Reverend Epaphras Ato Forson who mounted the stage and led the congregation through series of local and international gospel hit songs.
Princess Mensah also graced the night with an amazing poetry recital titled ‘Tears of Appreciation’ through which she expressed gratitude to the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the H4P, Bishop Dr Charles Hackman, for lending a helping hand to PWDs over the years.
A board member of the National Council on Persons with Disabilities, Madam Bruce-Lyle, who chaired the function, commended the H4P Organisation for such a wonderful initiative and said it was important to do away with stigma and discrimination in society and embrace them.
“PWDs in Ghana are often regarded as unproductive and incapable of contributing in a positive way to society. It is these sort of attitudes and mindsets rather than any mental or physical impairment that creates barriers for PWDs.
When the enabling environment is created by society, PWDs, can achieve great feats”, she stated.
The President of the Ghana Federation of Persons Living with Disability, Mawunyo Yakor-Dagbah, indicated that PWDs were neither heroes nor victims but rather agents of their own destiny, seeking an equal space in the society adding, that all they wanted was inclusivity.
“One may be short, one may be tall, one may be fair, one may be dark, one may suffer from diabetes or hypertension, or even stroke, or some circumstance that led to an amputation. One may be visually impaired, one may be hearing impaired, one may be intellectually disabled, one may be mentally disabled, one may have albinism, one is still a human being,” Madam Yakor-Dagbah stressed.
Bishop Dr Hackman on his part, disclosed that plans were far advanced by the organisation to establish an institution to be known as the Ability University College, to provide tertiary education for persons with disability.
He appealed to individuals and the corporate bodies to come on board and provide support both in cash and kind for the construction of the Ability College.
Also in attendance were the Ghana Blind Union, Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, Ghana National Association of the Deaf, Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism, ShareCare Ghana, Ghana Burns Survivors, Ghana Stammering Association, Inclusion Ghana, Mental Health Society of Ghana, Accra Rehabilitation Centre and Centre for Employment for Persons with Disabilities.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY-CUDJOE
