[ad_1]
More recently, I have listened with extreme horror to a certain transcendent leader who has shamelessly denounced his friendship with a man who has unfortunately suffered from blindness without any fault on his part.
What is more disturbing, however, is that the gentleman was attacked and shot in the face by alleged badailants who were looking for the said leader in his house where he lived.
Unfortunately, the gentleman lost his sight as a result of prolonged but unsuccessful medical treatment. And, said chief has since refused to meet him in person with a slight, though disgusting, excuse forbidding transcendent leaders to come into close contact with a disabled person.
If you remember, somewhere last year, a certain Nana Asiedu Kweku Donkor, "Nkosuohene" (chief of development) of the traditional Kwahu region, affirmed his unwavering support for Mr. Alban Bagbin, aspiring to the presidency of the NDC for 2020, claiming that the appointment of a disabled person to the Ministry of Chieftaincy was a false maneuver of the Mahama administration (see: The leader defends Bagbin's remarks about people named "disabled"; .com.gh / ghanaweb.com, 27/08/2018).
The apparently apolitical leader would have been a little careless: "In the Ghanaian tradition, chiefs are not allowed to deal with people with physical disabilities anyway, in particular; So Mr. Bagbin told the truth by stating that the appointment of this kind of person to the position of Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs had angered the chiefs.
"Capacitism or ablism is a form of discrimination or social prejudice against people with disabilities. One can also speak of disability-based discrimination, centering, physicalism, disability and oppression of people with disabilities.
"This includes apotemnophobia and dysmorphophobia. It is also sometimes referred to as "disability", although the question of whether "aptitude" is "power" is synonymous with controversy, and that some people in the disability rights world feel that the use of this term is inaccurate. The discrimination faced by those who suffer or are perceived as suffering from a mental disorder sometimes refers to mentalism rather than capacitance.
While the international community is working together to forge inclusion, the leaders who are supposed to promote the development of their communities sadly drag us backward with their outdated views.
"Disability is part of the human condition. Almost everyone will have a temporary or permanent disability at some point in their lives, and people who are surviving in old age will find it increasingly difficult to function "(World Disability Report, 2011, p. 10).
The World Health Organization report reveals that it is estimated that more than one billion people are living with some form of disability. It is estimated that between
110 million (2.2%) and 190 million (3.8%) of people aged 15 and over have significant functional difficulties.
The report stresses, however, that in the coming years, disability will be an even greater concern because of its rising prevalence. This is apparently
because of the aging of the population and the increased risk of disability in the elderly, as well as the overall increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, cancer and mental health disorders (WHO Report, 2011).
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that disability is increasingly understood as a human rights issue.
Disability is also a major development issue with a growing body of evidence that people with disabilities often experience worse socio-economic consequences and poverty than people without disabilities (World Disability Report, 2011).
For the purposes of this article, I will define disability as: "any physical, mental or sensory condition that restricts a person's movements, senses or feelings.
Activities. "
The term disability is formally used to refer to deformities severe enough to interfere with or restrict activities of daily living.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, "persons with disabilities include people with severe and persistent physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments who, in interaction with various obstacles, may interfere with their full and effective participation in society. on one foot of equality with the others. "
In addition, the International Clbadification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) defines disability as a generic term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.
ICF therefore emphasizes that impairment is a problem of function or structure of the body. While a limitation of activity is a difficulty encountered by an individual in the performance of a task or action and that a restriction of participation is a problem met by an individual involved in life situations.
Disability is therefore not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between the characteristics of a person's body and the characteristics of the society in which she lives.
In practice, therefore, disability is a continuum rather than categorizing people with disabilities into a separate group: disability is one more question, or less, no yes or no.
In other words, disability is the interaction between people with a health problem (eg, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or depression) and personal and environmental factors (eg negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and buildings, and limited social supports).
To overcome the difficulties faced by persons with disabilities, action must be taken to eliminate environmental and social barriers (WHO: "HANDICAP").
In the UK, for example, in addition to the previous categories of disabilities, the Equality Act 2010 qualifies people with progressive disability conditions. Progressive disease is a disease that worsens over time. For example, people infected with HIV, cancer or multiple sclerosis automatically meet the definition of disability in the 2010 Equality Act.
From the above definitions, one can be excused by suggesting that many Ghanaians, including our transcendent leaders, are not aware of their own disability status.
Thus, it is possible that some people, including our transcendent leaders, who have taken the habit of discriminating against known disabled people, may themselves be handicapped without knowing it.
Well, if the above meanings are self-evident, then we can venture to badert that each of them is likely to be handicapped in his lifetime.
In this regard, our transcendent leaders who adhere strictly to obsolete traditions and customs in discriminating against persons with disabilities must engage in serious introspection, as they (discriminating leaders) may harbor disabilities, even if they do not know it. not.
Paradoxically, we hear that formerly, "heads" cut off from subjects accompanied deceased leaders to their resting place. Suffice it to say that this picturesque practice has been abolished.
So, to our discriminating leaders: "Why did you stop such an idiosyncratic practice while still thinking that it is abominable to come into close contact with a disabled person?
In fact, the transcendental leaders violate Article 29 (4) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which states: "Disabled persons shall be protected from exploitation, regulation, discrimination, abusive degrading".
It would be advisable, however, for our chiefs to tell us: if a leader were to give birth to a handicapped child, what would happen?
Would they have infanticide?
Again, what happens if a chef accidentally becomes disabled? Would he dethrone himself?
K. Badu, United Kingdom.
[email protected]References:
www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/ –
www.who.int/icidh/ –
Trends in health problems badociated with disability: whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215_eng.pdf
www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/index.html –
Warning: "The views / contents expressed in this article only imply that the responsibility of the authors) and do not necessarily reflect those of modern Ghana. Modern Ghana can not be held responsible for inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article. "
Reproduction is allowed provided that the authors the authorization is granted.
Source link
