President Fetes Physically Challenged Children

Madam Betty Busumtwi-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister, said at the weekend that government would ensure that physically challenged children got effective access to education, training and healthcare services. She said they would also be offered rehabilitation services and expose to employment facilities. Madam Busumtwi-Sam was speaking at the President's end-of-year party for pupils of the Twin-City Special School and the Essipong Metropolitan Assembly Basic School at Essipong near Takoradi. She said the interventions would be captured under the Disability Law. Madam Busumtwi-Sam said it was sad that most physically challenged children have been abandoned and despised and this has forced them to make their living on the street. "With proper education, love and social re-integration such children would be useful to their parents and the society." Madam Busumtwi-Sam appealed to parents to devote monetary and material support for the well-being and education of their children despite their physical and mental health. She said government would ensure that special schools for the physically challenged were given all the assistance and budgetary allocation to ensure effective teaching and learning. In addition, the Government has strengthened the Capitation Grant and absorbed the payment of school fees to enable more parents to enrol their children in school.