Ghana commits to ICT skills development for the disabled

GOVERNMENT

Ghana’s government says it is committed to providing ICT skills to people with disabilities to enable them contribute to national development. 

President John Dramani Mahama said under the senior high school computerisatoion project, some of the graduates would be integrated into the mainstream as ICT instructors or trainers while others would be maintained to repair computers.

President Mahama was speaking at the maiden graduation ceremony of Persons with Disability ICT Project and distribution of Better Ghana laptops at the Accra International Conference Centre under the auspices of rlg Communications Limited.

He said it was not worth enrolling people with disabilities and the youth in schools without providing them employable skills. He said persons with disabilities should no longer associate themselves with tokenism and pettiness that sought to undermine their dignity, respect and self-esteem.

President Mahama said government had repositioned itself to preparing persons with disability and students across the educational divide with skills in ICT as part of government’s commitment to building a Better Ghana through technology and innovation.

He disclosed that in phase one of the project, 60,000 laptops have been distributed to teachers and students in basic and senior high schools, nursing training colleges, colleges of education, polytechnics and universities to promote teaching and learning in ICT and research.

President Mahama added that while in phase two additional 100,000 would be distributed to basic and second cycle schools as well as tertiary institutions, 400, 000 would be circulated in the next four years.

He appealed to Ghanaians, especially the youth and other stakeholders, to work cordially with the security agencies to have successful elections to make Ghana the model of Africa.

Roland Agambire, Chief Executive Officer of rlg Communications Limited, explained that rlg, in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, launched the Persons with Disability ICT Project aimed at equipping them with ICT skills for the contemporary world.