By Philip Antoh
Graduates with disabilities are demanding an end to systemic discrimination in Ghana’s labour market, emphasizing that they want equal opportunities, not sympathy.
Speaking on various media platform, Gilbert Boateng Ayare, Convenor of the Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities, stressed that persons with disabilities possess the academic qualifications and professional skills needed to drive national development.
He clarified that their demand is rooted in a desire for fairness, not preferential treatment.
“We are not asking for charity. We are asking for what is due us because we are also part of the system,” Ayare said.
“We form part of the country. We vote, we pay taxes, and quite a few of us are responsible citizens.”
Ayare argued that unfounded assumptions about the capabilities of persons with disabilities continue to create unnecessary hiring barriers.
He cited a University of Ghana graduate with a degree in Social Work as a prime example, noting that her disability does not hinder her job performance if provided with basic tools like a laptop.
Despite being highly qualified, many graduates with disabilities remain unemployed due to discriminatory recruitment practices.
Consequently, the coalition is calling on authorities to strictly enforce existing disability inclusion policies and intentionally create a level playing field in the employment sector.