Policy paper

BasicNeeds Ghana

Published 23 July 2018

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Form for submitting commitments for the Global Disability Summit 2018

1. Your organisation

Type of organisation: Civil Society Organisation

If other: Mental Health Advocacy and Development

Name of organisation BasicNeeds Ghana

2. Charter for Change

Please read the attached Summit Charter for Change: the principal legacy of the Summit. If your organisation is happy to sign up to the Charter, please confirm by putting a cross in the box below. My organisation signs up to the Summit Charter for Change ☒

3. Your organisation’s commitments to achieve the rights of people with disabilities in developing countries

A. Commitments to eliminate Stigma and Discrimination:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Policy, legislation and its implementation Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit): We are committed as a Mental Health and Development Advocacy organisation, to see to it that Government passes the Legislative Instrument on the mental health Act which will make its implementation effective. By way of committing resources for the mental healthcare services in the country as the L.I would have a mental health fund readily available for such efforts?

We also want to see that, there is a total closure of all witches camps in the country to end violations of human rights of persons with mental illnesses and vulnerable populations in general. Economic Empowerment of persons with mental illnesses and epilepsy and other vulnerable populations will also help to reduce stigma and discrimination.

As a mental health and development advocacy organization, we are working closely with prayer camps to end the dehumanizing conditions that Persons with mental illness or epilepsy are often subjected to. In this process, payer camps handlers and traditional healers have their capacities built by BasicNeeds-Ghana and they are now making referrals of mental health conditions brought to their attention to the various psychiatric units for further examination and treatment.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Timeframe: Passage of the Legislative Instrument on the mental health Act by December, 2018.This act when passage should also include an indication of the source of funding to the mental health fund. Total closure of Witches and Prayer camps (that violates the rights of persons with mental illnesses) in the Country, by December, 2018.Governmnet commitment to increasing budgetary allocations to vulnerable groups through the local assemblies for their economic empowerment activities by March, 2019.Activities that will be undertaken to achieve this include: Engagement with various duty bearers including the Parliamentary select Committee on health of the parliament of Ghana on the need for the passage of the LI on the mental health act, the Ministry of Finance, Local assemblies, economic empowerment trainings to Vulnerable populations etc.

B. Commitments for Inclusive Education:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Capacity building: teachers and staff Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit): Government Commitment towards inclusive education should include building the capacity of Teachers other than educational Staff to be able to handle student/pupil’s with Special needs such as children with epilepsy, special attention, attention deficit disorders, and those with common mental disorders such as depressions in schools. We expect Government to commit through the relevant agencies to provide in-service trainings to Teachers and Educational Staff on issues of disability. Through the relevant agencies of Government, we expect increased in awareness creation on inclusive educations by way of helping parents and people with disabilities have access to education.

Government should also ensure that schools are disability friendly so as to accommodate all categories of people.

Government should empower Special Education Development (SPED) Coordinators, School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinators and Guidance and Counselling Coordinators so that they would continue to support children with disabilities in their studies.

Government should also work towards Making Special education part and parcel of the GES curriculum.

Government should continue to liase with non-state actors working in areas of disability to effectively sensitize the populace on disability issues so as to disabuse their minds towards their conditions. This would also contribute to efforts of reducing stigma and discrimination.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Timeframe: December, 2019. Activities will include our engagement with government through the Ministry of Education and Ghana health Service, our engagement with the local authorities and the general public through drummer and Durbars to increase awareness. We shall also form partnerships with the Media to promote awareness creation jingles and adverts on inclusive education.

C. Commitments for Economic Empowerment:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Skills development for decent work Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

We would be happy to see government commitment towards skills development of persons with disabilities for decent works. In Ghana, many people living with disabilities have potentials which are untapped. A commitment by government towards providing skills for them through appropriate agencies such as the National board for Small Scale Initiatives will help increase their earning and provide them with decent work. In addition, Government commitment to setting up centres/ halfway homes in all District Assemblies across Ghana to serve as centres for persons with disabilities to use as their training and working centres in the will be appropriate.

We also expect government to readily commit resources towards executing its social intervention for persons with disabilities by Committing resources to PWDS through the 3% District Assembly Common Fund and the LEAP programme to economically empower persons with disabilities.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Timeframe: By December, 2019. Activities: regular monitoring of the quarterly Disbursements and Usage of the 3%District Assembly common fund to persons with disabilities. Engagement with the District Level Social Welfare and community development offices in all districts in the country

D. Commitments for Technology and Innovation:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Join Global Partnership for Assistive Technology Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit): Commitment to the Global partnership for Assistive Technology availability and accessibility for people living with Disabilities Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit) December, 2019: Activities include engagement with relevant governmental bodies, advocate for tax exemptions on assistive technology to make their importation cheaper.

E. Commitments for Data Disaggregation:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Commit resources to support strengthened disability data Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Commit resources towards strengthening of relevant agencies such as the Department of Social welfare and community development and the Statistical services to employ new technology towards gathering accurate data on disability in the country.

Equip the District Health Information Management Information System (DHIMS) with the requisite expertise so as to be able to make available disaggregated data on disability conditions for better planning and management.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit) December, 2019.Activities include training of relevant data staff on disability issues, and advocate for the adoption of appropriate questionnaire such as the Washington group of questions into the local context by government agencies.

F. Commitments for Women and Girls with Disabilities:

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

We expect to see Government commitment to end violence against Women, girls with disabilities. Our expectation is also to see that vulnerable populations of women, especially those accused of witch craft who are in the witches camps and are experiencing psychological trauma as result, are giving given protection by Government by bringing a total closure to these camps. Additionally, Women and girls with disabilities should also be given appropriate skills trainings in order for them to raise income and become economically stable

We also expect government to commit resources towards building the capacities of persons with disabilities such that they are better positioned to contribute to the development discourse.

Government should also be committed to ensuring that domestic violence perpetrated among women and girls with disabilities are eliminated by strengthening the laws and empowering the relevant institutions to discharge their duties equitably.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

December, 2019, Activities will include: Partnerships with relevant advocacy CSO s into women and girls, engagement with Government ministries, departments and agencies such as the Gender ministry, social welfare department etc. Undertake awareness creation activities towards educating traditional leaders and the general public.

G. Commitments for people with disabilities in Humanitarian Contexts:

Please copy and paste this box for additional commitments under this theme.

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit):

Government commitment towards the passage of the LI on the mental health Act (846), Amendment of aspect of the Affirmative action bill to include people with disability. Increase awareness creation programs on disability issues towards the reduction of stigma and discrimination, facilitate the accessibility of assistive technology for people with disability as well as ensure economic empowerment for them

Government should also commit resources in working to end issues of torture among persons with disabilities who have sought asylum in the country.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

December, 2019: Activities will include engagement with relevant agencies, awareness creation activities targeting the general public and increase media activities.

H. Other Commitments

Please enter the exact wording of any other commitment/s that do not fall under the themes above, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Commitments towards regular financing mental healthcare Strengthening the manpower base of the mental health staff to be able to provide quality mental healthcare for the citizens

Timely and regular release of funds through the District Assemblies Common Fund to support Persons with disabilities at the various districts and community level

Commit to coming out with policies and framework to end all form of violence or discrimination against persons with disabilities. .