Accra – Monday, 24th June, 2024: The Executives of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf, led by the Programmes Coordinator, Mr. Kakra Ankobiah, paid a courtesy call on the Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the need to engage sign language interpreters at the local level.
Mr. Ankobiah highlighted the challenges faced by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), particularly the Deaf, in accessing the District Assemblies Common Fund due to communication barriers. He emphasized that lack of understanding deprives them of full access to the funds. Generally, the communication gap negatively impacts their daily interactions, especially with social services. Often, Deaf PWDs are excluded from essential services such as healthcare, he bemoaned.
Mr. Ankobiah appealed to the Head of Service to consider the recruitment of sign language interpreters into the Local Government Service to address the absence of such interpreters in the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
He emphasized the need to have at least one sign language interpreter at the local level to help bridge the communication gap between PWDs and access to social services. This, he said, would ultimately enable the PWDs to contribute their quota to national development.
The Head of Service acknowledged the concerns raised by the executives of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf and reiterated the commitment of the LGS towards the AU Agenda 2063 on leaving no one behind. Thus, the request was very appropriate and in the right direction.
He encouraged them to provide the Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS) with comprehensive data on existing sign language interpreters. This data, he said, will be used to evaluate their skill levels and general capabilities for future recruitment considerations.
Also present at the meeting were the Chief Director of the OHLGS, Mrs. Felicia Dapaah Agyeman-Boakye and the Director of Internal Audit, Mr. Thomas A. Allotey (OHLGS).