April 24: Ghana is to host the fifth Africa forum for Blind People in 2011, a recognised event of the African Union of the Blind, which will seek to deliberate on issues affecting people with visual impairments.

The event, which will on the theme: "Access Africa" and slated for the 3 to 8 of July, will bring together about 500 delegates from 70 African countries.

It will be hosted by the Ghana Institute of management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

This was revealed at the National Forum on Blindness, where the event was launched and a host committee for planning that event was inaugurated in Accra yesterday at the Greenhill, Accra.

Mr. Antwi Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, inaugurated the committee on behalf of Vice President John Mahama.

He lauded the credibility and the potential inherent in the Africa forum and congratulated the country for winning the bid to host the event.

Mr. Sekyere said that government is determined to create an enabling environment for the fulfillment of the rights and entitlements of persons with disabilities to equal opportunities.

"We need as a people are to promote positive engagement with disability movements if we truly want to work towards an inclusive society for everyone."

Mr. Sekyere noted that Ghana is privileged to have dynamic and vibrant organisations of Persons with Disabilities (PWD's) actively involved in advocacy and the promotion of rights of PWD's, recalling their role in getting Parliament to pass the Disability Act 2006 (Act 715).

He said, government will not only be guided by the provisions in that Act but also honour all international protocols involving PWD's.

The Forum, which is a tri-annual bilingual regional networking conference, brings together regional leaders from civil society and governments, universities, agencies, professionals, practitioners, beneficiaries and volunteers.

It is expected that the forum will help create opportunity for leadership and programme development on service expansion and research into issues of quality life for the Blind and the Partially Sighted (BPS) and Persons with Disability (PWDs) in general.

Ghana is hosting the event for the second time. It hosted the first event in April 1996.

It is envisaged that the forum will create a platform where the Blind and Partially Sighted persons and PWD's would be motivated in their quest for engagement in a broader spectrum of life.

These include access to jobs, appropriate and quality education at all levels, information and communication, tourism, recreation, independent living and assistive devices and technology.

In a related development, the Ghana Society of the Blind (GSB) and the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB), have merged into one organisation now known as the Ghana Blind Union with the aim of enhancing services to blind and visually impaired to improve their quality of life.

Osagyefo Amotia Ofori Panyin, the Okyehene, who launched the merger at the same function, commended both organizations for agreeing to come together to improve the well being of the blind.

He also called on the government and the general public to lend their support to the organisation to make them productive citizens of the country and urged the Union to continue to live up to its aims.

Source: http://gbcghana.com