Wli (V/R)-Ghana, Dec. 24, GNA – Mr Elolo Agyei, Chairman, Hohoe Branch of Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), has called on societies and organisations to recognise the existence of visually impaired children with equal opportunities provided for them.
He said the children were special and had the ability to exhibit their talents and skills when given the needed assistance.
Mr Agyei said this in Wli Afegame during a community sensitisation organised by the Department of Children under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
It was in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Hohoe Municipal with funding from Royal Dutch Visio International in partnership with Presbyterian Health Service and on the theme: “Caring for Children with Visual Impairment.”
He said the need for society to accept visually impaired children enabled them to feel belonged since discriminating against the children discouraged them.
Mr Agyei said some description used on people with disabilities tends to limit their output which was not the best.
He said despite their predicament, people with disabilities also cast votes at all levels of elections as well as participate in other developmental processes.
Mr Agyei called on parents with visually impaired children to ensure that the children received the best education since provisions had been made to enable them have quality education.
Mr Daniel Noble Awume, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) in a speech read on his behalf said the community sensitisation programme was key to the development of visually impaired children and its importance needed not to be downplayed.
He said the programme needed to be embraced if they wanted to help and turn the visually impaired children’s fortunes around as a Municipality.
Mr Awume said parents who deliberately refuse to send their children, especially the visually impaired ones to school or refuse to provide their basic educational needs, must understand that it constitutes a violation of the rights of the children.
“These children need help from all of us as parents, families, society and the nation as a whole for their total development, because as the saying goes disability is not inability.”
Madam Margaret Tetteh, from the Eye Unit, Volta Regional Hospital, Hohoe, said parents must well breastfeed their children and visit the hospital for their ward’s sight to be examined.
She urged parents and teachers to always be on the look out for children and the objects they used to play with, including broomsticks and pebbles.
Madam Tetteh admonished against herbs, salty or sea water and breast milk as treatments for eye problems which persisted in some communities.
Mr Mohammed Aminu, a Senior Staff Nurse at the Volta Regional Hospital, Hohoe, urged parents to teach children with visual impairment to participate in activities such as home chores and in farming activities.
He said the statuses of the children required support to enable them to perform basic tasks which they could execute with ease in the absence of their parents such as eating and drinking water.
Mr Akrobortu Israel, Volta Regional Director, Department of Children, in a statement read on his behalf, said vision played a major in the lives of people and without which development could delay.
He tasked all to support children with visual impairment in communities to become resourceful people in society.
Madam Janet Valerie Datsa Agbotse, Hohoe Municipal Director of Education, said it was sad that some parents of visually impaired children would prevent them from socialising in communities they found themselves.
She said things had now taken a new turn and such children who were mostly skilled had roles to play in societies and must be given the needed support.
Madam Agbotse urged parents to take keen interest in their child’s sight regarding performance in schools and approach the appropriate authorities for needed steps to be taken.
