“Ghana’s Disability Act Faces Criticism for Implementation Gaps and Limited Scope”

Story by Fada Amakye

At the Annual Disability Lecture, themed “The Stark Reality of Disability Legislation in Ghana,” which honored the legacy of John Agyekum Kufuor, Dr. James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr highlighted significant challenges facing Ghana’s Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). Despite being a landmark achievement in Ghana’s disability rights movement, the Act has several limitations and implementation gaps that need to be addressed.

The Act’s definition of disability is relatively narrow, lacking a social and rights-based approach. It fails to explicitly address psychosocial disabilities, intersectionality, and evolving concepts of accessibility and autonomy.

Implementation remains weak, with many public facilities and services inaccessible to persons with disabilities. A 2025 accessibility audit revealed that only 14% of public facilities had retrofitting for accessibility, 8% had accessible toilets, and 0% of transport systems met accessibility standards.

Municipal and district assemblies lack budgetary allocations and technical capacity to enforce the Act. The 10-year moratorium for retrofitting public buildings expired in 2016, and state-owned facilities remain non-compliant.

Awareness of the Act is alarmingly low among the general public and persons with disabilities. Many persons with disabilities are unaware of their rights or how to access them.

A comparative analysis with disability legislation in South Africa, Kenya, the United States, and the United Kingdom reveals that Ghana’s Act lacks robust enforcement architecture and judicial remedies. It also fails to mandate reasonable accommodation, a core principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The analysis emphasizes the need for education on the Act, increased budgetary allocations, and accessible infrastructure to promote inclusivity and equality for persons with disabilities.