A Ghanaian software engineer and advocate of disability rights, Farida Nana Afua Badwei, has admonished all to bear in mind that disability is not discriminatory and could therefore happen to anyone.
She is therefore calling on government to act quickly in implementing inclusive policies that would not leave out persons with disability.
Farida is living with the cerebral palsy – a congenital disorder of movement, muscles and posture, that hinders the body’s ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way – but has not allow the condition to limit what she is capable of.
Though living with this condition, Farida Badwei is the Chief Technical Officer and co-founder of Logicel a Fintech company that provides cloud based software solution to microfinance institutions.
Speaking on ‘Road to Glory’ a segment of 3FM’s Sunrise Morning show with Martin Asiedu-Dartey, Farida noted that living with disability in Ghana is challenging.
“I always say one thing, disability cannot discriminate. It can happen to anybody at any time.
“These days we have these auto-immune conditions and neurological conditions that people get that people get later on in life, and they suffer it more than those of us who have had it most of our whole lives because they know what it was like to have a different live.
“So please do what you can to make sure that if it happens to you, you can survive [just] because you have done what need to be done to make the world a better place for people living with disability,” she said.
Farida expressed frustration with successive governments in Ghana for not implementing an inclusive disability policy.
[caption id="attachment_130078" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Farida Nana Afua Badwei[/caption]
In cases where such policy is implemented, it was not sympathetic to the plight of people living with disability.
“I am not bothered whether it is the law or the UN convention, I just want things done. I mean we are tired of these papers, laws and other things that don’t get implemented.
“We have had enough of the talking. We want action. And I think that should be what we all want regardless of whether it is disability right, human rights or whatever you feel is your right as a citizen of Ghana,” she stated.
Farida Badwei recalled that when the Metro Mass buses was introduced, it was said persons with disability will board free “but there is no rump on the bus for wheelchair to get into the bus. I wonder how they expect them to get on the bus to use it for free.”
Even with her disability that affect the motor skill of patients, Farida disclosed that she does not use any special software to type out her code.
“I started using a typewriter at the age of five. So by the time computer came into being typing was very easy for me,” she added.
In addressing people also living with disability, Farida Badwei admonished, “I know it is not easy but we have to find a way of living our best possible life to bring the situation within the confines of our society.”
By Paul Selorm Agbo | 3news.com|Ghana]]>
