For years, the phrase “disability is not inability” has been used to describe the potential of persons living with disabilities.
In Ahanta West, the saying is now being backed with something more tangible — the tools, equipment and financial support needed to turn that potential into livelihoods.
The Ahanta West Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with the Member of Parliament for the area, Mavis Kuukua Bissue, and the Department of Social Welfare, has distributed livelihood support items and cash to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) across the municipality.
The intervention, led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ing. Ebenezer Aidoo, is aimed at helping beneficiaries establish or expand small businesses and income-generating ventures to become more economically independent.
For the beneficiaries, the support represents more than the arrival of new equipment. It offers an opportunity to earn an income, support their families and participate more actively in the economic life of their communities.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr Aidoo said the initiative was not an act of charity, but part of a broader commitment to ensuring that PWDs were included in the municipality’s development agenda.
He said the support was consistent with the government’s Reset Agenda, which he explained, seeks to promote inclusion, dignity and shared prosperity.
“This initiative reflects the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring that PWDs are not left out of our development agenda, but are supported to live dignified, productive, and independent lives,” he said.
The MCE said the government had, from 2026, increased the allocation from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) earmarked for persons with disabilities from three per cent to five per cent.
He said the increase demonstrated the government’s recognition of the need to provide PWDs with practical opportunities to become self-reliant rather than treating them merely as recipients of assistance.
“Disability is not inability,” Mr Aidoo said, stressing that what PWDs need are opportunities, the right tools and adequate support to unlock their potentials.
From assistance to independence
The items distributed were carefully targeted at different livelihood activities. They included fufu pounding machines, industrial sewing machines, ovens, flour, gas cylinders, sugar, chest freezers, grinding machines and other essential equipment, alongside cash support.
The beneficiaries are expected to use the items to establish or strengthen businesses ranging from food processing and baking to sewing and other small-scale enterprises. Mr Aidoo urged the beneficiaries to use the support responsibly and productively, saying the ultimate objective was to help them build sustainable livelihoods.
He said empowering PWDs economically would not only improve their personal welfare, but also enable them to contribute to the socio-economic development of the municipality. The Assembly is also taking steps to ensure that the support does not end with the distribution of the items.
Mr Aidoo disclosed that a Disability Desk was being established to work closely with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
The desk, he said, would help improve planning, budgeting, monitoring, transparency and accountability in the use of future funds allocated to PWDs. He commended the Department of Social Welfare and the Fund Management Committee for what he described as their diligence and transparency throughout the disbursement process.
The Municipal Director of Social Welfare, Madam Emma Nordzo, also urged the beneficiaries to put the items and funds to productive use.She advised them to see the intervention as an opportunity to build sustainable livelihoods rather than temporary relief.
For the beneficiaries, the support has brought renewed hope.They expressed appreciation to the President, the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly, the MCE and the Member of Parliament for the assistance.
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