Many of Ghana's public buildings remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities (PWDs) due to a lack of enforcement of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) and financial constraints. 

Health facilities, educational institutions, banks, churches, bus terminals, markets, and government facilities often lack essential features like ramps, elevators, and accessible facilities, preventing PWDs from accessing services and participating fully in society.  

Graphic Online's Juliet Akyaa Safo and Louisa Kukua Barnes reports that a recent accessibility audit on over 60 public places across 10 districts in Ghana has revealed that only 14 per cent of the facilities have some level of retrofitting done to make it accessible for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

The public places included hospitals, banks, churches, bus terminals and markets.

Additionally, only 8 per cent of the facilities had accessible toilets with a further assessment on transport systems showing zero accessibility standards across different sectors and locations.

This was contained in a Baseline and Organisational Capacity Assessment report of 16 Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) presented at an event in Accra on Wednesday [October 1, 2025].

The survey was undertaken by the Ghana Federation of Disabilities (GFD) and funded by the European Union (EU).

It was aimed at establishing a benchmark data on disability inclusion across selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and stakeholders, while also assessing the strengths, gaps, and capacity needs of 16 OPDs.

Findings

The Monitoring and Evaluation and Research Manager at GFD, Moses Fordjour, said structured questionnaires were administered to selected staff of MMDAs, relevant state institutions, and leaders and members of OPDs, capturing quantitative data on awareness, policy practices, accessibility, and organisational capacity.

Mr Fordjour said their findings further revealed that the selected MMDAs lacked the resources and plan to retrofit facilities, despite a 10-year moratorium from the country’s disability law.

He indicated that the MMDA's budget also did not include specific allocations for retrofitting facilities, leading to ongoing accessibility issues in public services.

In view of the transport system, he said the government needs to take a critical look at the approval process for transportation companies and ensure that standards were in place to make buses and other public transport accessible for persons with disabilities.

He suggested that the government must work collaboratively with OPDs to establish the right standards for accessible public transport.