Mr Francis Asong, Executive Director of VOICE Ghana, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the future of the organisation that the Board of Directors took a strategic decision to transform the entity into a robust continental Disability Research and Policy Institute.

“The bigger picture is that the Institute shall have faculty of seasoned disability experts, social and development professionals, human and disability rights lawyers, and researchers; and become a disability research and policy reference point mainly for African governments and parliaments as well as public and private sectors,” he outlined.

He said the establishment was expected to liaise with some academic and research institutions to run disability fellowship programmes and hold periodic conferences, lectures, seminars, and webinars as well as social events on topical disability matters, including awards for state and non-state actors in Africa.

The Executive Director observed “This vision is relevant as there is no such Disability Think Tank in Africa.”
He said the establishment was utilising support from the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) as part of its ongoing project to start initial work towards the effective take-off of the institute.

He appealed to interested donors, philanthropists, businesses and industries, to support them in realising the new vision, in the best interest of people with disabilities, including people with mental health conditions across Africa.