Ghana is to host the fifth Africa forum for the Blind in 2011, a recognised event of the African Union of the Blind, which would seek to deliberate on issues affecting people with visual impairments.
The event, which would on the theme: "Access Africa" and slated for the 3 to 8 of July, would bring together about 500 delegates from 70 African countries.
It would be hosted by the Ghana Institute of management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
This was revealed at the National Forum on Blindness, where the event was launched and a host committee for planning that event was inaugurated in Accra on Thursday at the Greenhill, Accra.
Mr Antwi Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, inaugurated the committee on behalf of Vice President John Mahama.
He lauded the credibility and the potential inherent in the Africa forum and congratulated the country for winning the bid to host the event.
Mr Sekyere said government was determined to create an enabling environment for the fulfillment of the rights and entitlements of persons with disabilities to equal opportunities.
"We need as a people are to promote positive engagement with disability movements if we truly want to work towards an inclusive society for
everyone".
Mr Sekyere noted that Ghana was privileged to have dynamic and vibrant organizations of Persons with Disabilities (PWD's) actively involved in advocacy and the promotion of rights of PWD's, recalling their role in getting Parliament to pass the Disability Act 2006 (Act 715).
He said government would not only be guided by the provisions in that Act but also honour all international protocols involving PWD's.
The Forum, which is a tri-annual bilingual regional networking conference, brings together regional leaders from civil society and governments, universities, agencies, professionals, practitioners, beneficiaries and volunteers.
It is expected that the forum will help create opportunity for leadership and programme development on service expansion and research into
issues of quality life for the Blind and the Partially Sighted (BPS) and Persons with Disability (PWDs) in general.
Ghana is hosting the event for the second time. It hosted the first event in April 1996
It is envisaged that the forum would create a platform where the Blind and Partially Sighted persons and PWD's would be motivated in their quest for engagement in a broader spectrum of life.
These include access to jobs, appropriate and quality education at all levels, information and communication, tourism, recreation, independent living and assistive devices and technology.
In a related development, the Ghana Society of the Blind (GSB) and the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB), have merged into one organization now known as the Ghana Blind Union with the aim of enhancing services to the blind and visually impaired to improve their quality of life.
Osagyefo Amotia Ofori Panyin, the Okyehene, who launched the merger at the same function, commended both organizations for agreeing to come
together to improve the well being of the blind.
He called on the government and the general public to lend their support to the organization to make them productive citizens of the country
and urged the Union to continue to live up to its aims.