The Contributions of the Districts Disability Common Fund to the Well-Being of Beneficiaries in Ada East District

Abstract

Persons with Disability have been seen and described by different people differently. Theories such as the medical theory of the WHO see disability as a disease which needs to be treated. Some see them as burdens and liabilities that cannot be independent. However other institutions especially human rights institutions such as the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and the United Nations, Local Conventions and policies and the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, recognize the independence and capabilities of persons with disabilities and as such various steps have beentaken to ensure the well-being of persons with disabilities. One of such interventions is the introduction of the 3 percent of the District Disability Common Fund which is meant to address four key conditions of persons with disability namely education, health, capacity building and income generating activities. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which the Disability Common Fund is contributing to the well- being of persons with disability. The study which was conducted at Ada East District employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches in collecting and analyzing the data. The study revealed that the fund has contributed positively to the well-being of persons with disability especially by creating employment for the beneficiaries and also enrolling children in both public and special schools. However, the success of the fund is not without challenges. It was revealed that the size of funds that were requested by the applicants were not granted and the funds granted were too small to yield the needed benefit. Issues of mistrust on the part of both the fund administrators and the beneficiaries were also identified as a hindrance to the implementation of the fund. Recommendations such as additional funding by Non-State actors, capacity building among others were made. When the recommendations are critically adhered to, it will contribute significantly to the well-being of persons with disability.