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History of GFD

Introduction

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Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) was established in 1987 as a national umbrella organization of persons with disabilities.

Its current members comprise Ghana society of the physically Disabled (GSPD),

Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB), Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Parents Association of children with intellectual Disability (PACID), society of Albinos Ghana (SOAG) and Share Care Ghana (an organization of people with neurologic difficulties).

Mission:
“To be an effective and efficient organization to create awareness about the capacities and capabilities of Persons with Disabilities ( PWD’s) and to promote the equalization of opportunities of PWD’s through advocacy, lobbying and collaboration with other relevant agencies”

Structure:
GFD is administered by a Delegate Assembly which is the highest decision-making body. There is an Executive Board that is in-charge of the day-to-day decisions of the organization. It also has a secretariat with current staff strength of 12 headed by an Executive Director. The secretariat implements projects and other decisions of the Board. There are standing committees that facilitate GFD’s efforts in specific thematic areas of concern, these are; the Advocacy; and Women and Children’s committees.

Programmes area:
GFD’s broad area of focus is Advocacy to influence national policies and programmes for full inclusion and active participation of PWDs. Several activities and programmes take place in this regard. These include: Awareness creation/sensitization, Capacity building of its members, and networking with relevant organizations.

Achievements

Over the years GFD has made several landmarks in the lives of PWDs and the disability movement. These include the following:

It successfully advocated for the passage of the Disability Act, 715 in 2006 to promote and protect the rights of PWDs in Ghana.
Again, it pushed for the inclusion of Disability as a thematic issue in the Growth and Poverty Reductions Strategy II (GPRS II).
GFD advocated for the inclusion of the needs of PWDs in 2004 elections during which tactile balloting was introduced to facilitate independent voting of persons with visual impairment. The same thing is being done towards the 2008 national elections in Ghana.