SWEB advances preparation to launch disability institute
Pro disability organisation SWEB Foundation says plans are advanced to launch Ghana’s first disability institute in 2017 and offer career courses on disabilities for policy leaders and service providers.
The Foundation mooted the idea in 2015 and constituted a seven-member local and international technical advisory team comprising university professionals to deliberate on the curriculum’s content, course modules, as well as accreditation and university affiliation procedures.
Preparations have gone far to establish the SWEB Disability Institute to offer basic and advance courses to individuals, disabled people organisations, media, policymakers, employers, private and government agencies to get professional training on disabilities, Executive Director of SWEB, Mr David Norden Botwey, told the Ghana News Agency.
Facilities have been acquired, legal documentation procedures are ongoing, comprehensive curriculum are being developed while reference books are also being assembled for the commencement of the programme next year, he said.
“We are acquiring a facility along the Koforidua road, we are doing the payment for a five-year period, it is roughly GH₵20, 000,” he said.
We also hope to register the SWEB Disability Institute as a subsidiary to SWEB, semi-autonomous, with the Registrar General Department and then get some outline courses in consultation with the National Accreditation Board (NAB).
The Foundation said the curriculum has been developed awaiting presentation to NAB and there are plans to introduce courses on customer care, techniques of guiding persons with disabilities and techniques of handling wheelchairs amongst others.
We have universities doing courses on disabilities but we don’t have these short courses and we don’t need a university degree to do that; it’s a two – three weeks tailor-made course,” Mr Botwey said.
The Foundation looks to affiliate with international and local institutions like Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Education for more expertise.
Mr Botwey called on local and international organisations to support the institute with funding to train more people and address policy and development gap.
Source: GNA