The launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities Initiative by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has ignited renewed hope and pride among Ghana’s disability community. Beyond promises, this policy marks a visionary step; one that recognizes ability over disability and sets Ghana on course to become a continental model of inclusive development.
A POLICY OF SIGHT: SEEING ABILITY OVER DISABILITY
For many years, the refrain among persons with disabilities in Ghana has been one of hope mixed with uncertainty, hope for recognition, inclusion and empowerment, as well as uncertainty about when that hope would materialize into real systemic change. Today, that narrative is being rewritten.
The announcement by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, during the launch of the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities Initiative, at the Accra College of Education on Friday, 24th October, 2025 has rekindled an unprecedented sense of optimism, dignity, and a sense of belonging among the disability community. This bold vision marks a memorable turning point in our nation’s moral and social consciousness; one that views disability not through the lens of sympathy, but through the lens of sight, fairness, and capability.
A VISION ROOTED IN EMPOWERMENT AND EQUITY
What makes this initiative exceptional is not merely its content, but its philosophy. For the first time in Ghana’s policy history, disability inclusion is being pursued not as an act of charity, but as a strategic national development goal.
The initiative recognizes that disability should not prevent a qualified Ghanaian from pursuing a university degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) or diploma. It seeks to make tertiary education more accessible to persons with disabilities who are most often excluded as a result of financial circumstances.
The policy provides for the payment of eligible beneficiary’s academic and residential fees in all public tertiary institutions as part of the support package. From the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2006, Act 715, to the allocation of portions of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to persons living with disabilities, and to the creation of Disability Health and Resource Centres across second-cycle and public tertiary inclusive institutions in Ghana, this is a comprehensive national vision grounded in equity, empowerment, and opportunity.
The President’s directives have sent a clear message: Persons with disabilities are not liabilities to be pitied, but assets to be developed and celebrated. His emphasis on transforming our national mindset “from commiseration to partnership, from exclusion to empowerment, and from antagonism to solidarity” has resonated deeply within the hearts and minds of all Ghanaians who believe in justice and inclusion.
COMPLETING THE CIRCLE OF INCLUSIVITY
In the spirit of compassion, fairness, and nation-building, it is timely to make one heartfelt appeal; to extend the “Free Tertiary Education for PWDs Policy” to graduate persons with disabilities. The pursuit of higher education beyond the undergraduate level is a critical step for persons with disabilities to be fully equipped to contribute at the highest levels of governance, leadership, and national development.
While free tertiary education will open doors to countless young persons with disabilities, many graduates continue to face financial and structural barriers as they pursue postgraduate degrees or professional certifications. By expanding this special intervention to cover graduate-level studies, persons with disabilities will not be left behind in policy, administration, and leadership roles where graduate qualifications are most often a requirement. Furthermore, Ghana will complete the circle of inclusivity His Excellency has so admirably begun.
A further and compelling justification for extending this special initiative to postgraduate education is the employment reality confronting many persons with disabilities after graduation.
Currently, too many PWDs who successfully complete tertiary education still struggle to secure employment in spite of their qualifications and capabilities. For some, an undergraduate degree does not provide a sufficient competitive advantage in an increasingly demanding labour market, where advanced qualifications, specialist knowledge, and professional credentials can influence access to meaningful employment and leadership opportunities.
Without targeted support to pursue further studies, many capable graduates with disabilities risk remaining unemployed or being excluded from positions for which they could otherwise be well qualified.
Extending the policy to cover postgraduate and other relevant graduate-level programmes would therefore help remove a major financial barrier and enable eligible PWDs strengthen their expertise, broaden their career prospects, and compete more effectively for employment.
In the long term, this investment could also help position more persons with disabilities to contribute meaningfully to policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation, as well as to public administration, institutional leadership, research, and national development.
The policy should not merely help PWDs enter tertiary institutions; it should also help create pathways for them to progress, lead, and participate in shaping the decisions that directly affect their lives and the future of Ghana.
Such a move would not only enhance access but would also position Ghana as a continental leader; a nation where education becomes the ultimate tool of liberation for all citizens, regardless of physical condition. It would demonstrate that our compassion is matched by courage, and our vision by conviction.
A CALL TO COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
The President has rightfully called upon the private sector, civil society, universities, and the media to join in this noble vision. Disability inclusion cannot be the work of government alone; it must be a shared national mission.
Let us, therefore, as a people, take the bull by the horn and ensure that this transformative policy becomes a living and breathing testament of Ghana’s moral strength and developmental maturity.
In conclusion, this new chapter in Ghana’s disability rights movement reminds us that true progress is not measured by sympathy, but by systems; not by handouts, but by opportunities; and not by rhetoric, but by results.
Indeed, we are witnessing a policy born of sight, not sympathy. A sight that sees beyond physical limitations to the vast potential that lies within every Ghanaian.
And as we move forward together as persons with, and those without disabilities, we reaffirm a shared truth: when inclusion becomes the norm, development becomes unstoppable.
Author Bio
Isaac Ansah is the Ghana Gas Disability Liaison Officer, as well as the Senior Community Relations and CSR Officer for the Community Relations Division of Ghana National Gas Ltd Company, where he advocates for inclusive development and disability empowerment. His work focuses on corporate social responsibility, inclusive education, and livelihood empowerment programmes for persons with disabilities.
#JohnMahamaDisabilityLegacies
#InclusionIsNationBuilding
#AbilityOverDisability
#EducationForAll
article by Isaac Ansah (Ghana Gas)
