Helios Towers Ghana has called on stakeholders to ensure that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are fully included in the government’s flagship One Million Coders programme. The appeal was made by the company’s Managing Director, Kweku Frempong, during a coding literacy event at the Demonstration School for the Deaf in Mampong-Akuapem.
“It is commendable to promote digitisation for the able-bodied, but it is far more impactful to also carry along our less-abled brothers and sisters,” Frempong stated, emphasizing that digital inclusion must be intentional and widespread.
Echoing the call, Setumte D. Ametewee, Headmaster of the Demonstration School for the Deaf, urged the government to implement targeted measures to include students with disabilities in the national coding agenda. He also appealed for support in the form of IT equipment to aid coding instruction at the school.
The event formed part of the Coding Caravan initiative, now in its fourth year, organized by the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana (IIPGH) in collaboration with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and sponsored by Helios Towers Ghana. This year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers: Coding, Leadership and Inclusion for All,” emphasized the need to bridge the digital divide for learners with disabilities.
Speaking to the media, Louis Bobbie Osei, Research and Regulatory Manager at the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, reinforced the importance of digital access for special needs students. “We believe that beyond able-bodied students, special needs students also deserve to have access to this knowledge,” he said, calling on private sector partners to support sustained learning opportunities.
With PWDs estimated to make up about 8% of Ghana’s population, stakeholders argue that excluding them from the One Million Coders initiative would undermine its national impact. The call for inclusion aims to unlock the full potential of Ghana’s human capital through equitable digital empowerment.
Source: B&FT (Business & Financial Times)
