Policy paper

Special Mothers Project

Published 23 July 2018

Form for submitting commitments for the Global Disability Summit 2018

Your organisation

Type of organisation: Private Sector Organisation

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Name of organisation Special Mothers Project

Charter for Change

Please read the attached Summit Charter for Change: the principal legacy of the Summit. If your organisation is happy to sign up to the Charter, please confirm by putting a cross in the box below.

My organisation signs up to the Summit Charter for Change x

Your organisation’s commitments to achieve the rights of people with disabilities in developing countries

A. Commitments to eliminate Stigma and Discrimination:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit):

The Special Mothers Project is committed to create awareness on cerebral palsy and its related issues in Ghana to make all Ghanaians understand that cerebral palsy is not a curse. We create awareness using the media and by empowering parents especially mothers

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Awareness is an ongoing activity, we hope that in five years about 70 percent of Ghanaians will fully understand cerebral palsy as a condition and join the effort to stop stigmatization and discrimination

B. Commitments for Inclusive Education:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Capacity building: teachers and staff

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

The Special Mothers Project is embarking of a training and awareness creation programme in schools especially early Childhood Educational Centres to enable them cerebral palsy as a condition to avoid discriminating against children with cerebral palsy whose parents may want to send them to such centre. Children with cerebral palsy do better when they mix with regular children

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

We hope that in the next five years about 50 percent of early childhood centres or day centres will understand cerebral palsy as a condition and accept children with cerebral palsy in their facilities, We believe Inclusion should start from there

C. Commitments for Economic Empowerment:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Inclusive social protection systems

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who havesupported its development (75 words limit):

Many parents especially mothers get sacked from work due to the many excuses from work because they need to honour one appointment after another at the hospital or with the therapists, getting people who are equipped to even handle children with cerebral palsy effectively is a big issue in Ghana. Many mothers have had to quit their jobs to take care of their children, the special mothers project aims at enhancing the skills that mothers already have in taking care of their children into marketable skills to benefit other families in similar situations such that others can go to work and earn an income. Training mothers and caregivers to make their services professional is one of our goals

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

We hope that in the next three years there will be any more people who venture into careers that support families raising children with cerebral palsy

D. Commitments for Technology and Innovation:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Policy and guidance

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

The Special Mothers Project is working to ensure that policy is formulated to ensure the use of technology and innovation in terms of children with cerebral palsy in all spheres of life.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

We hope that in the next five years more technology in terms of assistive device for children with cerebral palsy in the classrooms, at homes and at public places is available through effective policy of technology and innovation

E. Commitments for Data Disaggregation:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Commit resources to support strengthened disability data

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

No data exist for children with cerebral palsy in Ghana. Its urgent

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

The Time is now, start data gathering now

F. Commitments forWomen and Girls with Disabilities:

Please copy and paste this box for additional commitments under this theme.

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who havesupported its development (75 words limit):

Mothers suffers the most when their children have a disability, therefore women should be given some consideration and their voices heard when formulating policies

Timeframe and/or implementation plan(75 words limit)

We need to get mothers opinion in formulating policies now,

G. Commitments forpeople with disabilities in Humanitarian Contexts:

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit): Implement the disability law fully.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan(75 words limit)

The time is now