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GNAD urges media to champion issues of deaf inclusion
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The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) has urged the Ghanaian media to play a stronger role in ensuring access to information and inclusion for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
The call was made by Mr Juventus Duorinaah, Executive Director of GNAD, as part of activities marking this year’s International Week of the Deaf (IWD), which is celebrated globally every September under the auspices of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).
This year’s celebration is themed: ‘No Human Rights without Sign Language Rights.’
According to him, the theme resonates with GNAD’s ongoing advocacy to remove communication barriers and secure the linguistic rights of the deaf community in Ghana.
Mr Duorinaah explained that the recognition of sign language as a human right was supported by international commitments, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly Article 9 on accessibility.
He added that other frameworks, such as UN General Assembly Resolutions A/RES/72/161 and A/ RES/72/162, which proclaim September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL), further affirmed the importance of accessible information and communication.
As part of the celebration, GNAD would host a Media Forum under the theme: ‘no human rights without sign language rights: What role will the Ghanaian media play in ensuring access to information and inclusion?’
The forum will convene heads of news, station managers, directors of TV, producers, publishers, and other key industry players to deliberate on practical ways to promote inclusive communication.
“The media is a key driver of public information and awareness, and it holds a unique responsibility to ensure deaf people are not left behind,” Mr Duorinaah stated.
“By championing inclusion through sign language interpretation and accessible formats, Ghanaian media outlets can help advance the rights and dignity of deaf citizens while strengthening the country’s commitments to international human rights obligations,” he added.
The discussions will spotlight challenges that hinder the deaf’s access to media content and explore strategies for promoting deaf inclusion in the Ghanaian media landscape.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
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The Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy has appealed to the Ministry of Finance to release GH¢5.6 million to the Petroleum Commission to enable it to establish and operate a world-class data centre.
According to the Committee, access to the funds will strengthen the Commission’s capacity to manage critical upstream petroleum data and improve its operations.
Speaking during the appeal, Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, said the move was crucial to efforts to revitalise Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry and increase oil production.
He noted that although investment and hydrocarbon production had declined in recent years, Parliament’s approval of an extension of the petroleum agreement to 2030 had attracted additional funding and contributed to an increase in production from about 80,000 to 120,000 barrels per day.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over repeated budget allocations for oil exploration in the Voltaian Basin.
Mr. Bedzrah stressed that funds approved for exploration must produce tangible results, adding that the Committee would require clear evidence of progress before supporting future budget allocations for the programme.
The appeal was made during a working visit to the Petroleum Commission as part of the Committee’s oversight activities to assess its operations and management procedures.
During the engagement, the Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, took the Committee through the Commission’s working procedures and mandate, which includes regulating, managing and coordinating upstream petroleum activities.
She disclosed that since assuming office in 2025, government had pursued measures to reverse the decline in crude oil production, sustain output and reposition Ghana as an attractive destination for investment in Africa’s increasingly competitive petroleum sector.
In addition, she said government had secured fresh commitments of about US$35 billion to help revitalise the sector.
As part of the oversight exercise, the Committee is expected to conclude its monitoring visit with engagements at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL).
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
“No civilisation deserves to be annihilated” – Mahama calls for dialogue on global conflicts at UNGA 81
President John Dramani Mahama has called for solidarity and dialogue in resolving global conflicts, insisting that no civilisation deserves to be wiped out.
“No human civilisation deserves to be annihilated, certainly not a member state of the United Nations,” President Mahama stated in his address at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He called for solidarity with nations facing terrorism, especially the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and for a uniform approach to conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
On the Middle East, the President called for a return to negotiations, saying “The current Middle East crisis is having a deleterious effect on the world economy.”
“I believe that dialogue can resolve even the most intractable of problems,” he added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
