Students with Disabilities Petition President Mahama Over Gaps in Postgraduate Support

A coalition of tertiary students with disabilities in Ghana has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, urging the government to address perceived gaps in the Free Tertiary Education Policy for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The students contend that the policy, while commendable at the undergraduate level, fails to support postgraduate studies and has removed bursary schemes, creating new inequalities.

In their statement, the coalition noted that under previous frameworks, postgraduate students with disabilities benefited from academic fee waivers and bursaries administered by the Scholarship Secretariat. They argue that these provisions were in line with Section 18 of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), which mandates access to free education and training for PWDs at all levels.

“A student with a disability who advances to postgraduate studies may now be excluded or left without state support, a barrier to full participation in higher learning and professional development,” the petition reads.

The group highlighted that the absence of maintenance allowances or clearly defined postgraduate coverage contradicts the government’s commitment to equality and inclusion, potentially rolling back previous progress.

Among their recommendations, the coalition urged the government to:

• Extend fee waivers and maintenance support to postgraduate levels, including Master’s, MPhil, and PhD programs.
• Reintroduce annual bursaries or social assistance to cover living costs, transport, and assistive devices.
• Publish clear guidelines outlining eligibility, scope, and implementation timelines.
• Ensure continuity with previous scholarship schemes and integrate past benefits into the current framework.
• Establish monitoring mechanisms to track participation, dropouts, and employment outcomes for PWDs.

The coalition also called for inclusion of students at accredited private tertiary institutions and the Ghana School of Law. Beyond education, they raised concerns about rising unemployment among graduates with disabilities, citing non-enforcement of Section 9 of Act 715, which mandates public institutions to reserve at least 5% of positions for qualified PWDs.

They recommended tax incentives and recognition schemes for private employers who hire persons with disabilities and proposed a “PWD Skills and Enterprise Development Fund” to promote entrepreneurship.

Expressing confidence in President Mahama’s commitment to social justice, the coalition appealed for urgent intervention to make the policy more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable for all students with disabilities.