Submitted By John Dada, CEO of Fantsuam Foundation
Fantsuam Foundation’s Mission is to eliminate poverty and disadvantage through integrated development programs. Its holistic approach to the problems of poverty and disadvantage is both its strength and constant source of challenge. When Fantsuam decided to beam its search lights on people with low vision, it found that there were no existing computer and internet facilities and access in the Kafanchan area. Our first efforts in 2009 were led by the VSO volunteer, Cicely Brown who tried to get special footballs for the blind, which have a bell inside . This efforts was followed in 2010 with the installation of JAWS software on our public computers to make them accessible to people with low vision.
As the computer training at Fantsuam becomes more widely known, the population of students with disabilities have been on the increase. While we welcome this development, it has posed a challenge to the Fantsuam management. Some of our facilities are disability-compliant. The Fantsuam Academy needs more easier access for wheel chair users, the toilets too need to be adapted for them. The latest challenge is a 25-year old female student, Miss P who arrived on all fours because her legs are not weigh-bearing. Her determination to acquire computer education is an inspiration to all and Fantsuam Foundation has offered her scholarship for all her training. The challenge for Fantsuam Foundation is to ensure that we meet a gold standard in disability-compliance to make sure Miss P’s learning experience is one she will be proud of. She will also need a wheel chair.
The challenge of being an inclusive organization is one that Fantsuam Foundation embraces and it will do its best within its limited resources to make sure that persons with disability have equitable access to all our facilities.