UEW SPED wins big at Ghana Disability Excellence Awards, 2021
The Department of Special Education (SPED) under the Faculty of Educational Studies (FES) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has emerged winner of the “Excellence in Education” award at the 2nd edition of the Ghana Disability Excellence Awards.
The annual awards ceremony recognises the outstanding achievements of persons within the disability sector who have worked tirelessly to make society a better place. It also pursues to reward organisations and individuals who have developed initiatives that are geared towards improving the lives of people with disabilities.
The event, organised by Friends of the Nation (FonGhana) in partnership with the Ghana Federation of Disability (GFD) organisations and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, was on the theme “full participation amongst persons with disability to access progress”.
UEW SPED was awarded for professionally training competent graduate special educational needs teachers who can adapt to the rapidly changing world environment as well as making use of modern technologies and employing up-to-date techniques and principles developed in the discipline to endow its graduates with academic competence, professional skills and critical minds.
In an interview with the Ag. Head of SPED, Dr. Robert Andrews Ghanney, disclosed his elation for the recognition of the Department’s hard work in community-based rehabilitation and research. “It’s a great piece of news. This has made us aware that whatever we are doing in terms of special education needs for our students are being recognised by people outside UEW.”
Dr. Ghanney enumerated disability programmes the Department runs which he believes contributed to winning the award. “The Department is known for so many disability programmes such as visual and hearing impairments, intellectual disability, community-based rehabilitation and these are what we spearhead as captured in our mission and vision for the Department and for that matter the University of Education where we conduct research.”
He indicated that the Department also contributes to educational policy and development in all matters relating to disability studies.
“What we have done tonight is part of the project geared towards enlightening the public about the need to make people know that disability does not mean inability. Disability means that those who have them should also be recognised. They should also be given the due opportunity because they have talents and these talents would also have to be exhibited and we do not have to put any impediments in their way. That is why we are also championing the issue of inclusive education for all,” he stated.
Another award also went to a group of UEW SPED students who host the programme “Disability Focus” on the campus radio station of the University, Radio Windy Bay, 98.3 FM. The team was honoured for its exceptional efforts in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities as a student disability advocacy group in Ghana.
