The Executive Secretary of the Right To Information Commission (RTIC), Genevieve Shirley Latey has disclosed plans by the Commission to convert the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) into brail and other forms to enable Persons with visual and hearing impairments to equally have access to their rights to information.
Shirley Latey has explained that the Commission seeks to achieve this with the support of the Ghana Blind Union and various stakeholders within the next five years.
“Currently, we are in collaboration with the School of the Blind to convert the Act into brail and make it accessible to the physically challenged, and also convert it into pocket size for students” the Executive Secretary of RTIC told the press.
This revelation came to light during the press launch of the 5th anniversary of the Right To Information Commission and the Right to Information Month held in Accra on Tuesday August, 19, 2025.
According to the Executive Secretary, the theme for the anniversary, “RTIC @ 5: Championing Transparency and Accountability through access to Environment Information in a Digital Era” is an indication of the commission’s commitment not only to ensuring access to information and promoting transparency and accountability but to stay relevant in the face of modern trends and help tackle the environmental challenges confronting Ghana.
“Over these five years, we have consistently promoted transparency, accountability, and open governance, while empowering citizens to participate fully in national development. This theme is timely and significant. It highlights not only our five-year journey, but also the global focus on ensuring access to environmental information while embracing digital innovation as a tool for inclusion and sustainable development” Shirley Latey stated.
She touted that the commission has gone the length and breadth of Ghana educating the people about their rights to information, the importance of the Act and how to access and use the Act.
In her response to the question on the challenges facing the commission, the Deputy Board Chairperson of RTIC, Madam Elizabeth Asare, answered “Logistics is the highest challenge we are facing; especially finance. We are short of staff and we can’t employ unless the window is opened. Human resources, logistics and money are our key challenges in a nutshell.”
The Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) establishes the RTI Commission as the sole institution mandated by Act 989 to oversee the implementation of Act 989. The objective of the Commission is to: a. Promote, b. Monitor, c. Protect, and d. Enforce the right to information that is granted to a person under paragraph (f) of clause (1) of Article 21 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the provisions of Act 989.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu
