2018 International Service Award

November 23, 2018

The AUCD International Service Award recognizes outstanding contributions that further programs or policies designed to create more inclusive communities for people with disabilities and their families throughout the world. The award is given in recognition of personal and professional efforts in program areas that proactively support people with disabilities and their families at local, regional, or national levels in the host country.

Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie, MA

Enlightening and Empowering People with Disabilities in Africa (eepdAfrica)-Ghana Colchester, VT

“Sefakor is a teacher, advocate, and leader in the disability field. As a person with a physical disability growing up in Ghana, she was fortunate to have parents who understood the value of education and encouraged her to pursue her dreams. For years, her mother carried her to and from school every day and packed a container for her because she could not access the restroom. Later on, she was inspired by the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Determined to make a difference, she started raising awareness and advocating at the grass-roots level for persons with disabilities in Ghana. In 2012, she founded Enlightening and Empowering People with Disabilities (eepdAfrica) to analyze policies, create awareness, advocate for change, and influence policies that affect people with disabilities in Africa. eepdAfrica is the only volunteer organization of its kind in Africa. They champion the cause of all people to be treated with dignity and equitably in their local as well as global communities. To accomplish their mission, they engage in dialogue with policy makers and stakeholders to influence policy that can change the existing barriers for people with disabilities along the lifespan. They empower and ensure that people with disabilities in Africa enjoy the rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, as well as in the policies and laws in their constitutions, without any discrimination. Sefakor is a Ford Foundation International Fellow, professional Policy Analyst, an Advocate, a Counselor and a professional Teacher. She is currently a PhD student in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies as well as a co-teacher of Special Education course in the University of Vermont. She is also a member of the World Learning Global Advisory Council.”