How Ghana’s Financial Sector is Learning to Serve Everyone
Most Ghanaians walk into a bank without thinking twice. But for others, especially persons living with disabilities, a simple transaction can be a reminder of exclusion: a counter that is too high to reach, a staircase without a railing, a puzzled stare from a teller who does not know how to engage, or a form printed in tiny text that cannot be read. These are not minor inconveniences. They are barriers that quietly say: “You don’t belong here.”
For years, many persons with disabilities have been unintentionally shut out of Ghana’s formal financial system. Not because they lack potential, but because the system was not built with them in mind. And yet, access to finance is not charity; it is a right, a foundation for dignity, independence, and economic participation.
A Turning Point in Ghana’s Financial Landscape
In 2024, Ghana took a historic step. For the first time, the country’s financial regulators placed disability inclusion at the center of financial accessibility. The Bank of Ghana introduced the Directive on Financial Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities, requiring banks and financial institutions to make their services physically, digitally, and communicatively accessible. No longer is a ramp or a friendly smile enough. Institutions must now ensure that every stage of customer experience, from onboarding to digital banking, can be used by everyone, regardless of ability.
At the same time, the National Insurance Commission (NIC) unveiled its Draft Disability Inclusion Guidelines, setting expectations for how insurance providers communicate, process claims, and interact with clients with disabilities.
Where Policy Meets Practice
It was within this transformative moment that GIZ’s Support to the Private and Financial Sector (PFS) Programme, together with the Global Programme Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, offered training on inclusive financial services for persons with disabilities in October 2025.
The goal was clear: to translate these progressive policies into everyday practice, equipping financial service providers (frontliners and managers) with the understanding, skills, and confidence to serve all customers, especially persons with disabilities, with dignity and fairness.
The training spanned six regions, bringing together 197 institutions, including 164 financial institutions and 33 insurance companies, with participation from the NIC and the Micro-Credit Association of Ghana. In total, 331 professionals took part: branch managers, CEOs, relationship officers, customer service staff, and regulators.
The training covered a wide range of topics, including Ghana’s disability policies, respectful communication, accessible service delivery, emotional intelligence, and inclusive design. It challenged financial officers to reconsider long-held assumptions.
And as the sessions progressed, something remarkable began to shift.
Comfort Abrafi, Manager at SkyComfort Microcredit, reflected on the moment the training changed her perspective: “I used to see persons with disabilities as charity cases. Now I understand they deserve the best of our service. The training helped me replace sympathy with empathy.” Her honesty echoed through the room. Many realised they had been treating clients with disabilities differently without even noticing.
The conversations became an awakening. By the end of the sessions, several institutions had already begun planning concrete changes. Eagletrust Microcredit realised its offices were unintentionally excluding people.
“We will redesign our spaces to make them disability-friendly,” said CEO Joseph Manu. “We will introduce policies that make inclusion part of how we work.”
At Quality Life Assurance, Branch Manager Bernard Tawiah spoke about practical adjustments: “We are looking at assistive tools like braille and even moving to ground-floor offices. We will also process claims using technology, so clients do not need to travel as often.” These were not abstract commitments. They were steps toward reshaping the financial experience for all.
Perhaps the most profound transformation occurred within participants themselves.
Addo Margaret Owusuaa of KudiPlus Microcredit admitted: “I now know they are just like any of us. We will create products tailored for them and partner with NGOs to support their businesses.”
Their voices captured a new truth: Inclusion is not only about access, but also about attitude.
The Ripple Effect
By the end of the training, participants were no longer the same. They spoke differently. Listened differently. Envisioned their roles differently. Many are committed to training their staff, redesigning offices, simplifying processes, and advocating for accessible services. As Victor Owusu, CEO of Capital Reliance Microcredit Enterprise, put it: “Persons with disabilities are not looking for freebies. Some own businesses and want to be treated like everyone else. I will start by training my staff, so inclusion becomes part of how we work.” The conversation had reached where it mattered most: the everyday decision-makers who shape customer experience.
A Step Toward an Inclusive Ghana
For GIZ, this initiative is one of the ways the programme is supporting Ghana’s progress toward its commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 8 and SDG 10). And its impact will be felt long after the training ended. Because the next time a customer walks into a bank, whether with a wheelchair, a hearing aid, a cane, or an invisible disability, they will find more than a ramp. They will find respect. They will find understanding. They will find a financial officer who sees ability before disability
A New Lens for Ghana’s Financial Sector
True inclusion is not about constructing new institutions. It is about transforming their hearts. Through this training, Ghana’s financial service providers have taken a bold step, one that signals compliance, regulations, and compassion in action.
One branch. One teller. One interaction at a time.
Testimonials from Participants
Each participant left the training as a bridge between Ghana’s financial system and some of its most overlooked customers. Here are some testimonials from the participants.
Article by Fatima Gberbie
GIZ Ghana