Male wheelchair racer Raphael Botsyo (pictured), female wheelchair racer Anita Fordjour, paracyclist Alem Memuni and powerlifter Charles Nartey are all set to be supported by the programme as they look to achieve their goal of competing in the capital after the quartet arrived at the Academy in June this year.

Right to Dream will provide the elite team with an intensive training programme, administrative support, a tailored nutritional programme, sports psychology, accommodation, family support and employment opportunities post London 2012 after the athletes were found to have the talent and determination to succeed and become role models for young people with disabilities.

"I have competed in two Paralympics but never won a medal because of poor preparation," said Botsyo, who became the first Ghanaian to compete in the Paralympic Games at Athens in 2004. 

"Preparation is everything.

"Now I have the chance for good preparation to win and to change the perception of disability in my country."

If successful at London 2012, it is hoped that the new role models will help inspire and engage with disabled children across Ghana and promote the Right to Dream Paralympic Academy scheme to attract the next generation of Paralympian talent.

"I look at the opportunity as a dream," said Memuni, who is Africa's top Paracyclist.

"I crawled for nine years before I had a stick to help me walk and now I have the chance to represent my country and help others with disability succeed in life."

Nartey, who won bronze for Ghana at the 2011 IPC Powerlifting World Championships, added: "We need to get people thinking that being physically disabled does not mean you lack ability in life.

"I was born a double amputee but I am a powerlifter."

In Ghana, the number of people living with disabilities is estimated to be nearly 10 per cent of the 24 million population, yet people with disabilities are often regarded as unproductive and incapable of contributing in a positive way to society.

Disability is both a cause and a consequence of poverty, which is a relationship that is particularly acute in developing countries.

To combat this, Right to Dream, who are a non-profit making organisation, aim to offer talented, underprivileged children the opportunity to reach their true potential in life and claim a better future for Africa.

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