FORMAL EDUCATION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES IN GHANA: A POWERFUL WEAPON TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Abstract Women with disabilities (WWD) from countries around the world, including Ghana, deserve the right to a public education, but are often deprived of it. The World Report on Disability estimates that literacy rates for WWD may be as low as 1%. The World Bank Report also reports that more than one billion people may experience some form of disability, with as many as one in five experiencing significant disabilities. In developing countries, the prevalence of disability and its impacts on a wide range of developmental outcomes are usually more significant than they are in countries with well-established educational and social systems. Children and women with disabilities are especially disadvantaged with respect to school enrollment, educational attainment, and learning. The current study used a critical, feminist phenomenological lens (Alcoff, 2000 p.39) to explore the access and experiences with education for ten Ghanaian women with disabilities. Using methods associated with narrative inquiry, this paper reports findings related to the women’s positive and negative experiences, as well as recommendations for improvements to practice and policy to help remove barriers to access to education. Keywords: disability, women, education, cultural barriers, attitudinal chang