Assessing the Impact and Uses of the Disability Common Fund Among Persons with Disabilities in Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana

The Disability Common Fund (DCF) is a social protection program aimed at alleviating poverty among persons with disabilities in Ghana. Since its introduction, little has been done to examine if beneficiaries use the fund for its intended purposes. The study was conducted to assess beneficiaries’ perception of the sufficiency of the fund, what the fund was used for and the possible impact on the lives of beneficiaries in the Kumasi Metropolis, and make recommendation for improvement. This cross-sectional quantitative study obtained survey data from120 beneficiaries of the fund in the Kumasi Metropolis. Findings indicated that the DCF was used for a variety of purposes, which could be beneficial to the recipients of the fund. These included procurement of assistive devices, awareness creation, enabling the environment, payment of school fees of dependents and assisting beneficiaries to access healthcare. Although respondents complained of the insufficiency of the fund and delays in releasing of funds to the beneficiaries, the fund has had some positive impacts on their lives. It is recommended that the fund be increased and disbursed in a timely manner in order for the DCF to serve its intended purpose

Improving Access of the Physically Disabled to Health Services in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

The study examined the factors that determine the physically disabled access to health Services in Tamale, Ghana. The study focused on the physically disabled persons who have crippling conditions and are aged 15-60 years. A sample size of 165 is used and the study design is cross sectional. The physically disabled were selected from three institutions, Ghana Society of the physically disabled, Tamale Rehabilitation centre and the six sub-districts demarcations of Tamale Metropolis. The data collection techniques were interviews, structured questionnaire and the use of secondary information. A conceptual framework is drawn indicating the independent variable and the dependent variables, the study revealed that, employment, belief systems, education, nature of health facilities, income, service cost and transport cost are the main determinants of the disabled person’s access to health care in Tamale. The disability Bill (Act715) was passed in Ghana in 2006 but it has not yet been implemented, the result revealed that, disabled persons in Tamale rely on family members and benevolent individuals for support when accessing health care. There is no significant difference in the mode of accessing health care between able- persons and the physically disabled, differences exist only in relations to both enabling and restrictive factors. Policy initiatives to assist address the disparities in accessing healthcare have been made. Keywords: Physically disabled, Access to health, Enabling factors, Restrictive factors and Disability bill

Exploring the experiences of children and youth with mobility impairments in four basic educational settings in Ghana

Education is a fundamental right for children all over the world. In Ghana, education for children with mobility impairments (MI) is one area that needs attention because little research has explored the experiences of these children and youth in basic educational settings. The research question that guided this research was: What are the educational experiences of children and youth with MI in education in Ghana? Understanding educational experiences of children and youth with MI will allow policymakers, the Ministry of Education, and educational researchers to develop educational support systems for children with MI. This is very important especially in the low-and-middle-income countries like Ghana where resources are limited. This study drew on three theoretical frameworks: Disability studies in education; Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory and post-colonial theory. These theoretical frameworks guided the exploration of the educational experiences of children and youth with MI in four basic school settings (mainstream, inclusive, rehabilitation and special schools) with consideration to the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana. The child development and learning processes were researched in terms of complex systemic interactions between children with MI and their environment, and the advancement of liberation and the colonial legacy of the study in context. Data were drawn from 20 children with MI, from four head teachers and from 20 parents of children with MI through in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. This study revealed inequities in the basic school curriculum within the four school settings. These inequities that existed in the school curriculum contributed to parents not achieving the expected results they had hoped for by sending their children to the rehabilitation centre and the special schools. This study also showed the inadequacy of the educational support systems (for example, student support teams, parents support teams, teacher support teams and education support teams) in the four educational settings. The study concludes that the absence of educational support systems contributed to the struggle that children with MI and their parents experienced during their children's educational trajectories. From the findings of this study, it is imperative to have further research to consider a general basic school curriculum to promote inclusivity in all four school settings. The study critically showed how the experiences of children and youth with MI were characterised by the inequity of basic school curriculum, negative attitude towards disability and the unavailability of an educational support system. This study also contributes towards the development of inclusive schooling practices in Ghana by providing a framework which promotes inclusion of children and youth with MI. The new knowledge not only adds to the limited literature on the educational experiences of children with MI, but also assists policymakers, stakeholders of education and researchers to promote practices that encourage inclusive education

Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal Four (4) in Ghana: The Role of the Free Senior High School Programme

This study was undertaken to explore the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy’s role in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 in a select Senior High School in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. A qualitative case study was adopted to help achieve the objective of the study. The data was obtained from 20 respondents comprising school management members, teachers, students, policymakers, and parents. These groups were selected for their practical experience and knowledge of the policy on FSHS. Semi-structured interview questions were used to collect data, and subsequently, thematic data analysis was used to analyze the data recorded. The analysis of the data revealed that the FSHS policy has helped increase enrolment in the Senior High School, enhanced equitable access to secondary education, reduced the financial burdens on parents, and improved infrastructural development and job opportunities for unemployed graduate teachers. Furthermore, factors such as inadequate infrastructure leading to pressure on infrastructure, inadequate distribution of teaching and learning materials, delays in government grants and bursaries, fatigue, and stress of teachers, teacher demotivation, and a centralized system of making policy decisions serve as some challenges to the program. Respondents provided a set of measures they believe could help improve the policy. They include but are not limited to decentralizing the system of making decisions, providing infrastructures like dormitories and classes, and emphasizing more on practically oriented education and the need to recruit even more teachers. Despite the few challenges, the data shows that the FSHS policy is helping Ghana meet SDG 4 and the entire SDGs

Rehabilitation Of Post-Stroke Aphasia In Ghana

Aphasia is one of the most common consequences of stroke and affects the communication and social functioning of approximately 30-35% of stroke survivors. Despite the importance of speech-language pathology (SLP) services for individuals with post-stroke aphasia, aphasia rehabilitation services in sub-Saharan Africa are riddled with challenges. Through interviews, demographic information, and syllabi reviews, we examined the SLP assessment and treatment services available for individuals with post-stroke aphasia in Ghana and the challenges the stakeholder groups encounter in providing and identifying such services. Results of the study identified challenges with the current post-stroke aphasia services in Ghana, and thus the need to improve SLP services for individuals with post-stroke aphasia in Ghana. The process of data collection itself educated respondents on the importance of rehabilitation of post-stroke aphasia; by identifying barriers, strategies to improving services can now be initiated

Pengaruh Asuransi Kesehatan Dan Ekonomi Terhadap Aksesabilitas Layanan Kesehatan Penyandang Disabilitas Di Indonesia

Health insurance is one of social health guarantees programs provided to the society in accessing health services in Indonesia. This program is implemented as a solution of equality problems on health services. This paper aims to analyze effect of health insurance ownership on accessibility health services to people with disabilities who included as vulnerable communities. This research have 1.288 respondents of people with disabilities from Indonesia Family Life Survey that analyzed by multinomial logit regression models. The results show that health insurance ownership of disabilities are not effective enough in accessibility of disabilities health services. To access health service, people with disabilities have main obstacle factor namely physical mobiltity services. Furthermore head of household, chronic disease, transportation costs, and years education variables have significant effect on preventive and curative health services to people with disabilities. Whereas sex and unemployed status significant effect on preventive health services. Keywords :  People with Disabilities1, Health Insurance2, Accessibility3, Health Service4

Determinants of obesity in Ghana

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonBackground There is a limited understanding of factors determining obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. This thesis, therefore, aimed to contribute to knowledge on obesity determinants in Ghana to guide evidence-informed obesity policies. Methods Multiple approaches were used in this study. These approaches included a literature review, two stakeholder engagements, a survey, Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) techniques and regression analyses. First, a literature review was conducted to identify literature gaps on determinants of obesity to direct this study. Then, key stakeholders were engaged to prioritise the literature gaps whose exploration was critical for obesity policies in Ghana. After, a multi-stage sampling approach was used to generate a current obesity dataset to address the stakeholder-prioritised research questions. Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) techniques and regression analyses were then conducted to identify single and multi-level determinants of obesity in Ghana. Finally, the stakeholders were engaged again to explore interventions to tackle the identified obesity determinants. Results The literature review showed gaps in multi-level determinants of obesity, the interrelationship between obesity and other lifestyle behaviours and the relationship between religion, culture, and obesity. The analysis of these gaps showed that a unit increase in the number of fast-food joints and supermarkets within a shorter radius (2km & 5km) increases the odds of obesity in Ghana. Additionally, being a Muslim (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.45) or Ga (r = 0.39) is associated with a 11% and 9% increased risk of obesity, respectively. Diet and physical activity are also interconnected lifestyle determinants of obesity. These lifestyle factors are determined by factors like sex, income status and perceptions. For example, individuals who perceive obesity as an inherited condition are less likely to consume a healthy diet (r = -0.24 and engage in physical activity (r = -0.29). However, those earning 2,000 Ghana cedis and above are more likely to eat healthily (r = 0.46) and exercise (r = 0.49). Additionally, men are 16% more likely to engage in physical activity and 5% less likely to consume a healthy diet, indicating that the predictors of the lifestyle determinants are comparable but dissimilar in some instances. Finally, the thesis also showed that obesity is prevalent in Ghana (53%), and about 45% of the population are neither physically active nor consume healthy diets. Conclusion Obesity is determined by religion, ethnicity, physical activity & diet, and the local food environment. These determinants could be mitigated by a trade-off between awareness campaigns and economic regulations, like taxation and food subsidies. Therefore, the government of Ghana and other relevant agencies should factor in these determinants and interventions when reviewing and implementing obesity policies in Ghana

Proceedings of the West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference 2010

FOREWORD Welcome to this West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) conference taking place here in Ghana. Thank you for coming and welcome to Accra. The main aims of the WABER conference are: to help young researchers and early-career scholars in West Africa to develop their research work and skills through constructive face-to-face interaction with experienced academics; to provide a platform for networking and collaborative work among senior built environment academics in West Africa; and to serve as a vehicle for developing the field of construction management and economics in Africa. Waber 2009 The WABER event in 2009 was held at the British Council in Accra, Ghana on 2-3 June. The event was a resounding success. It attracted participation from 32 researchers, from 12 different institutions, who presented their work to an audience of approximately 100 people. Each presenter received immediate and constructive feedback from an international panel. The event was opened by Professor K.K. Adarkwa, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana, with several senior academics and researchers from universities, polytechnics, and other institutions in Ghana and Nigeria in attendance. There was also a significant level of attendance by senior construction practitioners in Ghana. Thank you to the School of Construction Management and Engineering, University of Reading, UK for funding the inaugural event in 2009. We are also grateful to all of you who helped to make the event a success and to those of you who have joined us here today to build upon the success and legacy of WABER 2009. Waber 2010 This year, we have 60+ peer-reviewed papers and presentations on topics relating to Building services and maintenance, Construction costs, Construction design and technology, Construction education, Construction finance, Construction procurement, Contract administration, Contract management, Contractor development, Decision support systems, Dispute resolution, Economic development, Energy efficiency, Environment and sustainability, Health and safety, Human resources, Information technology, Marketing, Materials science, Organisation strategy and business performance, Productivity, Project management, Quantity surveying, Real estate and planning, Solar energy systems, Supply chain management and Urban development. We hope that these papers will generate interest among delagates and stimulate discussion here and beyond the conference into the wider community of academia and industry. The delegates at this conference come from 10 different countries. This provides a rich international and multicultural blend and a perfect platform for networking and developing collaborations. This year we are blessed to have three high profile keynote speakers in the persons of Professor George Ofori (National University of Singapore), Dr Roine Leiringer (University of Reading, UK) and Professor Will Hughes (University of Reading, UK). We are also thankful to Dr Chris Harty (University of Reading, UK) who is facilitating the Research Skills Workshop on ‘Writing a scientific article’. Thank you to Dr Sena Agyepong of our conference organising team for her capable management of local organising arrangements. And above all, thank you to all of you for coming to this conference. Enjoy and have a safe journey back home. Dr Samuel Laryea School of Construction Management and Engineering University of Reading, July 201

Transitions to adulthood: the experiences of youth with disabilities in Accra, Ghana

Youth with disabilities are amongst the poorest and most marginalised of young people worldwide. Approximately 80 per cent of disabled young people live in countries of the Global South. Despite a growing body of research problematising youth transitions in situations of poverty and increasing interest in disability issues beyond the Global North, little is known about how youth with disabilities in the Global South make their transitions to adulthood. This thesis addresses this gap by reporting on a qualitative study on the transitions to adulthood of young people with different impairments living primarily in Accra, Ghana. Using innovative, participatory methods, it explores young people s individual narratives within the areas of education, employment, and social and community life, and the ways in which these shape their life trajectories. The study shows that the transitions to adulthood of youth with disabilities in Accra are substantially influenced by disability-related factors and processes that are socio-spatially embedded and intricately intertwined. Disabling social and physical environments restrict disabled young people s participation in education, employment, and social and community life, which increases their vulnerability to marginalisation and exclusion in society. As a consequence, their transitions to adulthood are even more complex, protracted, and uncertain than for their non-disabled peers. Youth with disabilities, however, use a variety of coping strategies to navigate the challenges they face associated with school, work, and social life in their attempts to achieve adulthood. Foregrounding the voices of young people with differing categories of social difference challenges the hitherto existing homogenisation of the lives of youth with disabilities in the Global South highlighting their agency and capabilities as well as the complex ways in which they negotiate transitions during the life-course