Disability and development: the role of language and e‐learning

Abstract

PurposeIn spite of extensive literature on disability studies, little has been done on disability and development, more so the role of language and learning technologies in all of this. The purpose of this paper therefore is to focus on the crucial role language plays in the inclusion or exclusion of people with disabilities in development and their inaccessibility to learning technologies in northern Ghana.Design/methodology/approachInterviews and life history approach in Dagbanli, the local language were used to find out how the use of language affects the participation of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the development of their communities. The use of the local language was to ensure that expressions used to talk about people with disabilities were captured.FindingsThe main findings of the study include stigmatization of people with disability, more so with females. It was also found that these discriminations were conveyed through daily language use, thus constantly reminding people with disabilities of their “class” thereby excluding them from decisions and activities of the development agenda. Education is key and the way out is e‐learning.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights of how Dagombas use language to exclude PWDs. No such study has been carried out in northern Ghana and more precisely among the Dagombas.

Physical Disability, Rights and Stigma in Ghana: A Review of Literature

“…Human Rights: Most of the articles mention human rights, at least in passing. Eleven place human rights at the forefront (Reynolds, 2010;Naami, 2011;Kassah, 2012;Baffoe, 2013;Naami 2014;Mprah, 2014;Naami, 2015;Sackey, 2015;Ganle et al, 2016;Geurts and Komabu-Pomeyie, 2016) and ten mention human rights briefly in their introduction or in a general discussion of rights (Kassah, 1998(Kassah, , 2008Botts, 2010;Bourgeois, 2011;Tijm et al 2011;Mahama, 2012;Kassah, 2014;Badu et al, 2016;Opoku et al, 2016). Most of these articles evaluate the potential of disability rights legislation for improving the lives of persons with disability, with four offering a positive view of Ghana's disability legislation (Reynolds, 2010;Baffoe, 2013;Sackey, 2015;Ganle et al, 2016) and the rest being more critical.…”

“…Most criticisms focus on implementation issues due to poor finances, minimal public awareness of disability legislation, and uncertainties over responsibilities for deliverables. Some also question the relevance of Western rights models in the Ghanaian cultural context (Mahama, 2012;Ganle et al 2016;Geurts and Komabu-Pomeyie, 2016).…”