News Desk Report
Accra, Sept. 25, 2026 — The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) has called on tertiary institutions to move beyond admitting Deaf students and strengthen the support systems needed to ensure their meaningful participation and academic success.
The Association said access to tertiary education should not end with admission, as Deaf learners continue to face communication barriers, inaccessible learning materials and inadequate support services on campuses.
The call was made at a national policy dialogue on “Strengthening Access to Quality Multilingual Inclusive Education for Deaf Learners in Ghana: The Role of Tertiary Education Institutions,” held at the Ghana Shippers’ Authority in Accra.
The dialogue, sponsored by the Danish Deaf Association (DDL), formed part of activities marking the 2026 International Week of Deaf People, being observed from September 21 to 25 under the global theme, “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights.”
The forum brought together representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Special Education Division of the Ghana Education Service, tertiary institutions, schools for the Deaf, disability organisations, civil society, development partners, parents, the media and Deaf learners.
Sign language key to inclusion
Speaking on behalf of GNAD, its Programmes Manager, Seidu Musah Akugri, said Deaf students required more than physical access to classrooms.
“Admission to a school, college or university does not necessarily guarantee equal access to education for a Deaf learner,” he said.
He explained that a Deaf student could be physically present in a classroom but remain excluded from teaching and learning because of communication barriers and limited access to appropriate materials and support services.
Mr Akugri acknowledged the steps taken by tertiary institutions to recognise Ghanaian Sign Language (GhSL) but said more needed to be done to translate recognition into effective support.
He called for accessible learning materials, assistive technologies and reasonable accommodation covering not only classroom instruction but also examinations, institutional communication, student services and extracurricular activities.
“For Deaf learners, Ghanaian Sign Language is not merely an additional support service; it is an essential language for communication, participation and access to knowledge,” he said.
Call for more interpreters
Mr Akugri said some tertiary institutions were willing to strengthen support for Deaf students but lacked the mandate and capacity to recruit sufficient numbers of qualified Ghanaian Sign Language interpreters.
He therefore called on the government to support the recruitment of more interpreters for universities and other tertiary institutions.
He also urged lecturers, administrators and institutional managers to develop a better understanding of the rights, identities and communication needs of Deaf students.
According to him, quality multilingual inclusive education should ensure that Deaf learners are taught and assessed in ways that allow them to participate meaningfully in academic life.
Barriers persist
Mr Akugri said Ghana had made progress in inclusive education but continued to face institutional, communication, attitudinal and policy barriers affecting the admission, transition, retention and academic success of Deaf learners.
He cited the 2021 Population and Housing Census, which recorded more than 473,000 Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Ghana.
“Every Deaf learner deserves more than admission or a physical place in the classroom,” he said. “Every Deaf learner deserves equal access to communication, knowledge, participation, dignity and success.”
He urged stakeholders to translate discussions from the policy dialogue into practical commitments and called for stronger collaboration among government, tertiary institutions, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and development partners.
Deaf students share experiences
Deaf students from the University of Ghana, Ashesi University, Takoradi Technical University and Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong, also shared experiences of the support systems available at their institutions.
At the University of Ghana, Ayemzokiya Emmanuel commended the institution for providing him with a note-taker and interpreter.
He said lecturers were briefed about students with disabilities and were able to provide support, including sharing presentation slides ahead of classes.
At Ashesi University, student Richmond Addai said the institution had interpreters on campus and disability-awareness initiatives that involved students, lecturers and non-teaching staff.
He said the approach had helped create a more welcoming environment for Deaf students and enabled them to participate in activities across the campus.
Participating tertiary institutions also used the dialogue to outline programmes and support services for Deaf students, announce admission opportunities and make commitments towards strengthening inclusion.
Human rights obligation
GNAD said its advocacy was grounded in Ghana’s constitutional commitments and Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which recognises the right of persons with disabilities to inclusive education at all levels.
The Convention also calls for measures to facilitate the learning of sign language and ensure that education is delivered through appropriate languages, modes and means of communication.
The Association said the policy dialogue would contribute to the national conversation on the human rights of Deaf people and efforts to build a more inclusive education system.
The 2026 International Week of Deaf People activities began with a launch on GTV on September 20.
The programme continued with the national policy dialogue on September 22, followed by a policy dialogue on “Declaring the Human Rights of Deaf People: Pass the Revised Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2026” at the British Council in Accra on September 23.
A further forum on “Building Consensus, Sustaining Progress, Amplifying Voices and Achieving the Deaf Community We Want” was scheduled for September 24 at the GNAT Hall, with participants expected to depart on September 25.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com