Imagine being raised in a household where you are unable to participate in family discussions, where decisions are made, but you are kept out of the conversation: unnoticed and invisible. Among thousands of Deaf Ghanaians, this is an everyday reality. The natural language of the Deaf community, the Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL), is yet to be recognized and widely used in public life, schools, hospitals, and households. This is not just inconvenient, but systemic exclusion.
Ghana’s democracy is incomplete when inclusion of every person in Ghana, regardless of his race, place of origin, political opinion, disability, religion or gender is not fully guaranteed. According to the World Bank, there are about 470,737 people living with some level of hearing loss, with over 211,000 utilizing sign language yet there is no language policy that recognizes and safeguards their only and primary mode of communication: the Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL). Could this be a result of unidentifiable gaps in policy creation and implementation?
Ghana, however, is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and with that, has pledged to “leave no one behind.” Additionally, the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and the National Social Protection Policy of Ghana commit to equity and inclusion. Are these just commitments on paper?
The Daily Struggle for Basic and Essential Services
Exclusion gradually erodes the identity, self-confidence, and the sense of belonging of Deaf people. For many Deaf Ghanaians, limited access to information, healthcare, education, banking and other public services has become the norm. For instance, most universities and colleges in Ghana do not provide sign language interpretation services. An education system that has failed to treat GSL as a legitimate medium of instruction denies Deaf students the liberty to offer courses that match their academic goals or passion.
Moreover, Deaf people always struggle to communicate their medical needs at hospitals, to carry out basic transactions at banks and restaurants, to access important information (announcements, news broadcasts, educational materials), etc. Consequently, family members and friends who may not be professional interpreters become the only option they resort to. Although this is helpful to break the language barrier, doctor-patient confidentiality is not adhered to. In the worst-case scenario, they may be misdiagnosed, denied quality care and the opportunity to stay informed and to fully participate in society. These are not slight inconveniences; these are barriers to equal citizenship, human rights, and development.
A Glimpse of Inclusion During COVID-19
Telecommunication companies and broadcasters are not mandated by any law or policy to provide information in formats that are specifically accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-hearing people. As witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Deaf people could not access important information about the pandemic. But after consistent advocacy by several Civil Society Organizations, many Ghanaians witnessed inclusion for the first time. Important information about the COVID-19 pandemic was interpreted into sign language. For the first time, Deaf Ghanaians were not left out. It proved that inclusion is possible when there is the will to act. The question now is: why should inclusion be limited to a crisis?
Gaps in Existing Policies
Although the Ghana National Social Protection Policy has already made significant efforts to address the needs of vulnerable groups through sustainable mechanisms that foster equity, there is yet more to be done. Recently, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, engaged with the leadership of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) to deliberate on critical issues affecting Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana. These are significant steps and approaches to ensuring a more inclusive society. However, challenges confronting Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) are often homogenized, preventing peculiar issues confronting a specific disability group from being properly addressed. Such is the case of the Deaf community and the lack of language policies that regard the role of sign language as a key player of the Deaf community’s engagement with social services.
The maiden Ghanaian Sign Language curriculum has been developed. This is a significant step to establishing a more inclusive society but a lot has to be done to implement it.
A Call to Action
If Ghana truly wants to live up to its promises, these urgent steps must be taken:
- Formally recognize Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) as a national language of instruction and communication to ensure its permanence and respect.
- Train and deploy interpreters in schools, hospitals, courts, and public services to ensure accessibility.
- Invest in awareness and education, encouraging families, and communities to learn basic GSL.
These steps are not acts of charity; they are matters of human rights and justice. At the end of the day, no one wants to be left behind.
Article by
Miriam Tsotsoo Kotey
She is a Translator and an emerging Public Policy Scholar passionate about international relations, multilingualism, inclusion, and social justice. As a volunteer with the YAFO Institute’s Policy Scholars Team, she advocates for equitable policies and communication accessibility that empower marginalized communities and foster inclusive development in Ghana
