By Agnes Ansah
Accra, Sept. 24, GNA – The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) has called for the rights of deaf persons to be recognised as fundamental human rights rather than acts of charity.
“These rights must be recognised, protected, and fulfilled,” Mr Seidu Musah, Programmes Manager of GNAD, said at a policy dialogue in Accra aimed at promoting equitable access to tertiary education for deaf learners.
He said access to education was a constitutional right and was also guaranteed under Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), to which Ghana is a signatory.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, which formed part of activities marking the 2026 International Deaf Week (IDW), Mr Musah said despite existing laws and policies, gaining admission to a tertiary institutions in Ghana did not necessarily translate into equal access to education for deaf learners.
He noted that communication barriers, inadequate support services, inaccessible learning materials and the limited availability of qualified Ghanaian Sign Language interpreters continued to impede effective learning for deaf students.
“A deaf student may be physically present in the classroom but unable to fully participate because of communication barriers, inadequate support services, inaccessible learning materials and limited access to qualified Ghanaian Sign Language interpreters,” he said.
Mr Musah urged the Government, heads of tertiary institutions and other stakeholders to remove barriers that restricted deaf learners in their studies, stressing that their challenges stemmed from systemic obstacles rather than their abilities.
He called on tertiary institutions to recognise Ghanaian Sign Language interpreters as essential educational support services and classify them as accessible learning resources and appropriate assistive technologies instead of optional services.
He also advocated the training of administrative and management staff on deaf rights and inclusive education practices.
Mr Musah emphasised that accessibility should extend beyond the classroom to all areas of campus life, including assessments, examinations, institutional communications, student services, and extracurricular activities.
He said Ghana’s Inclusive Education Policy provided a framework for ensuring equal access to quality education for all learners, including persons with disability, and called for its full implementation.
Mr Matthew Kubachua, President of GNAD, expressed appreciation to heads of institutions and government representatives for attending the dialogue, describing their presence as a demonstration of commitment to addressing the challenges facing deaf learners.
He urged stakeholders to establish systems that would make higher education more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing students across the country.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Agnes Ansah