How do teens living with disabilities in Ghana view their future? We asked them to show us

What the report says

The Conversation Africa reports on a recent Ghana study that asked adolescents living with disabilities to use photographs and images to describe how they see their lives and futures. The article, written by researcher Mary Asirifi, says adolescents with disabilities in Ghana are frequently excluded from public understanding of disability, while cultural explanations such as curses, witchcraft or punishment by deities can intensify stigma.

The study involved 54 adolescents aged 10 to 19 with hearing, visual and physical disabilities. According to the report, 22 participants had hearing impairments, 23 had visual impairments and nine had physical disabilities; 34 were girls and 20 were boys. Researchers used a photovoice approach, interpreting participants’ selected images and stories into themes. Three broad findings emerged: adversity, resilience and social support.

Participants used images such as darkness, a stick on the ground, a coconut tree, sand heaps and wood logs to express experiences of burden, rejection, exploitation, bullying and anxiety about the future. Some accounts described low self-worth, exclusion from school or community life, difficulty finding work and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide. The article links these experiences to ableism, social exclusion and harmful attitudes toward disability.

The report also notes signs of resilience. Some participants associated churches or group meetings with acceptance, safety and shared coping strategies. Asirifi argues that Ghana needs culturally appropriate support programmes that include the voices of adolescents with disabilities in decisions affecting them. The article points to Uganda’s Obuntu Bulamu peer-support model as one possible example of an intervention built around belonging, community and practical support.