Sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Ghana: Exploring perceptions and participation in agriculture

Abstract

Unemployment and the corollary of poverty among persons with disabilities have been well explored in the literature. As part of its global efforts to eradicate poverty, the United Nations, through its sustainable development goals, has urged countries to create economic opportunities for all persons to participate in income-generating activities. In Ghana, agriculture has been described as the backbone of the economy and the main source of employment and livelihood for many. However, it appears that policymakers are yet to explore how agriculture could create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This study makes a major contribution to research on the eradication of poverty among persons with disabilities by exploring their participation and experiences in agriculture-related activities. One-on-one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 19 persons with disabilities from three communities in a district in Ghana. A recurrent theme was that agriculture was a way through which the Ghanaian government could create employment for persons with disabilities. However, the participants recounted formidable barriers that affect their participation in agriculture: lack of land, funds and farming tools, and negative attitudes. These findings highlight the need for policymakers to engage with persons with disabilities to identify possible ways to assist their participation in agriculture.

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana

“…In the absence of any standardised external support, it is unsurprising that the primary caregivers had no other choice, but to keep their children at home and play the role of teachers, further perpetuating the cycle of poor education, poverty, marginalisation and exclusion. This is the never-ending trend of the cultural norms in the Ghanaian society that has minimal room for disability and its outcomes (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019; Baffoe 2013; Naami 2014; Opoku et al 2018). It is therefore likely that participants would be over-stretched with their coping strategies, while their children grow without basic skill that will enable them to integrate and become independent adults.…”

“…In Ghana, there is traditional interpretation given to people with disability that impacts their participation in societies. Disability is perceived as stigmatising condition, and giving birth to children with disabilities is linked to the work of supernatural forces (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019; Kassah, Kassah & Agbota 2018; Opoku et al 2017a, 2019). For instance, the birth of children with disabilities is interpreted as punishment from gods, for sins committed by a member of family (Opoku et al 2017b).…”

Barriers to and facilitators of employment of persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

“…Again as reported by studies in the review, employment opportunities were scarce for persons with disabilities (Harun et al 2020;Khoo et al 2013;Ta & Leng 2013). Where opportunities were available, they were in low-paying positions that required low-level skills (Amin & Abdullah 2017;Agyei-Okyere et al 2019;Bhanushali 2016). In a study by Khoo et al (2013), participants with physical disabilities reported unequal employment opportunities, and the government prioritises employment of the skilled ablebodied population (Khoo et al 2013).…”

“…Notably, the focus in most studies in the review was specific to the formal sector, with work based in urban areas (Potgieter et al 2017;Saigal & Narayan 2014;Wiggett-Barnard & Swartz 2012;Wolffe et al 2013a). Given that most LMICs rely on self-employment (Mitra et al 2013), the informal sector was scarcely mentioned (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019;Bhanushali 2016). For those deciding to start businesses, support in the form of funding from governments is poor (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019;Bhanushali 2016).…”

“…Given that most LMICs rely on self-employment (Mitra et al 2013), the informal sector was scarcely mentioned (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019;Bhanushali 2016). For those deciding to start businesses, support in the form of funding from governments is poor (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019;Bhanushali 2016). Agyei-Okyere et al (2019) indicated barriers that persons with disabilities faced in participating in the farming business, which were related to a lack of financial support from bank institutions and the government.…”