The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 10% of the world's population are people with disabilities. Of this 650 million people, 80% live in developing countries1. Causes of disability are often linked to poverty, such as malnutrition, accidents/war trauma and disease2. In Ghana there is estimated to be a disability rate of 7 to 10%, meaning that somewhere between 1.55 - 2.2 million people in the country are living with disability3.
Children with disabilities are an extremely vulnerable group. Around 30% of street children are thought to be disabled4 and 98% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school5.
Stigma: There is a complex stigma surrounding disability in Ghana. Traditionally, disability is seen as a punishment from God or the gods for a sin by the individual or their family. Disabled newborns may be viewed as the product of rape by evil spirits. In extreme cases these babies may be taken to forests or riverbanks and left to be taken by the spirits/gods. Others may brand people with disability "witches" leading to social exclusion from the community and blame for all misfortunes.
Even those without these radical traditional views often regard people with disabilities as unproductive and incapable of contributing positively to society. Children with disabilities can spend their whole lives locked up inside by ashamed families. They are often seen as a huge economic burden to families who are already struggling. If the family cannot afford to send all of their children to school, generally the child with a disability will miss out.
Youth Alive is working in various ways to help people with disabilities. We operate within our philosophy that people with disability do not need sympathy - they need opportunity. Check out our 'Our response' section for more details.
1. (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP))
2. (UN).
3. (WHO)
4. (UNICEF)
5. (UNESCO)
