Inclusive Education at the crossroads in Ashanti and BrongAhafo regions in Ghana: Target not achievable by 2015

Sexual Violence against Women with Disabilities in Ghana: Accounts of Women with Disabilities from Ashanti Region

Introduction: Unemployment is one of the major challenges facing persons with disabilities worldwide. Persons with disabilities experience significantly high rates of unemployment compared with the general population, and are often employed in low-paid jobs. This could indicate a missing link in identifying employment opportunities and impeding factors to the opportunities. This study examined access to employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the Nairobi County in Kenya. Method: An exploratory study design, using qualitative methods, was conducted with three categories of persons with disabilities: the physically disabled, the visually impaired, and the hearing impaired. A convenient sampling was used to recruit 30 participants from five constituencies in Embakasi in the Nairobi County. Findings: The study found that access to employment for persons with disabilities in the study area was limited. Factors responsible for the high unemployment include inaccessible information on employment, negative attitudes, inaccessible physical environment, low educational attainment of persons with disabilities, and ineffective legislation on employment. Conclusion: The lack of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Kenya suggests that poverty reduction among persons with disabilities will be difficult. Therefore, efforts should be made through implementation of effective policies to remove barriers hindering access to employment for persons with disabilities in Kenya.

Musculoskeletal [MSK] injuries are common causes of long-term pain and physical disability which affect many people worldwide. The economic and social impacts on the individual, society and national health systems are enormous making a matter of public health concern. Therefore, this study examined the causes and extent of MSK injuries in a referral hospital in Ghana. A prospective study design with consecutive sampling method was used to recruit patients admitted at Trauma Unit as well as those receiving orthopaedic reviews at St. Joseph’s Orthopaedic Hospital over a ten-month period. A structured questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) were used to collect data which were analysed descriptively using SPSS version 20. A total of 269 MSK injury patients were identified - of these, 137 (50.9%) males with an average age of 38 years (SD = 19.88). Nearly half (49.1%) of the injuries sustained were fractures, and common causes were vehicular crash 113 (42.0%) and fall 68 (25.3%). Body parts affected most were the knee (19.62) and the mean levels of pain for all injuries were 6.04 ± 2.44 and 3.25 (±1.50) respectively. Ghana needs a healthy population to steer its development trajectory. Policy makers in Ghana should pay attention to both preventive as well as management of MSK injuries, or else, most of the country’s working class could live with lasting effects of injuries which may have significant impacts on the economy.

Introduction: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been touted as a major breakthrough towards achieving equal rights for persons with disabilities. The promulgation of the convention provided clear guidelines for signatory countries to revise their legislation as well as to formulate policies that will take into consideration the needs of persons with disabilities. As Cameroon is a signatory to the convention, it is expected that disability-friendly policies have been implemented to enhance the living conditions of persons with disabilities. This study examined, from the perspectives of participants, the life experiences of persons with disabilities in the Buea Municipality 7 years after Cameroon signed the CRPD. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative method, involving focus-group discussions with 36 participants from three disability groups: hearing impaired, visually impaired, and physically impaired. Findings: The study found that persons with disabilities in the Buea Municipality faced many challenges in their daily endeavors. These challenges are a result of a lack of inclusive policies, leading to their exclusion from social and economic activities such as education, employment, and healthcare. Conclusion: Although the study is limited in scope, the findings suggest that persons with disabilities in the Buea Municipality were yet to benefit from the CRPD. It is, therefore, suggested that the government of Cameroon should formulate inclusive policies to address the numerous challenges facing persons with disabilities in the Buea Municipality.

Terrorist activities impact on the rights of people as they undermine the ability of people to enjoy their right to life, liberty and fundamental freedoms. In addition to the human cost, the activities of terrorists can destabilize governments, peace, security and economic activities. Therefore, this study explores the impact of threat of attacks from Boko Haram on economic activities – exploring current realities in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. The study was a cross-sectional design which collected data using interviews to explore the impact of terrorism on economic activities in Yaoundé. In all, convenience sampling was used to recruit 51 participants. The result of the study found that economic activities have been affected due to perceived increase in taxes, low production and restriction in the transportation of some goods, early close down of shops, limited customer activities due to fear and rampant security checks. It is therefore embedded on government to institutionalize measures such as making conscious efforts to develop the Extreme North so as to bring the region at pair with other parts of the country in order to curtail terrorist activities in Cameroon.