Empowering Persons with Disabilities to Reduce Poverty: A Case Study of Action on Disability and Development, Ghana

Abstract

Poverty is a global phenomenon, defined to include material, non-material, and a myriad of socio-cultural and political factors. Persons with disabilities (PWD) are among the poorest in most parts of the world. The link between poverty and disability is attributed to capitalism and socio-cultural factors such as discrimination. Development literature highlights the need for empowerment programs in changing the situation for PWD. The study combined emancipatory and case studies research approaches to gain in-depth understanding of Action on Disability and Development’s (ADD) empowerment programs to reduce poverty among PWD in Ghana. Data was collected from a total of four focus groups and six semi-structured individual telephone interviews from two districts (Saboba and Jirapa) in the Northern and Upper West regions respectively, and agency records. Evidence from the study shows that ADD’s empowerment programs have given PWD a voice to challenge the injustices, vulnerability, marginalization, social exclusion, powerlessness, and for that matter, the poverty they encounter in their daily lives. The study suggests that ADD’s programs have result in increased socio-economic and political participation of PWD. However, the study also suggests that, although PWD understand that they are their own change agents and must challenge the injustices they encounter and hence poverty; they also persistently seek to meet their immediate basic needs, given their poverty situation. Therefore, the need for complementary efforts in development work is imperative, especially, in developing countries where safety net programs are virtually nonexistent, and there is practically no accessible transportation, information, and education and health care facilities.