Human Rights in Ghana: Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and their Access to Public Infrastructure in Winneba

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

© 2021 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal

Volume 8 Issue 3

Year of Publication : 2021

Authors : Godwin Attobra

10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V8I3P110

How to Cite?

Godwin Attobra, "Human Rights in Ghana: Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and their Access to Public Infrastructure in Winneba," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 8,  no. 3, pp. 62-72, 2021. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V8I3P110

Abstract:

The study examined Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and their access to public infrastructure in Winneba, Ghana. The research was a case study moulded in the interpretivist paradigm and adopted a qualitative approach. Fifteen respondents were purposively sampled basically to avoid receiving vague information. A semi-structured interview guide was employed as data collection instrument and the data analyzed thematically. The data gathered from the respondents reveal that twelve years after the enacting of the Disability Act, the township of Winneba is still engulfed with so many artificial barriers ranging from open gutters to absence of ramps and pavement. The study concludes that there is no difference between the infrastructural development after and before the Act. The study has as part of its recommendations that Parliament consider revisiting the Persons with Disabilities Act (PDA) of Ghana (Act 715) since the ten-year moratorium has ended to put new measures in place to make sure that the Act does not just remain in books but is implemented fully. It further recommended that as the country is trying to ease the means of transportation through Metro-bus transit system, we think of the physically challenged and make provisions for kneel-down buses in the country.

Keywords:

Access, Disabilities, Human Rights, Persons, Public Infrastructure.

References:

[1] Alderson, H. & Morrow, G, The gift of self: the meaning of the art of nursing. Dissertation Abstracts International, 52, 12B. (2011). (UMI 9215314).
[2] Amartya, S., Disability and Justice, presentation to World Bank Conference, Washington USA (2004).
[3] AU, Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990). AU, Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981).
[4] Bhagwati P.N. Inaugural Address: Supreme Court of India, Inaugural Address in the Seminar on Human Rights Organized by lnternational Law Association. Allahabad Centre, India (1980).
[5] Bhutta, Z. A. Beyond informed consent. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. (2004) (82) 771-777.
[6] Braddock, David, and Susan Parrish, An Institutional History of Disability, in Handbook of Disability Studies, ed. Gary Albrecht, Katherine Seelman, and Michael Bury, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, (2001).
[7] Campbell J, Oliver M., Disability politics: understanding our past, changing our future. London, Routledge (1996).
[8] Charlton J., Nothing about us without us: disability, oppression and empowerment. Berkeley, University of California Press, (1998).
[9] Chiarello Leonir, The Emergence and Evolution of the concept of Human Rights and Human Security. Scalabrini International Migration Network. CMS’s public policy publication (2015).
[10] Cranston M., What Are Human Rights? London: Bodley Head, (1973)
[11] Dammak A., Research Paradigms: Methodologies and Compatible Methods. ADNOC Technical Institute. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2013).
[12] CUT CART, Understanding Access to Physical Environment Breaking the Barriers. Dis-Ability Junction, where disability meet with abilities. India (2011).
[13] De Vaus D. A, Research Design in social research. Saga publication. London (2001).
[14] Degener T. & Quinn G., Human Rights and Disability: The current use and future potential of United Nations human rights instruments in the context of disability. New York and Geneva: United Nations (2002)..
[15] Degener T. & Quinn G., A survey of International, Comparative and Regional Disability Law Reform. US Social Security Administration and the Disability Rights Education and Defence Fund (DREDF). Washington, D.C. (2000).
[16] Degener T., Disability in a Human Rights Context. MDPI Law Journal. 5, 35; (2016) doi:10.3390/laws5030035
[17] Degener, T., A human rights model of disability. Research Gate Publication (2014)..
[18] Degener T., Definition of Disability. E. U. Network of Expert on Disability Discrimination. University of Ireland (2004).
[19] Denscombe, M., The good research guide for small-scale social research projects. Berkshire, England: Open University Press (2007).
[20] Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality, vol. 1. New York: Vintage (1980).
[21] Ghana,. Mintal Health Act (2012).
[22] Ghana, Persons with Disability Act (PDA) (2006), Act 715 (2006). [23] Ghana, The 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution (1992).
[24] Giraldo, Javier, Derechos humanosy cristianismo: trasfondo de un conflicto. Editorial El Búho, Bogotá (2010).
[25] Holloway, I., Introduction a Hochschild and a Machung. New York: Penguin Group Inc (2005).
[26] Human Rights Advocacy Centre, Comprehensive Guildlines of Disability Rights Law in Ghana, 2015 and other Relevant International Conventions on Disability Rights (2015).
[27] Mouton, The ultimate goal of all sciences is the search for truth (1996), [28] Kallendorf Craig W., Introduction to Humanist Educational Treatises, The I Tatti Renaissancel Library, Cambridge, Massachusetts and London England (2002).
[29] Lee R., The demographic transition: three centuries of fundamental change. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17:167-190. (2003) doi:10.1257/089533003772034943
[30] Lincoln, N. S. & Guba, E. G., Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications (1985).
[31] Lindqvist, B., Disability and a Human Rights Approach to Development (2005)
[32] Mishra A. K & Gupta R., Disability index: a measure of deprivation among the disabled. Economic and Political Weekly, 41: (2006) 4026-4029.
[33] NAPEL, Definition and Classification of Disability. Napel Government (2006).
[34] Oye-Lithur N., Stickney S. & Sashy N., A Simplified Version of Disability Rights in Ghana. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (2007)
[35] Parmenter T. R., The present, past and future of the study of intellectual disability: challenges in developing countries. Salud Pública de México, 50:Suppl 2s124-s131. PMID: (2008).18470339
[36] Piechowiak M. what are Human Rights? The Concept of Human Rights and their extra-legal Justification. SWPS University. Research Gate (1999)
[37] Quinn G, Degener T., A survey of international, comparative and regional disability law reform. Ardsley, Transnational (2002).
[38] Seelman K. D, Bury M,. Handbook of Disability Studies. Thousand Oaks, Sage,:373–395 (2001).
[39] Speziale, H. J. & Carpenter, D. R., Qualitative research in nursing: advancing the humanistic imperative. Lippincott: Williams & Wilkins (2011)..
[40] Strauss, A. L. & Corbin, J., Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, (2nd Ed). Beverly Hills, CA: Saga (1990)..
[41] Tellis, W.., Introduction to Case Study. The Qualitative Report, Volume 3,Number 2, (July 1997). (http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html).
[42] Tracy, S. J., Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis, Communicating Impact. Wiley-Blackwell, USA (2013).
[43] Uganda, Uganda Persons with Disability Law (2006).
[44] UNICEF, State of the World’s Children, Adolescence. An age of opportunity, (2011).
[45] http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/SOWC_2011_Main_Report_EN_0224 2011. pdf (accessed August 2, 2011), p. 106
[46] UNICEF, Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities. Innocent Digest No. 13. (2007) Florence, Italy.
[47] Unite Nations, Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (2006)
[48] United Nations, Vienna World Conference on Human Rights (1993).
[49] Unite Nations, Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948).
[50] Unite Nations, Millennium Declaration (2000).
[51] Unite Nations, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (2006).
[52] Unite Nations, World Programme of Action concerning Persons with Disability (1982).
[53] Webster, M. Webster’s ninth new collegiate dictionary. Mariam-Webster Inc (1985).
[54] Werner, D., The Role of Disabled Persons in Overcoming Rural Poverty in Andhra Pradesh, India, Newsletter from the Sierra Madre #48, Palo Alto, Healthwrights, (2002).
[55] World Health Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Labour Organization,
International Disability and Development Consortium. Community-based rehabilitation: CBR guidelines. Geneva, World Health Organization (2010).
[56] Yin, R.K.,. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Beverly Hills, Calif: Sage Publications (1984).
[57] Zainal Z., Case study as a research method. Jurnal Kemanusiaan bil.9, June 2007 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
[58] Zola I.K. Toward the necessary universalizing of a disability policy. The Milbank Quarterly, 67:Suppl 2 Pt 2401-428. (1989). doi:10.2307/3350151 PMID:2534158