Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana
Individuals with disabilities are among the most disadvantaged in many communities. There are pieces of evidence that individuals with disabilities across the globe face distinctive obstacles when accessing healthcare facilities, and have worse health outcomes than people without disabilities. The p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Noyam Journals
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Education and Learning Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JELT2023461.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797351301282004992 |
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| author | Akuvi Amenyeku Mary Asare Boafoa Benjamin Nyarko Mansuru Iddrisu |
| author_facet | Akuvi Amenyeku Mary Asare Boafoa Benjamin Nyarko Mansuru Iddrisu |
| author_sort | Akuvi Amenyeku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Individuals with disabilities are among the most disadvantaged in many communities. There are pieces of evidence that individuals with disabilities across the globe face distinctive obstacles when accessing healthcare facilities, and have worse health outcomes than people without disabilities. The purpose of the study was to explore access to healthcare services by students at Savelugu School for the Deaf in the Savelugu Municipality in Northern Region, Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select fourteen (14) students for the study, five (5) girls and nine (9) boys. Data for the study was gathered through face-to-face in-depth interviews using semi- structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was performed on the interview data after it had been transcribed, coded, and analyzed. The analysis of the data showed that the most significant obstacles to students’ access to healthcare services were communication barriers. Participants were optimistic that when provisions like sign language use by healthcare providers and other health workers as well as the use of interpreters are made available at various health facilities, access to healthcare would improve. Based on the findings, the study recommended that teachers in the school should encourage students to visit approved healthcare facilities for healthcare services instead of visiting native doctors and prayer camps for treatment. The Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with other stakeholders should introduce sign language education in the curriculum of health training institutions so health practitioners can properly assist persons with hearing disability to access proper health care. This study adds to the existing literature on challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing healthcare across Ghana and the globe. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:58:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8287408f13504db9987bd70e0d297f69 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2720-7730 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:58:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Noyam Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Education and Learning Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8287408f13504db9987bd70e0d297f692024-01-19T14:36:45ZengNoyam JournalsJournal of Education and Learning Technology2720-77302023-11-0146102 109https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2023461Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-GhanaAkuvi Amenyeku0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7920-288XMary Asare Boafoa1https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9501-2803 Benjamin Nyarko2https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9693-0191Mansuru Iddrisu3Department of Education, Bagabaga College of Education, Tamale, Northern Region, GhanaDepartment of Education, Bagabaga College of Education, Tamale, Northern Region, GhanaDepartment of Education, Bagabaga College of Education, Tamale, Northern Region, GhanaDepartment of Education, Bagabaga College of Education, Tamale, Northern Region, GhanaIndividuals with disabilities are among the most disadvantaged in many communities. There are pieces of evidence that individuals with disabilities across the globe face distinctive obstacles when accessing healthcare facilities, and have worse health outcomes than people without disabilities. The purpose of the study was to explore access to healthcare services by students at Savelugu School for the Deaf in the Savelugu Municipality in Northern Region, Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select fourteen (14) students for the study, five (5) girls and nine (9) boys. Data for the study was gathered through face-to-face in-depth interviews using semi- structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was performed on the interview data after it had been transcribed, coded, and analyzed. The analysis of the data showed that the most significant obstacles to students’ access to healthcare services were communication barriers. Participants were optimistic that when provisions like sign language use by healthcare providers and other health workers as well as the use of interpreters are made available at various health facilities, access to healthcare would improve. Based on the findings, the study recommended that teachers in the school should encourage students to visit approved healthcare facilities for healthcare services instead of visiting native doctors and prayer camps for treatment. The Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with other stakeholders should introduce sign language education in the curriculum of health training institutions so health practitioners can properly assist persons with hearing disability to access proper health care. This study adds to the existing literature on challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing healthcare across Ghana and the globe.https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JELT2023461.pdfdeaf personshealthcare serviceshealthcare providersghana. |
| spellingShingle | Akuvi Amenyeku Mary Asare Boafoa Benjamin Nyarko Mansuru Iddrisu Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana Journal of Education and Learning Technology deaf persons healthcare services healthcare providers ghana. |
| title | Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana |
| title_full | Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana |
| title_short | Accessing Healthcare Services Among Deaf Students: A Case Study of the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Northern Region-Ghana |
| title_sort | accessing healthcare services among deaf students a case study of the savelugu school for the deaf northern region ghana |
| topic | deaf persons healthcare services healthcare providers ghana. |
| url | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JELT2023461.pdf |
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