Sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Ghana: Exploring perceptions and participation in agriculture
Author(s)
Agyei-Okyere, Elvis
Nketsia, William
Opoku, Maxwell Peprah
Torgbenu, Eric Lawer
Alupo, Beatrice Atim
Odame, Lois
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2019
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Unemployment and the corollary of poverty among persons with disabilities have been well explored in the literature. As part of its global efforts to eradicate poverty, the United Nations, through its sustainable development goals, has urged countries to create economic opportunities for all persons to participate in income‐generating activities. In Ghana, agriculture has been described as the backbone of the economy and the main source of employment and livelihood for many. However, it appears that policymakers are yet to explore how agriculture could create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. ...
View more >Unemployment and the corollary of poverty among persons with disabilities have been well explored in the literature. As part of its global efforts to eradicate poverty, the United Nations, through its sustainable development goals, has urged countries to create economic opportunities for all persons to participate in income‐generating activities. In Ghana, agriculture has been described as the backbone of the economy and the main source of employment and livelihood for many. However, it appears that policymakers are yet to explore how agriculture could create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This study makes a major contribution to research on the eradication of poverty among persons with disabilities by exploring their participation and experiences in agriculture‐related activities. One‐on‐one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 19 persons with disabilities from three communities in a district in Ghana. A recurrent theme was that agriculture was a way through which the Ghanaian government could create employment for persons with disabilities. However, the participants recounted formidable barriers that affect their participation in agriculture: lack of land, funds and farming tools, and negative attitudes. These findings highlight the need for policymakers to engage with persons with disabilities to identify possible ways to assist their participation in agriculture.
View less >
View more >Unemployment and the corollary of poverty among persons with disabilities have been well explored in the literature. As part of its global efforts to eradicate poverty, the United Nations, through its sustainable development goals, has urged countries to create economic opportunities for all persons to participate in income‐generating activities. In Ghana, agriculture has been described as the backbone of the economy and the main source of employment and livelihood for many. However, it appears that policymakers are yet to explore how agriculture could create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This study makes a major contribution to research on the eradication of poverty among persons with disabilities by exploring their participation and experiences in agriculture‐related activities. One‐on‐one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 19 persons with disabilities from three communities in a district in Ghana. A recurrent theme was that agriculture was a way through which the Ghanaian government could create employment for persons with disabilities. However, the participants recounted formidable barriers that affect their participation in agriculture: lack of land, funds and farming tools, and negative attitudes. These findings highlight the need for policymakers to engage with persons with disabilities to identify possible ways to assist their participation in agriculture.
View less >
Journal Title
Business Strategy and the Development
Volume
2
Issue
2
Subject
People with disability
Labour, migration and development
Development studies
Political economy and social change
Social Sciences
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Business
Environmental Studies