DFID Crosscutting Disability Research Programme
Report on Inception Phase Workshop
Accra, Ghana
14th – 15th June 2010
Professor Nora Groce and Dr Maria Kett
Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre
University College London
1
1. Background
The Crosscutting Disability Research Programme has a number of core
components. These include the mainstreaming of disability issues across
other DFID-funded Research Programme Consortiums (RPCs); increasing
awareness and inclusion of disability issues in international development
and poverty reduction agendas; and increasing capacity of all
stakeholders. As part of the inception phase, the programme aimed to
identify gaps in current research on disability and development, as well as
potential partners to undertake research within four regions: South Asia,
South East Asia, West Africa and East Africa.
Ghana was selected to be the host of the third of four participatory
workshops to bring together stakeholders from academia – in particular
RPC partners; non-governmental organisations (NGOs); and DPOs. (As a
number of institutions in the country are RPC partners, it was felt that
Ghana would provide a particularly good forum for one of the participatory
workshops).
The workshop took place over two full days. There were 26 participants in
total: 17 participants representing eight RPCs; three DPOs – two national
umbrella organisations and a national women’s DPO; two INGOs and a
small number of regional partners from Leonard Cheshire Disability (see
appendix for participant list and agenda).
2. Workshop Outline
Professor Groce and Dr Kett presented an overview of the CCDRP and of
the aims and objectives of the workshop. Each participant was then invited
to make a presentation on their organisation, their research and any work
already undertaken or in process on disability. The participants were then
invited to divide into groups focused on one of the six DFID research
themes:
 Health
 Agriculture
 Climate change
 Growth
 Governance in challenging environments
 Future challenges
Where possible, each group has at least one RPC representative from the
relevant RPC. The groups were asked to discuss current issues, gaps,
challenges, and to identify potential research ideas. In addition to the
discussion groups, six flip chart sheets were made available – one for
each thematic are – for participants to write additional thoughts or ideas for
other options/issues to be raised.
On the second day, each group presented their recommendations back to
the plenary, and then there was a group discussion on the ideas and
issues raised. Ideas from the sheets were also included in these
2
discussions. Summaries of these presentations are presented below,
followed by recommendations and ideas for potential research projects in
the West Africa region.
3. Key findings:
Several issues arose that cut across thematic areas, in particular participation
and representation, collaboration (and lack of it); gender, age, and ethnicity. It
is also worth noting that education was also identified as a gap by almost all
the groups. Full potential research areas outlined by the groups are as
follows:
Health
1. Access to healthcare, e.g. costs; exemptions (such as the National
Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana); immunizations; HIV/AIDS (VCT);
maternal and child health programmes. Research areas could also
focus on exclusion and costs (e.g. to individuals, families); treatmentseeking patterns; barriers (e.g. socioeconomic, gender).
2. Health and nutrition – links to child development (also links with women
and agriculture)
3. Social and economic impacts of non-communicable diseases (e.g.
strokes) as well as other specific health conditions with disabling
impacts (e.g. NTDs, leprosy, polio)
4. Quality of healthcare – including training (links to attitude change, e.g.
nursing and medical school training)
5. Equity of healthcare access (including amongst different impairment
groups)
6. Role of faith-based providers/traditional healers (e.g. in treatment
programmes)
7. What is the rate of uptake of malaria preventive methods (ITNs, indoor
residual spraying, prophylaxis etc) among persons with disabilities?
8. Links between convulsions/epilepsy/malaria (and how this links to
missing education/schooling)
9. Links (or lack) between disability and mental health (including SGBV:
protection, justice); links between incidence of depression and persons
with disabilities; role of traditional healers
10. Access to public health information
Agriculture
1. Assessments of poverty/food security and lack of disability
component); need for adaptations (e.g. WFP food security
assessments)
2. Livelihoods – links with gender and work done on agriculture (e.g. in
Ghana)
3. Participation (e.g. in agricultural trade unions/farmers unions/collectives
etc). Benefits of this and subsequent losses if not included?
4. Research on the extent to which disability issues are incorporated into
agricultural policy frameworks.
5. Research on abuse of persons with disabilities (especially those with
mental health problems) in rural/farming communities
3
6. Analysis of access to micro-credit programmes to undertake agrienterprises – benefits/disadvantages?
Climate change
1. Research on food insecurity – and effects on lives of persons with
disabilities
2. Access and inclusion in adaptation/mitigation measures (e.g. insurance
scheme and other development initiatives such as reforestation/agricultural
programmes,
Land
Conservation
and
Rehabilitation (LACROS) Ghana programme; Coalition for Change
(Nigeria) – work on climate change)
3. Inclusion in pre/during/post-disaster support/rehabilitation (including
equitable access to shelter etc)
4. Impact on (local) service providers
5. Health effects (e.g. malaria, under-nutrition, malnutrition)
6. Equitable access to clean water, and if not, health effects resulting from
these (LSHTM/WaterAid consortium?)
7. Effects of climate-related migration on persons with disabilities
(including health effects)?
8. To what extent are climate-related diseases (such as Malaria) serving
as barriers for children with disabilities to access education?
9. What economic/social security measures are in place or need to help
cope with future economic shocks caused by climate change and
climate variability? How are persons with disabilities affected by
climate-shocks (e.g. jobs)
10. How can persons with disabilities help reduce climate related risks and
to what extent are they involved in on-going climate change
programmes (e.g. Global DRR Platform, early warning committees,
capacity building on climate change, etc)?
11. Are disability issues included in national social safety nets/ action
plans to tackle future economic shocks created by climate change?
Growth
1. Assessments – how are they undertaken, how effective are they (e.g.
for welfare benefits)
2. Social protection/social safety nets – access, benefits, usefulness?
3. Role of parents/carer’s (e.g. support services)
4. Inclusion in tertiary education and potential job markets
5. Attainment (or not) of employment quotas (targeting?); follow through
of skills training etc
6. Leadership (inc traditional structures, perceptions, role models etc)
7. Factors increasing inequalities (e.g. urban/rural)?
8. Prevalence of poverty among persons with disabilities?
9. Targeted and relevant skills training taking into consideration their
interests areas and marketability – with follow up to assess
benefits/disadvantages
10. What are the barriers to reaching national employment quotas for
disabled people – and are this useful?
4
11. Access to education – including curriculum review, training. The group
noted that access to education is still a huge gap in West Africa,
despite it not being a priority research area.
12. A comparison of the outcomes of inclusive education versus special
needs education vis-à-vis educational and labour market outcomes.
Governance in challenging environments
1. Political participation (or lack of) – both local and national (e.g. Nigeria
= 2% representation – but in reality?)
2. Constitutional reforms – including legislations, elections
3. Empowerment processes (e.g. Ghana GARI fund (governance and
accountability and responsibility initiative)
4. Targeted funding – benefits and disadvantages?
5. Lack of information on urban poor (inc representation, voice); role of
youth groups (lack of disability perspective e.g. RECOUP)
6. Research around increasing representation and voice of persons with
disabilities at local and national levels, and what are the barriers?
7. Policy implementations- what are the biggest barriers?
8. What are the support services needed (including social insurance
schemes)
9. How can assessment and identification of disability be effectively
mainstreamed; and what are the issues of double discrimination (e.g.
gender, mental health, poverty), and how can they be addressed?
Future challenges
1. Intrinsic factors (e.g. lack of support to DPOs, empowerment, peer
support, conflict, collaboration, coordination)
2. Poverty alleviation – including targeted funding for persons with
disabilities; role of Public-Private Partnerships and effective support
programmes
3. Adaptability/role of ICT for persons with disabilities
4. Legislation and financial commitments, political will, advocacy
5. Prioritisation – assessments, expectations
6. MDG goals (e.g Ghana focus on 1&2 but no disability focus)
7. Best practices – e.g. gender – lessons to be learnt – but how?
8. NGO experiences
Of particular note were areas of research that cut across several RPCs:


Long term educational (and livelihoods) outcomes of children with
(cerebral) malaria
Implications for persons with disabilities in rural agricultural
programmes (links with gender best practices)
4. Potential Research Links with RPCs
 Towards 4 & 5: potential extension of work already done on maternal and
child health in Ghana – women with disabilities; neonatal care
 RECOUP: potential to extend work already done on gender, youth and
citizenship; links between malaria, disability and education
5




Pathways of Women’s Empowerment: potential to add a disability
component to work on inter-generational employment
Research into Use: lessons learnt from gender and agricultural practices –
possibility to replicate for disability?
CRISE: Horizontal inequalities – disability component
Mental Health and Poverty: exclusion, e.g. in social protection schemes)
Other potential links
MA teaching at Institute of Statistics and Social and Economic Research
(ISSER), University of Ghana
7. Summary and Conclusions:
The workshop participants generated a very high level of discussions and
research ideas. Another intended outcome – the exchange of knowledge,
ideas and experiences between the different participant groups - also took
place and there was a great deal of awareness raising. Overall feedback from
all the participants has been very positive, with several having already
followed up via email on return home to discuss next steps.
Potential links have been made across number of current regional RPCs. We
will follow these up with lead organisation to establish ongoing dialogue and
initiate research based on the gaps and needs highlighted above.
6
Appendix:
1. Agenda
DFID Cross Cutting Disability Research Programme Workshop
Airport West Hotel
Accra, Ghana
14th – 15th June 2010
Agenda
Day 1
9.00 – 10.00
Overview of Cross-Cutting Disability Research Programme.
10.00 – 10.30
Tea break
10.30 – 13.00
Presentations
13.00 – 14.00
Lunch time
14.00 – 15.00
Presentations cont
15.00 – 15.30
Tea break
15.30 – 17.00
Thematic discussion groups
17.00 – 17.30
Summary of day
1900 onwards
Poolside buffet reception (Airport West Hotel)
Day 2
9.00 – 10.30
Presentation of group recommendations
10.30 – 11.00
Tea break
11.00 – 13.00
Discussion of key recommendations
13.00 – 14.00
Lunch
14.00 – 15.00
Next steps
15.00 – 15.30
Tea
7
15.30 – 16.30
Summary and concluding remarks
8
2. Participant list:
Name
Organisation
Contact Details/Email
Joseph M
Dzinyela
Institute for Educational
Planning &
Administration,
University of Cape Coast
joedzinyela@yahoo.com
Gideon HosuPortbley
Delink Services
Gifty Dufie
Antwi
Department of
Community Health,
Knust, Kumasi
Kabba F.
Bangura
Sierra Leone Union on
Disability Issues
Ezeoke
Ogochukwu
Bode Gbenle
Health Policy Research
Group, University of
Nigeria, Enugu
Lagos Cheshire Home
Department of
Biochemistry, University
of Lagos, Nigeria
gidporbley@yahoo.co.uk ,
gporbley@ashesi.edu.gh ,
0244 297183
giftydufiantwi@yahoo.co.uk
afuazzzz@yahoo.co.uk
+233 0244596229
sludi2008@yahoo.com ,
daag81@yahoo.co.uk ,
+232 33 743628
onwujekwe@yahoo.co.uk ,
bscuzochukwu@yahoo.com
+2348061558346
lagoscheshirehom@yahoo.co.uk
bodegbenle@yahoo.com
+2348033068212
Fabian S Achana
Navrongo Health
Research Centre
fachana@navrongo.mimcom.net
fsachana@gmail.com
0243213284
Teddy A. Morlai
Communications,
Campaigns and
Fundraising Manager –
Leonard Cheshire
Disability, West Africa
tmorlai@yahoo.com
+232-77-956841 / 076-299645 / 033954522
Edward
Adiibokah
Kintampo Health
Research Centre
Leslie CaselyHayford
Joseph Ghartey
Ampiah
Associates for Change
(AFC)
Associates for Change
(AFC)
CRIPEQ, University of
Cape Coast
Wayo Seini
ISSER
Dr Emmanuel
Kofi Gyimah
CRIQPEG, University of
Cape Coast
Dr Mahmoud B
Alhassan
National Eye Centre,
Kaduna, Nigeria
Khadijatu Iddrisu
edward.adiibokah@kintamp_hrc.org
adiiboka@yahoo.com
khadijahsujulo@yahoo.com
+233264415877
comdev9@yahoo.com
0244255170
jgampiah@yahoo.com
+233244520764
wayoseini@yahoo.co.uk
wayoseini100@gmail.com
0244317645
gyimahemma@yahoo.com
00233 245698750
mbalhassan@yahoo.com
neckad@yahoo.com
+234 8035899559
9
Dr Oyedunni D
Arulogun
University of Ibadan
Owusu Agyei
Kumasi Cheshire Home
John OwusuAyirebi
Kumasi Cheshire Home
Isaac OwareAboagye
Action Aid, Ghana
David Sam Sualé Research Into Use
Ekaete Umoh
Family-Centered Initiative
for Challenged Persons
(FACICP)
IEPA – UCC, Cape Coast,
Ghana
omoyisola2002@yahoo.com
oyedunniarulogun@gmail.com
+2348035794630
ajeifeb12@yahoo.com
00233 20 5883246 / 00233 27834634
03220 37232 / 0243618947
ayirebiowusu@yahoo.com
P.O. Box AH 9437, AhensanKumasi, Ghana
isaac.oware-aboagye@actionaid.org
aboagye2020@yahoo.com
davidsuale@yahoo.com
www.researchintouse.com
+232 76 622152/033 622152
umohekaetej@yahoo.com
+234-80-3725-3547
Rita K Kusi
Ghana Federation of the
Disabled
Dr Alexander
Manu
Kintampo Health
Research Centre
babaidcc@yahoo.com
0208132149
rita.kusi@gfdgh.org
ritkusi@yahoo.com
0244805887 / 0302 240530
alex.manu@kintampo_hrc.org
makmanu128@yahoo.co.uk
Delali Dovie
Associates for Change
delaly@gmail.com
Baaba Aidoo
10