Experiencing Disability Stigma in Ghana : Impact on Individuals and Caregivers

This book explores stigma and discrimination associated with disability and mental health in Ghana. In conversations with caregivers and persons with disabilities, the authors examine the socio-cultural challenges that undermine treatment and support for these individuals and provide recommendations for improved policy and practice.

Experiencing Disability Stigma in Ghana: Impact on Individuals and Caregivers explores the roots of disability stigma and discrimination in Ghana as well as the social and economic impact of discrimination on individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy, Jeff Grischow, and Festus Moasun present interviews from individuals with disabilities, and caregivers faced with the burdens of caring for their loved ones. The inclusion of caregivers is particularly important, because very few studies have presented their voices despite the burdens they face alongside individuals in their care. The interviews addressed the socio-economic consequences of disability and/or mental illness in Ghana for individuals and their caregivers, the implications these consequences have for the practice of social work in Ghana, and the public policy implications of this research. This book provides new and insightful data and analysis through rich and detailed firsthand narratives of lived experiences and offers recommendations for enhanced policy and practices to reduce stigma and improve the lives and livelihoods of Ghanaians with disabilities.