Voices in Images: Unveiling the Lived Realities of Adolescents with Disabilities in Ghana

Abstract

Ghana has a substantial disability burden with approximately 8% of the population, including adolescents, living with one form of disability or another. Despite this, the everyday experiences and challenges of adolescents with disabilities remain insufficiently documented. This study employed a phenomenological qualitative approach using photovoice methodology to explore the inner lives and often unvoiced experiences of adolescents with disabilities within their socio-cultural contexts. A total of fifty-four (54) adolescents aged 10-19 years with hearing, visual, and physical disabilities participated in the study. Participants were purposively selected to ensure maximum variation by sex, age and locality. The data were analysed manually using the photovoice data analyses procedure as proposed by Tsang. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: adversity, resilience, and social support. Participants used a range of visual images to represent their challenges, including images symbolising darkness, a stick lying on a bare floor, a coconut tree, heaps of sand, and stacks of wood logs. Images of chapel and group gatherings were also used to illustrate coping strategies and social support respectively. These findings underscore the need for the development of age-appropriate, resilience-focused interventions tailored to adolescents with disabilities in Ghana. it also highlights the need for larger community support networks and empowerment groups that meet the needs of adolescents with disabilities in Ghana.