Ebenezer Dassah

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for persons with disabilities in school settings: A call for research

By Ebenezer Dassah

Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in school settings is critical in addressing access disparities experienced by persons with disabilities. As such, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established ambitious targets which aim to achieve universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. Despite this, access to inclusive WASH services in schools remain a big challenge in many resource-constrained settings. This review seeks to examine access to WASH for persons with disabilities in school settings. We undertook a review to identify a wide range of evidence from peer-reviewed sources. We identified only two studies, and they revealed environmental, social and institutional barriers that negatively affect persons with disabilities’ access to WASH services. We concluded the review with a call for urgent attention to build on this knowledge base as well as practical steps to improve WASH service provision in school settings in low- and middle-income countries. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

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Promoting safe and inclusive water and sanitation services for students with physical disabilities in primary schools: a concept mapping study in Ghana

By Ebenezer Dassah

Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in schools is crucial to providing inclusive environments for all children to thrive. Particularly for children with disabilities, the school environment can serve as a barrier to their access to and use of WASH facilities. This paper examines strategies and programs needed to promote safe and inclusive WASH services for students with physical disabilities in primary schools in Ghana. We recruited 22 stakeholders from the Upper West Region of Ghana to complete an online concept mapping exercise. Participants identified eight themes for promoting safe and inclusive access to WASH services for students with physical disabilities. These themes included ‘building special schools,’ ‘guidance services,’ ‘ensuring non-discrimination and fair treatment,’ ‘additional programs for PWDs,’ ‘local government interventions,’ ‘public sensitization,’ ‘teacher training,’ and ‘supervision.’ These findings can assist stakeholders in identifying strategies and prioritising programs in the short run to improve WASH among students with physical disabilities. © 2023.

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