Emmanuel Kofi Opoku
2 Publications in AERD
Author Publications
Export PDFFactors motivating students with disabilities to access and participate in university education in Ghana
By Emmanuel Kofi Opoku
Education has been described as a ‘bridging right’ that empowers persons with disabilities to justifiably lay claim to other rights, such as the right to work, the right to participate in politics, etc. While much research has reported on the challenges encountered by persons with disabilities in higher education, very little is known about the factors that enhance their retention and continuous participation in higher education in Ghana. The objective of this study was therefore to explore the factors that influence students with disabilities to access and participate in higher education. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals with disabilities: physical disability (n = 8) and visual impairment (n = 3), who were recruited from one of the largest higher education institutions in Ghana. The results from the thematic analysis indicate that the participants were motivated more by the higher-level needs of Maslow’s pyramid, that is, safety, self-esteem and transcendence, than the lower-level needs. The study limitations, recommendations for future research and policy implications are also discussed. © 2022 HERDSA.
Applying a Socio-Ecological Model to Understand the Psychosocial Support Services Available to Students with Disabilities in Universities; [Aplicando um modelo socioecológico para compreender os serviços de apoio psicossocial disponíveis para alunos com deficiência nas universidades]; [Aplicación de un modelo socioecológico para comprender los servicios de apoyo psicosocial disponibles para estudiantes con discapacidad en las universidades]
By Emmanuel Kofi Opoku
The importance of psychosocial support for students with disabilities to participate effectively in universities cannot be overemphasized. As an essential a spect of inclusive practice, psychosocial supports empower students with disabilities and improve their accessibility to and belongingness in higher education. In the Ghanaian context, some attention has been given to challenges students with disabilities encounter during their university education, while less attention has been paid to the types of support they receive. Using Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model as a theoretical framework, this study conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with 11 participants with a disability, made up of 10 undergraduate students and one lecturer (physical disability: n=8 and visual impairment: n=3), to understand the nature and extent of psychosocial supports institutionalized for students with disabilities in universities in Ghana. The participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling approaches from one of the largest public universities in Ghana. The interview data were transcribed verbatim, and theoretical thematic analysis was performed. The psychosocial supports received by the students with disabilities that enable them to maintain their status at the university were presented and discussed around three levels: micro-system, meso-system, and exo-system. The result showed that students with disabilities received most of their psychological support from the micro-system. The study concludes with a call to policymakers to consider the important role of stakeholders such as family and peers as well improve support services to enhance the retention of students with disabilities. © 2022, Arizona State University. All rights reserved.
© 2026 AERD Database System. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Strategic Technologies.