The Early Care and Education of Deaf Children in Ghana: Developing Local and Global Understandings of Early Support

This book examines how an understanding of social-cultural and resource dynamics can inform the development of context-sensitive approaches to the early education and care of young deaf children, and the support of their caregivers. The authors investigate what it takes to facilitate deaf children’s progress through early childhood, focusing on language, communication, learning, and well-being in the sub-Saharan African context of Ghana. They provide a review and critical discussion of the existing knowledge base surrounding early childhood deaf education and examine traditional and contemporary perspectives on childhood deafness and caregiving that are meaningful to the African early childhood deaf education landscape.

The book draws on the knowledge and understanding developed through a collaborative UK-Ghana research project that examined the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) of young deaf children in Ghana. Examples from this project bring to life the issues surrounding caregiving, childhood deafness and early support in sub-Saharan Africa and advances voices from this context. As a co-authored text and collaboration between UK and Ghana researchers the work brings a new and context sensitive contribution to the examination of early education programming for young deaf children, addresses gaps in the global ECCE research, and shifts the traditional flow of knowledge to open the potential of south-north illumination and learning.

Ruth Swanwick, Professor of Deaf Education, School of Education, University of Leeds, Daniel Fobi, Lecturer of Deaf Education, Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba, Yaw Offei, Associate professor of Audiology and Special Education, Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba, Alexander Oppong, Senior lecturer of Deaf Education and Special Education, Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba

Ruth Swanwick is Professor of deaf education at the University of Leeds in the School of Education. Ruth’s research activities encompass childhood deafness, language and learning, inclusive and bilingual education, and teacher development. She is currently developing the impact activities that are the outcome of collaborative UK-Ghana project that investigated the early education for young deaf children and their caregivers in Ghana.

Daniel Fobi is a lecturer in deaf education and inclusive education, a sign language interpreter, and graduate programmes coordinator at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. He is also a project officer and a visiting research fellow at the School of Education, University of Leeds. Dani is currently working to support scholarship in sub-Saharan Africa and building the academic and research capacity of researchers of the region by providing mentorship and professional development training to teachers.

Yaw Nyadu Offei is an Associate Professor in Audiology and Special Education at the University of Education, Winneba. Ghana. He has a Master of Philosophy degree in Special Education from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Master of Science in Audiological Sciences at University College London and, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Audiology from the Faculty of Education, University of Cologne in Germany.

Alexander M. Oppong is a professional teacher of the deaf and senior lecturer in the Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. He specialises in training graduate and undergraduate teachers of the deaf. Alex is currently one of the co-investigators on the British Academy Global Challenges Research Funded project that seeks to examine early education for young deaf children and their caregivers in Ghana.