Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Political Activities in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Purpose: The opportunity to participate in political activities is at the heart of life in a just and democratic community. This paper attempts to assess the participation of persons with disabilities in political activities in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Method: A cross-sectional study design with a quantitative approach was followed. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to select three disability groups (physically impaired, visually impaired and hearing impaired) from the study area. Using a random sampling method, 415 participants were included in the study. Data was collected with the help of a structured questionnaire, and analysed using SPSS version 20. Results: Most of the respondents did not participate in any political activities other than voting in elections. Other types of non-involvement included: Not contributing money to a political party or a candidate (75%); not having written or spoken to an elected representative/official (52%); not attending political meetings (51%); not writing letters to newspapers on a political issue (53%); not contributing money to an organisation trying to influence government policy/legislation (55%); and, not working with groups or on their own to change government laws or policies (51%). Conclusion: Participation of persons with disabilities in various types of political activities was generally low, apart from voting. The government should actively promote an accessible environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in public affairs, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. This could encourage greater interest in political participation.