Reflections of a Ghanaian support worker in Canada: my experience in disability studies
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Abstract
Ghana is a multilingual and cosmopolitan country with diverse set of values, customs, and cultural practices. Disparities in disability, attitudes and practices may result from differing belief systems. Disability is both a societal and a biological issue. People are only as impaired as their culture permits. Improving our understanding of the social issues that impact the disabled will help in full participation in societal activities. My work experience in social services motivated me to employ an auto ethnography approach to study the viewpoints of a Ghanaian support worker in Canada. In this study, I investigated my beliefs and thoughts, demonstrating how culture influences our perception of disability and disabled people. I also recall of events from my interactions with disabled people, participant observation field notes, and study diaries as data gathering techniques.