Is poverty among persons with a disability meeting the sustainable development goal/s? A Ghana case study

Qualitative experiences of people with disabilities were documented in Ghana, to critic how Sustainable Development Goals [SDG] have trickled down to the most vulnerable individuals in terms of alleviating poverty. A total of forty-eight participants (M=20, F=28, and with a mean age of 39 years) with disabilities (i.e., ranging from hearing n=11, visual n=15, and physical disabilities n=22) from four districts in the Northern Region of Ghana, took part in the study. All participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews, and all members were invited to share their lived experiences regarding how their disability has affected their livelihoods. In terms of personal thematic narratives, this study found: chronic poverty; culminating adversity, unable to cope with pressures of everyday expenses, limited opportunities of education, obstacles in the physical environment to be fully mobile and lack of employment, were some of the most profound experiences of participants. More specifically, when participants' responses were aligned to the goals of SDG, and it was found that there is little or no evidence to suggest that any aspect of SDG have directly trickled down to alleviate vulnerable individuals out of poverty. In terms of implications, this study concludes that SDG needs to take specificities into account such as personal, local and cultural concerns in working out comprehensive strategies to directly assist individuals with disabilities to come out of poverty.