Institutional Support for Deaf Undergraduates in Mainstream Universities: A Case Study of a Ghanaian Tertiary Education Institution.

Inclusive education policies emphasise equitable access to higher education for deaf students, yet gaps in institutional support persist in mainstream universities. This qualitative phenomenological case study explored institutional support mechanisms for deaf students at a Ghanaian Tertiary Education Institution (GTEI), with a focus on social inclusion beyond the classroom. Using an interpretivist paradigm, data were collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) with 32 deaf students and video observations of academic and social interactions. One-on-one interviews were also conducted with three (3) Heads of Department and three (3) Resource Coordinators using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis revealed that deaf students received support from department heads, resource coordinators, peers, and interpreters. Key findings indicated that financial aid (e.g., scholarships) was limited by competition with hearing peers, whereas human resource support (e.g., peer interactions, tutoring) enhanced academic motivation. However, interpreter shortages limited access in extracurricular and administrative settings, leading to reliance on informal peer assistance. The study advances knowledge by demonstrating that institutional support for deaf students in Ghanaian higher education operates as a fragmented, ad hoc system rather than a coherent policy framework, a finding that complicates universalist models of inclusive education developed in Western contexts.
The Ghanaian context, characterised by decentralised funding mechanisms, an ambiguous sign language policy, and the concentration of deaf students in disability-focused programmes, extends international research by showing how resource constraints and postcolonial educational histories shape the availability of support in ways that differ from those in high-resource settings. Recommendations include institutional policy reforms for support services, the implementation of universal design, and enhanced disability resource services.

deaf students, institutional support, mainstream universities

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