New Publication: Cultural Stigmatization and Linguistic Prejudice in Deaf Education in Ghana

I’m delighted to share that my latest co-authored chapter with Dr. George Akanlig-Pare has been published by Oxford University Press in The Oxford Handbook of Language and Prejudice, edited by Jane Setter and colleagues.

Chapter Title:

Cultural Stigmatization and Linguistic Prejudice in Deaf Education in Ghana

Read the chapter here


Understanding the Context

Across the world, Deaf communities have long faced linguistic prejudice and cultural marginalization, often driven by misunderstanding and neglect of sign languages. In Ghana, this challenge is compounded by educational policies that fail to recognize sign language as a legitimate medium of instruction.

Our chapter situates this issue within a historical and sociolinguistic framework, showing how colonial education systems, societal perceptions of deafness, and policy gaps have shaped the experience of Deaf learners in Ghana.

We trace this trajectory from the early missionary schools founded by Andrew Foster in the 1950s, through years of policy neglect, to the current efforts led by Deaf associations and educators seeking change.

Drawing from ethnographic and qualitative research, our analysis reveals:

How cultural stigma and linguistic prejudice against Deaf people are reinforced through education policy and social norms.

The ways in which foreign sign languages were historically imposed at the expense of indigenous African sign languages, contributing to linguistic marginalization.

The urgent need for teacher education programs that include Deaf tutors and sign language interpreters.

Why language-in-education policies must recognize sign language as a full language of learning, not merely a supplement to spoken language.

We argue that a Deaf-centered and Deaf-led curriculum, supported by inclusive policy frameworks, is essential to achieve linguistic justice and meaningful education for Deaf learners in Ghana.

Broader Implications

This study contributes to global discussions about language, power, and identity. It echoes a growing awareness that sign languages are not auxiliary. They are central to human communication, culture, and education.

As nations rethink inclusion and accessibility, Ghana’s experience offers valuable lessons about the intersection of language policy, disability rights, and educational equity. Recognizing sign language as a legitimate language of instruction is not only a matter of pedagogy. It is a matter of linguistic human rights.

About the Book

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Prejudice (Oxford University Press, 2025) brings together scholars from diverse disciplines to examine how language both reflects and challenges social prejudice. Edited by Jane Setter and colleagues, the volume explores topics spanning accent bias, linguistic discrimination, gendered language, and cultural representation.

Access the full handbook here

Online ISBN: 978-0-19-196529-6

Published: October 22, 2025




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