More than 60 years since the founding of deaf education in Ghana, thousands of deaf children enjoy access to education at all levels, from basic school to tertiary. Yet many students do not know the story of how they came to benefit from one of the Africa’s most advanced education and sign language systems.
Through a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, U.S. Fulbright researcher Joel Runnels will bring a photo exhibition on the history of deaf education in Ghana to four schools for the deaf in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions from July 16-20. Runnels, who has collaborated on his research with the Ghana National Association of the Deaf and the University of Ghana, created a display of 35 photos that share the story of Dr. Andrew Foster. In addition to the deaf students, hearing students from a neighboring school will be invited to each exhibition, to encourage conversation about deaf education.
In July 1957, Dr. Andrew Foster, a deaf African American, introduced deaf education and sign language to Ghana — founding the country’s first school for the deaf.
Initially, Foster enrolled only 12 deaf children at his Ghana Mission School for the Deaf in Osu, Accra. Five years later, Foster moved the school to Mampong-Akuapem, expanded enrollment to more than 200 students, and transferred ownership to the Government of Ghana.
The government would go on to accumulate a list of 1,375 deaf children from all regions waiting to enroll. The government opted to replicate and scale up Foster’s education and sign language model, establishing an additional 13 schools for the deaf in every region, including four in Upper East and Upper West regions.
Mary Addo, one of Ghana’s first teachers and interpreters for the deaf, still remembers Foster’s work to this day.
“Foster was a trailblazing pioneer who left his home in the U.S. to bring education to the deaf in Ghana. Government told him there was no need for a deaf school in Ghana. In those days, no one knew that the deaf could read or write. But when hundreds of deaf children were learning at Foster’s mission school, government came forward to embrace and even expand the idea.
“The older deaf continue to remember and revere Foster because he first brought literacy and dignity to their lot. They regularly have events to celebrate and honor him. But the younger ones, who most benefit from Foster’s legacy, are growing up without any idea of who he is or what he did.”
For this reason, Muhama Dadile, assistant headmaster at Wa School for the Deaf, applauded the coming of the photo exhibition. “We are very excited to receive the photo exhibition! We know much will be dealt with about who Foster is and the history of how he came with education and sign language for deaf people here in Ghana”
Following the tour of the north, the photo exhibition will be gifted to the W.E.B. DuBois Centre in Cantonments, Accra, for display later in the year.
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