Consistently, it has been reported that persons with disabilities face multiple challenges in societies and thus it is important that deliberate intervention programs are initiated to empower them to overcome exclusion. The United Nations has taken the lead through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project, which is a framework for assisting countries and donors in their efforts to alleviate poverty. This article documented the experiences of persons with disabilities with respect to global efforts towards poverty reduction via SDGs. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with 48 individuals with disabilities (hearing loss n = 11, visual impairment n = 15, and physical disability n = 22) who were drawn from four districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. Analysis of the interview data revealed common themes related to hardship, poverty, limited access to education, and underemployment. The results indicated that the SDG project engendered little tangible improvement in the lives of persons with disabilities. The need for concerted efforts to address barriers faced by individuals with disabilities is discussed extensively.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	equity in society, Ghana, poverty alleviation, stakeholders with disabilities, SustainableDevelopment Goals
Research Division:	Health Sciences
Research Group:	Health services and systems
Research Field:	Health and community services
Objective Division:	Education and Training
Objective Group:	Teaching and curriculum
Objective Field:	Pedagogy
UTAS Author:	Opoku, MP (Mr Max Opoku)
UTAS Author:	F, J (Dr J F)
UTAS Author:	Swabey, K (Professor Karen Swabey)
UTAS Author:	Pullen, D (Dr Darren Pullen)
ID Code:	128425
Year Published:	2019 (online first 2018)
Web of Science® Times Cited:	52
Deposited By:	Education
Deposited On:	2018-09-21
Last Modified:	2021-10-20
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