“The historical foundations of education and sign language for the deaf in Ghana”

Abstract

Dr. Andrew Jackson Foster, a Deaf African American, is known as the “the father of Deaf education in Africa” because he founded amongst the first 32 schools for the deaf across the African continent. He arrived in Ghana in 1957, at a time when education, sign language and services for the deaf were almost non-existent. Within a matter of months, Foster partnered with Government of Ghana to establish a school for the deaf in Osu (later moved to Mampong) and introduced American Sign Language, thus innovating a deaf education model that he would go on to replicate across 13 African nations and Ministry of Education would expand from into all regions. Explore further into the historical foundations of education for the deaf and sign language in Ghana.