Inclusivity In Social Spacies: A Lens On Deaf Muslims Religious Participation
A socially inclusive society is one in which all people feel valued, and their inherent differences and diversity are respected while their basic needs are met, guaranteeing a life of dignity. While efforts are being made to promote a socially inclusive society for all, existing evidence suggests that Deaf people remain excluded in key social spaces particularly, places of worship. This study sought to explore the extent to which the Deaf access spaces of worship, the barriers, and the mechanisms for their inclusion in such spaces in Ghana. Framed by Social Inclusion Theory and case study design, the study employed semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews in obtaining data from 31 respondents, including Deaf Muslims, religious leaders and parents. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed in the data analysis. The study revealed that there are Deaf Muslims who desire to participate in worship but are often excluded due to the absence of sign language interpretation, limited awareness of Deaf needs among Imams, gendered religious rules, and negative societal attitudes. It is recommended that sign language interpreters be prioritised and engaged in places of worship while awareness-raising through educative programs on the communication needs of the deaf and elimination of discriminatory tendencies be stepped up in order to attain meaningful inclusion of Deaf Muslims in social spaces.
Keywords
Authors
How to Cite
Download Citation
License
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License By-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access ).
Similar Articles
- Shyamani Hettiarachchi, Mahishi Ranaweera, R.M.W. Rajapaksha, /t/ before /ʈ/ or /ʈ/ before /t/: Emerging Trends from a Preliminary Study of Consonant Acquisition in Typically developing Sinhala-speaking Children aged 3 to 6 years , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 32 No. 3 (2021): Autumn 2021
- SenthilKumar Ramasamy, Pitchaimani Govindharaj, Archana Kumar, Suganya Panneerselvam, Disclosure of Disease among Women affected by Leprosy: A Qualitative Study , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 31 No. 3 (2020): Autumn
- Marie-Julie J Heeren, Lai Ky, Wim H van Brakel, Perceived Needs Related to Social Participation of People with Leprosy-related Disabilities and other People with Disabilities in Cambodia: A Qualitative Study , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 25 No. 3 (2014): Autumn 2014
- Henry Abuaku Howard, Anastasia Baisiwa Rhule, Socioeconomic Factors Hindering Access to Healthcare by Persons with Disabilities in the Ahanta West Municipality, Ghana , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 32 No. 2 (2021): Summer
- Senthilkumar Ramasamy, Pitchaimani Govindharaj, Archana Kumar, Karthikeyan Govindasamy, Annamma S John, Changes in Social Participation of Persons Affected by Leprosy, Before and After Multidrug Therapy, in an Endemic State in Eastern India , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 30 No. 2 (2019): Summer 2019
- VM Umadevi, PS Sukumaran, Functional Social Skills of Adults with Intellectual Disability , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 23 No. 2 (2012): Summer
- Rachael Abrokwah, Efua Mantey Aggire-Tettey, Augustina Naami, Accessing Healthcare in Ghana: Challenges Encountered and Strategies Adopted by Persons with Disabilities in Accra , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 31 No. 1 (2020): Spring 2020
- Elumalai Pachiappan, Effects of Biofeedback and Task-Oriented Intervention on Balance Confidence and its Relationship with Social Participation among Stroke Survivors , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 31 No. 2 (2020): Summer 2020
- Henrik Schedin, Accessibility to Power: Framing of the Disability Rights Movements in India and Nepal , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 28 No. 3 (2017): Autumn 2017
- Dadun Dadun, Ruth Peters, Mimi Lusli, Beatriz Miranda-Galarza, Wim van Brakel, Marjolein Zweekhorst, Rita Damayanti, Irwanto Irwanto, Joske Bunders, Exploring the Complexities of Leprosy-related Stigma and the Potential of a Socio-economic Intervention in a Public Health Context in Indonesia , Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development: Vol. 27 No. 3 (2016): Autumn 2016
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.