“I will advocate for rehabilitation specialists…”: A Secondary Analysis of In-Service Adolescents with Disabilities and Families’ Recommendations to Enhance Rehabilitation Access in Ghana

Abstract

Background: Despite supportive national policies in respect of healthcare access, in-service adolescents with disabilities and their families in Ghana still face key barriers in accessing rehabilitation services. The aim of this study is to identify and understand recommended solutions from in-service adolescents with disabilities and their families to improve access to rehabilitation services in Ghana.

Methods: The study is a secondary analysis of data set from a previous qualitative study with 45 participants (consisting of 25 adolescents with disabilities and 20 families of adolescents with disabilities). We collectively analyzed the data thematically in combination with elements of a grounded theory approach.

Results: We identified four key recommended solutions from the analysis. These are (i) affordable rehabilitation services, (ii) availability of services, (iii) protection of human rights, and (iv) greater awareness of rehabilitation services. Overall, participants’ recommended solutions related to policies and practices that can potentially improve access to rehabilitation services for adolescents with disabilities in Ghana and similar contexts.

Conclusion: Participants’ recommended solutions have important implications for rehabilitation service provision and policy decision-making. As such, there is an urgent need to involve in-service adolescents with disabilities and their families in the development and implementation of rehabilitation interventions to meet the specific and unique needs of adolescents with disabilities. This may advance Ghana’s efforts towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Rehabilitation and, ultimately, the Sustainable Development Goal 3.