Strengthening Global Majority Representation in Deaf Legal Theory: A Pilot Project in Ghana

Funded by the University of the West of England’s Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Researchers scheme, the Deaf Legal Theory (DLT) project is moving into its next phase with a new international pilot in Ghana, in partnership with the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) and deaf communities across the country.

This project marks the first step in grounding the DLT model in Global South perspectives. Until now, the model has largely been shaped by Global North experiences. Piloting the DLT model in Ghana is a deliberate move to challenge that imbalance and ensure the model reflects the lived realities of deaf people navigating law, rights, and justice in different social, cultural, and legal contexts.

Ghana offers a powerful starting point. Deaf communities across the country have a long history of organised advocacy, led by GNAD, alongside a strong network of deaf schools and community leadership. The country’s linguistic diversity, combined with everyday experiences of dealing with legal systems, public services, and rights frameworks, provides vital insight into how law is experienced beyond Western settings.

At the heart of the project is a deaf-led, co-produced research approach. Working with a deaf Research Assistant recruited through GNAD, the project will document lived experiences through semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops with deaf people from a wide range of backgrounds, including those with little formal education, deaf professionals, community leaders, and advocates. Together, these perspectives will be used to test, refine, and strengthen the DLT model so that it is genuinely global in scope and relevance.

The project will also produce practical, community-focused outputs, including reports, infographics, and videos in Ghanaian Sign Language and International Sign, supporting ongoing advocacy and policy engagement alongside academic publications.

Reacting to the launch of the project, GNAD President Mr Matthew Kubachua welcomed the collaboration:

“For close to six decades, deaf communities in Ghana, led by GNAD, have engaged in sustained advocacy for deaf people’s human rights, often navigating a complicated legal system. The choice of Ghana provides critical insight by listening to these experiences and ensuring that the Deaf Legal Theory model is truly global in relevance. GNAD is fully committed to the success of this project.”

By centring deaf knowledge, lived experience, and Global Majority perspectives, the DLT Ghana Project represents a major step in reshaping how law is understood, analysed, and challenged in relation to deaf communities worldwide.

You can follow the project’s progress and learn more here: https://deaflegaltheory.com/dlt-in-ghana/.

Contacts

Principal Investigator, UWE Bristol: Dr Rob Wilks, Rob.Wilks@uwe.ac.uk

Executive Director, GNAD: Juventus Duorinaah, juventusdnaah@yahoo.com