The multilingual context of the early care and support of deaf children in Ghana

The article examines the multilingual environments in which deaf children in Ghana are raised and the implications of these environments for early care and support. It explains that most Ghanaian deaf children live in families and communities where several spoken languages are used, while their caregivers often have limited knowledge of deafness and sign-language communication. The researchers interviewed 12 hearing caregivers of deaf children from the northern, middle and southern parts of Ghana and also developed four family language biographies. The findings demonstrate that family communication practices are influenced by social, cultural, institutional and environmental factors. The article emphasises the need for early-support programmes that recognise Ghana’s multilingual realities, promote sign-language communication and empower caregivers to support the language development of deaf children.