A single candid response from a student at St. John’s Academy has unmasked the deep-seated roots of disability stigma in Ghana, providing a sobering validation for a mission to help the next generation unlearn inherited biases.
During a recent interaction in Ashaiman-Lebanon, students were asked why they continue to use the derogatory term “Ofridzato“ to describe persons with albinism. A young boy provided an answer that stripped away the complexity of the issue: “We came to meet it.”
For the organisers – Inclusion For All – Ghana (IFAG) and Engage Now Africa (ENA), this response was a stark confirmation of how toxic stereotypes are maintained.
It revealed that children are handed a “social script” of exclusion before they even fully understand its impact.
While these prejudices are often inherited as part of a cultural status quo, they are frequently perpetuated with active malice, leading to the dehumanisation and marginalisation of persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The boy’s reply confirmed that many people do not hold negative perceptions because of personal experience, but because they have been conditioned to accept cruelty as a normalised social standard.
“The response ‘we came to meet it’ highlights the dangerous nature of inherited stigma,” the team observed. “It proves that without intentional intervention, children will simply continue to echo the malice they found in place. They have such beliefs and feelings not because they have reasoned them out, but because they are operating on an inherited legacy. Our work is to ensure that this is the generation where that script ends.”
The goal of this intervention is to shift the student perspective from mere accommodation to a genuine appreciation of human diversity, shaping a future where PWDs are seen as equal and valued contributors to society.
The partnership is proving that the most effective way to dismantle an age-old system of prejudice is to reach those who are currently being taught to uphold it.
By replacing inherited myths with facts now, the campaign aims to ensure that the next generation will “come to meet” a culture defined by inclusion rather than the stereotypes of the past.
St. John’s Academy was the second school visited this year and the seventh in total since the collaborative School Tour officially launched in September 2025.
With a mandate to traverse schools across the country, IFAG and Engage Now Africa remain committed to arming the youth with the right information today, so they can build a future that has no room for the prejudices of yesterday.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
