About the editors and authors
About the editors
Dr. Yaw Nyadu Offei is a senior lecturer in special education at the Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba in Ghana. He is also a practicing audiologist at the Centre for Hearing and Speech Services of the University of Education, Winneba. Dr. Offei earned his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in Special Education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, in 2003. He earned his MSc in Audiological Sciences from the University College, London in 2006 and, his PhD in Educational Audiology from the Faculty of Education, University of Cologne, Germany, in 2013. He was a visiting lecturer in the Faculty of Education of the University of Buea in Cameroon from 2014 to 2017. He has reviewed several articles for refereed journals and has mentored several Ph.D. students. His research interests are in the areas of early identification and intervention of infants and children with educationally significant auditory losses.
Professor Elisa M. Maroney holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of New Mexico, American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA) Qualified Certification, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) National Interpreter Certificate, Ed: K-12 certification, and Certificates of Interpretation and Transliteration. Maroney has been teaching at Western Oregon University since 1993. She was selected to be one of thirteen Commissioners on the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education, joining the first accrediting body for interpreter education programs in the U.S. and the first group of Commissioners in 2006. She served the Commission as President from June 2011 to December 2013 followed by a 2-year term as Immediate Past President. She spent the 2015-2016 year on sabbatical leave teaching at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. She returns to Ghana annually to co-facilitate professional development for interpreters and educators.
About the authors
Dr. Blessing F. Adeoye’s research interests focus primarily on the relationship between culture and technology, and the use of research to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools. He has presented at numerous conferences. Dr. Adeoye has published over 40 peer reviewed articles as well as 10 books related to Educational Technology. At Walden University, he teaches the doctoral capstone and mentors PHD and EDD candidates in Educational Technology. Dr. Adeoye has chaired numerous doctoral student dissertation committees.
Dr. George Akanlig-Pare is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics, University of Ghana, Legon, where he teaches courses in Phonetics, Phonology, Morpho-syntax and Sign Language linguistics at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His research interests include tonology, tone-morpho-syntax interfaces, Signed Language Linguistics, Forensic Linguistics, and Adult Literacy Practices. His core area of specialization is the phonetics and phonology of tone, and how this interface with the morpho-syntax of Buli, a Gur language spoken in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Dr. Emmanuel Asonye is a Speech and Hearing Scientist and currently a Postdoc Research Scholar with Linguistics Department, University of New Mexico; Founder, Save the Deaf and Endangered Languages Initiative, an NGO documenting Nigerian Sign Language and the Deaf population, and a pioneer indigenous researcher in Nigerian Sign Language linguistics, with a burden of raising a team of indigenous Sign Linguists among deaf and hearing scholars.
Richard Doku is a Deaf graduate of University of Education, Winneba with a Bachelor degree in Special Education (Education of Hearing Impaired). He is a full-time professional teacher at the Senior High Technical School for the Deaf, Mampong-Akuampem, Ghana. He has over twelve (12) years of teaching experience in Deaf schools. Richard is also a part time tutor at University of Cape Coast, (Department of Education and Psychology) and he teaches Ghanaian Sign Language for the Diploma in Ghanaian Sign Language Interpreting sandwich programme. He is the youth president at the time of writing this chapter and a board member of GNAD representing the youth section. He has over fifteen (15) years working relationship with GNAD.
Dr. Mary Edward has a PhD (Linguistics) from the University of Brighton (UK), MA from the University of Bergen (Norway), and BA from the University of Ghana (Legon). Her research interests include iconicity in sign languages, phonology of signed languages, morphology of signed languages, sign language typology (foreign-based and indigenous sign languages) Deaf Culture, diverse areas of the sociolinguistics of Deaf communities in Ghana and discourse analysis. She has presented her research in several international conferences and has (co-)authored several research papers on iconicity in sign language, phonology and morphology of sign languages, deaf culture, sociolinguistics of deaf societies, and discourse analysis. She is currently working with Save the Deaf and Endangered Languages Initiative (S-DELI) as an instructor.
Dr. Daniel Fobi holds a PhD in Deaf Education from the University of Leeds, English, U.K. He is a lecturer in deaf education and inclusive education and also a sign language interpreter. Dani is also a project officer for a British Academy (BA) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) research on Early education for young deaf children and their caregivers in Ghana which is a collaboration between the University of Leeds, U.K. and the University of Education, Winneba. His research interests are in early education for children with special needs, inclusion for special needs individuals in various contexts, and sign language interpreting. He hopes to build his research network with academics across the globe to support scholarship and build the academic capacity of researchers of sub-Saharan African and similar regions.
Joyce Fobi has worked as a teacher of the deaf and a sign language interpreter at the tertiary and basic levels of education in Ghana. Joyce also worked as a clinical assistant in audiology at the Komfo Anoky Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Joyce is currently a research assistant on a British Academy Global Challenges Research Funded project that seeks to examine early education for young deaf children and their caregivers in Ghana. Joyce intends to extend her research experience with deaf people, children, and their families and the particular issues of early development, language, and communication towards a doctorate in deaf education.
Obed Appau is a sign language instructor and interpreter at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). Obed is the coordinator of the interpreting provision at UEW and has over 12 years experience of working with individuals who are deaf in tertiary classrooms. Obed is also a support tutor for students with disabilities at the UEW. Obed is currently a research assistant on the British Academy Global Challenges Research Funded project that seeks to examine early education for young deaf children and their caregivers in Ghana.
Dr. Alexander Mills Oppong is a professional teacher of the deaf and senior lecturer in the Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. He specializes in training graduate and undergraduate teachers of the deaf. Alexander’s research interests centre on the documentation of sign language textbooks for students at all levels of education. Alex is currently one of the co-investigators on the British Academy Global Challenges Research Funded project that seeks to examine early education for young deaf children and their caregivers in Ghana.
