UMaT celebrates hearing-impaired who completed with a CWA of 76.8%

Disability is not an inability as people always say. And Mrs Lydia Abayie Acquah is a testament to that as she graduates with a Master’s degree from the University of Mines and Technology, UMaT with a very high mark.

According to a post by the university shared on its social media handles, Mrs Lydia Acquah graduated with a Cumulative Weighted Average of 76.8%. She did that in the Master of Business Technology Management programme of the school.

Per the post shared by the university, Lydia has been deaf since the age of 10 but her resilience coupled with her parents’ support, has risen to the stakes high for herself. The feat by Lydia when she graduated from the Faculty of Integrated Management Science at the 14th Congregation is commendable.

Read the full post by UMaT

Meet Mrs Lydia Abayie Acquah, a hearing impaired lady who graduated with a Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) of 76.80% from the Master of Business Technology Management (MBTM) Programme at the Faculty of Integrated Management Science during the just ended 14th Congregation.

Lydia has been deaf since she was about 10 years old. She says despite facing significant barriers to education as a deaf child in mainstream schools, she was fortunate to have had parents who valued her education and supported her along the way. After completing Tarkwa Senior Secondary School, she enrolled at the Akuapim Mampong Secondary Technical School for the Deaf, where she learnt the sign language. This has been the means by which she has developed herself academically, socially, and spiritually.

Before enrolling at the University for her postgraduate education, Lydia graduated with a BSc in Business Administration (Human Resources) from the University of Ghana and has since dedicated herself to inspiring other Persons living with Disabilities (PWDs) to pursue their education and reach their full potential. To broaden her knowledge and further promote higher educational attainment for PWDs, Lydia enrolled at the School of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to pursue a Master’s Degree in Business Technology Management with a focus on Management Information Systems(MIS).

In spite of some initial challenges due to her form of disability, Lydia worked closely with the university management, lecturers and coursemates to be able to appreciate some complex course concepts and she persevered. She says the University ensured that she had the necessary accommodations, such as Sign Language Interpreters to enable her fully participate in lectures and other academic activities.

She expresses gratitude for the opportunities that the University provided her to further her education and promote inclusiveness for PWDs in higher education. She describes UMaT as an exceptional institution that fosters practical learning and says its faculty, staff, and students are very supportive. She encourages other PWDs who aspire to enrol on programmes at UMaT, to work hand-in-hand with the school authorities and faculty in order to break down the barriers to education that limit their innovation and development as a community. She says that with determination, hard work, and support, PWD can achieve their academic goals and pave the way for future generations.

Lydia currently is the General Supervisor of the sign language programme at the Naraguta School in Tarkwa, a mainstream school which also admits children with special needs.

She says she has also gained admission and is looking for support to study at the Gallaudet University, a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing to pursue a Master in linguistics so she can get the training to support language development of deaf in ghana.