ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Access to Finance and Growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the Sissala East Municipality

ABSTRACT Over the years, Small and Medium Enterprises ( SMEs) have been vital economic development agents. Despite their dominant share in the business industry, Small and Medium Enterprises worldwide are hampered by constrained growth. Access to finance has been identified as a dominant constraint facing SMEs. In Ghana, governments at a different level have put up many support programs to promote and sustain their development. However, Despites and all these supports, Micro and small scale enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana have not performed creditably well. This study intends to examine the precursors or antecedents of access to finance and the impact of access to finance on the growth of SMEs in Sissala East Municipality, Ghana. The study's goal was to examine the impact of access to finance on the growth of SMEs in the Sissala East Municipality. The study adopted the positivist philosophy. The study adopted a quantitative research approach to analysing the primary data that was collected. The study adopted the explanatory design of the quantitative approach. This study adopted the census approach, where every unit in a population is selected. A structured questionnaire was used for the primary data collection. The data gathered were cleansed, coded and inputted into SPSS 26.0 version for analysis. The need for collateral before getting credit, lack of understanding of business funding alternatives, and availability of business support services were the primary factors influencing or driving loan accessibility among SMEs. It was found that access to financial credit positively affects SMEs productivity. According to the findings, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) should establish a special rate for SMEs lower than the general interest rate on loans.

Source: UCC
Access to Healthcare Services Among Students With Disabilities in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to investigate access to healthcare services among students with disabilities (SWDs) in Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to examine accessibility to physical structures of healthcare facilities to students with disabilities, examine the attitude of healthcare providers to SWDs, availability of support services for SWDs in the healthcare facilities and how healthcare service bills are funded by SWDs. I employed qualitative research design dwelling on the phenomenological approach for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of 54 participants, which comprises 29 SWDs from the three special schools, 17 healthcare providers (nurses and doctors) and 8 school-mothers for the study. Interview guide was used for data collection. The interview data were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically. The study revealed further that the physical structures of healthcare facilities, inadequate healthcare facilities and financial accessibility were problematic to SWDs in accessing healthcare services in Ghana. The study revealed that the attitudes of healthcare providers towards SWDs were good. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the Ministries of Health and Housing to revisit existing building regulations and policies to redesign buildings to ensure more disability friendly healthcare structures that will be accessible to SWDs.

Source: UCC
Access to Higher Education: A Myth or Reality to Young Girls

Access to higher education is a global critical issue which also is fundamental to stakeholders of education in Ghana today. Presently, Ghana’s Education Agenda 2030 has a focus on ensuring an increase and expansion of access, equity and inclusion to quality education. Although Ghana has a target based on SDG4 to eliminate gender disparities in education at all levels and ensure equal access there are still disparities in female participation in higher education standing at 0.69 in 2017 and 40% of students enrolled in higher education in 2017 being female. The main purpose of this paper is to review the issue of gender disparities in educational access to higher education in Ghana. The focus of the study was on one of most disadvantaged areas in terms of female access and participation in higher education in Ghana namely the Odompo and Ayeldo communities in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District of the Central Region. Using a qualitative research paradigm, thirty-three respondents sampled using snowballing technique comprised opinion leaders, girls who have completed Senior High school, assembly men and women, and chiefs of the community were interviewed using a semi structured interview guide. This was done to acquire an in-depth understanding of the situation and meanings participants attached to the concept of female participation in higher education. A case study design was used answer the research questions; What factors affect female participation in higher education? and What are the perceptions of the members of the community towards female participation in higher education? It was found out that socio-cultural, school related, economic, as well as political and institutional policy practices factors caused impediments to female access and participation in higher education. Also, it was found that given the opportunity the girls want to participate in higher education. Recommendations made included the need for stakeholders to mobilise resources for adequate financing of education and continued education to create aware

Source: UCC
Access to improved water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa in a quarter century

The realization of the scale, magnitude, and complexity of the water and sanitation problem at the global level has compelled international agencies and national governments to increase their resolve to face the challenge. There is extensive evidence on the independent effects of urbanicity (rural-urban environment) and wealth status on access to water and sanitation services in sub-Saharan Africa. However, our understanding of the joint effect of urbanicity and wealth on access to water and sanitation services across spatio-temporal scales is nascent. In this study, a pooled regression analysis of the compositional and contextual factors that systematically vary with access to water and sanitation services over a 25-year time period in fifteen countries across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was carried out. On the whole, substantial improvements have been made in providing access to improved water sources in SSA from 1990 to 2015 unlike access to sanitation facilities over the same period. Households were 28.2 percent and 125.2 percent more likely to have access to improved water sources in 2000e2005 and 2010e2015 respectively, than in 1990e1995. Urban rich households were 329 percent more likely to have access to improved water sources compared with the urban poor. Although access to improved sanitation facilities increased from 69 percent in 1990e1995 and 74 percent in 2000e2005 it declined significantly to 53 percent in 2010e2015. Urban rich households were 227 percent more likely to have access to improved sanitation facilities compared with urban poor households. These results were mediated and attenuated by biosocial, socio-cultural and contextual factors and underscore the fact that the challenge of access to water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa is not merely scientific and technical but interwoven with environment, culture, economics and human behaviour necessitating the need for interdisciplinary research and policy interventions

Source: UCC
Access to Market of a Manufacturing Small Business Sector in Ghana

This paper concludes presentation on two most relevant binding constraints identified by a manufacturing ‘small’ business sector in Ghana. The first constraint of limited access to technology was discussed in an earlier paper in this Journal. The second constraint of limited access to market was studied to determine the extent to which manufacturing ‘small’ businesses had access to market and to identify one or two overriding factors that constrained ability of the businesses to access market. This was achieved through a survey of 85 manufacturing small businesses in Berekum District and Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. Low demand for goods came up as the overriding factor that constrained the enterprises’ ability to access market. To tackle the problem of low demand, it is indispensable for government to spearhead creation of required co-ordination externalities and champion the course of self-discovery as a nation.

Source: UCC
Access to microfinance by small and medium enterprises in the Accra Metropolis

This study examined access to microfinance by Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Accra metropolis. A survey was therefore designed to evaluate the access to SMEs in the metropolis of Accra. The population of the study was 50, which comprised SMEs and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). A sample of thirty-four SMEs and 6 MFIs were used for the study. An interview guide and a questionnaire were used separately to collect data from MFIs and SMEs. The return rate of data was 6 (75%) for MFIs and 44(88%) for SMEs. Data collected was analysed manually and electronically. The statistical product and service solution was used for the electronic analysis in which descriptive statistical tools was used for data presentation and discussion. Results of the study indicated that access to MFIs by SMEs positively reflected on the social and economic lives and their operations. The businesses were able to increase their capital, assets and expanded SMEs which reflected in their social lives. Employment opportunities and saving culture of SMEs was enhanced. In spite of the benefits, there were some challenges which included repayment difficulties, payment of multiple taxes, and lack of market for products and services plus high lending interest rate. The study therefore recommends the need to put in measures like reduction in high interest rate, training of managers of SMEs on proper business practices including proper financial accounting of their business transactions.

Source: UCC
Access to tourism facilities by persons with disabilities in the Accra metropolis

Persons with disability (PWDs) have been excluded from various activities including tourism due to the inability to provide facilities that meet their needs. Yet, Ghana’s Disability Act of 2006 orders the involvement of PWDs in social, political, economic, creative or recreational activities. The main objective was to examine the accessibility of tourism facilities to PWDs in the Accra Metropolis, focusing on the physically challenged, visually and the hearing/speech impaired. The research was conducted using a non-experimental design supported by an interpretivist philosophy. The purposive sampling method was employed for service providers, and the snowball sampling for PWDs. Data was collected through the use of interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). In all, 16 service providers and one physically challenged key informant were interviewed. Also, four FGD’s were conducted consisting of five tour guides, 12 visually impaired, 12 hearing impaired and 11 physically challenged. Narratives were used for the analyses, by classifying transcribed data into themes based content. Among the major findings of the study were that the physically challenged faced physical access challenges, the hearing/speech impaired faced communication access needs and the visually impaired experienced visual access needs. The main problem preventing access to facilities was the poor attitude of service providers towards PWDs, and their inability to handle them, which translates to bias. It is recommended that service providers should get specific training on how to handle PWDs and conduct accessibility audits to make their facility disable-friendly.

Source: UCC
Access to Versus Usage of External Finance by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises in the Kumasi Metropolis

The main aim of this study was to analyze access to and usage of external finance by micro, small and medium manufacturing enterprises (MSMMEs) in the Kumasi Metropolis. According to Beck, Demirgüç-Kunt and Honohan, (2009), access to finance refers to the possibility that individuals or enterprises would make use of financial services, including credit, deposit, payment, insurance and other risk management services. Access to finance should be distinguished from the actual use of financial services, because non-use of finance can be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary non-users of financial services have access to but do not use financial services either because they have no need for those services or because they decided not to make use of such services due to cultural, religious or other reasons. Using a sample size of 361 micro, small and medium manufacturing enterprises in the Kumasi Metropolis, it was found that whereas 34.35 percent of respondents used external finance, 42.38 percent of respondents had access to external finance. Thus, access was broader than usage. Though access was reasonably high, a number of respondents who could not access external finance could not do so because of various reasons that prevented them from assessing external finance. Notable among them were high cost of finance, cumbersome application process, long time in securing external finance and collateral requirements. It is recommended that providers of external finance should create conditions that will encourage owners/managers of MSMEs to access external finance. These include reducing the cost of finance, simplifying the application process and relaxing the collateral requirements.

Source: UCC
Accessibility and postgraduate students use of electronic resources in University of Cape Coast

The study specifically targeted the first year postgraduate students of UCC. Usage, usefulness or importance and problems encountered when using electronic resources were explored. The sampling technique that was used is stratified random sampling. This study used structured questionnaires as the main data collection instrument. Questionnaire was administered by the researchers themselves and Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 21.0 was used for the analysis. The data collected for the study were analysed using descriptive statistics. The major finding of the study is that majority of post graduate students access electronic resources both on and off campus. Also, the results showed that academic databases and Dspace were useful for academic work. Some of the major problems respondents indicated using electronic resources includes: inadequate computers in the library, poor internet connectivity, power outages, and insufficient search skills. A number of recommendations were put forward for improvement of library use but the most prominent suggestion was that Internet connectivity and power generation should be improved for better services.

Source: UCC
Accessibility of I.C.T tools to students with visual impairment in Ghana (a case study in Brong Ahafo region)

The study looked at how accessible ICT tools are to students with visual impairment at the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School of Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. A total number of 38 respondents took part in the survey. The 38 respondents were made up of 20 males, representing 52.6% of the students and 18 females, also representing 47.24% of the students. The Wenchi Methodist Senior High School was targeted because it is the only school that takes charge of the education of students with visual impairment in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents. The respondents were students with visual impairment in the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School. The instrument used for data collection in the study was a questionnaire. SPSS was used in generating the various output of the analysis of data that was collected. The main findings of the study were that, most teachers do not use the computer to give instructions in their lesson delivery to the students with visual impairment in the school. Also, inadequate ICT infrastructure in the school is another major factor inhibiting the integration of ICT into the teaching and learning process of students with visual impairment. The study also revealed that in spite of the fact that students with visual impairment have some computers at their disposal, most of them do not learn with those computers. It is therefore important that the government makes ICT facilities accessible to students with visual impairment. Training on how to use the computer for the purpose of learning should also be organized for students with visual impairment.

Source: UCC
Accessibility of National Parks to Persons With Disabilities in Ghana

ABSTRACT Despite offering countless tourism services, scanty research has been dedicated to examining how National Parks are accessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs). This study assessed the accessibility of Kakum and Mole National Parks to PwDs. The embedded mixed method approach and an exploratory design were adopted. A total of 81 frontline employees as well as two mangers of the parks were purposively selected for the study. Four instruments namely; Accessibility Audit Checklist, Questionnaire and two In Depth Interview Guides were used. The Accessibility Audit Checklist explored the physical accessibility conditions of the parks. The questionnaire measured frontline employees’ attitude towards PwDs and the in-depth interviews unearthed contextual issues. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Kruskal Wallis, Mann-Whitney tests and inductive content techniques. The study observed that both parks’ core products are not physically accessible to PwDs. Five main factors emerged as drivers of physical accessibility at the two parks. Further, the study found that frontline employees have favourable attitude towards PwDs as 96.3%, 91.5% and 96% of the employees held positive cognitive, affective and behaviour dispositions respectively towards PwDs. Finally, socio-demographic and work-related factors shape employees’ attitude towards PwDs. The study recommends that management re-adjust the designs of the core products to allow for independent use by PwDs. Also, GTA should incorporate the PwDs Act, 2006 (Act 715) requirements and accessible tourism measures into their monitoring and evaluation criteria and mount strict enforcement to ensure the two national parks are made physically accessible to PwDs

Source: UCC
Accessory Levator Muscle of the Upper Eyelid: Case Report and Review of the Literature

The authors describe a supernumerary muscle in each orbit of an elderly male subject. There appear to be no previous reports of this muscle; most reports of anomalies of extraocular muscles describe hypoplasia or aplasia. Thirty-five formalin-fixed cadavers assigned to medical students for dissection were studied. The orbits were dissected by a superior approach which involved removal of the orbital plate of the frontal bone and the superior orbital margin. A supernumerary extraocular muscle was seen in each orbit of one cadaver, located between the superior oblique and levator palpebrae superioris muscles. It originated on the inferior surface of the lesser wing of sphenoid bone and was inserted into the skin of the medial one-third of the upper eyelid. It was innervated by a branch from the superior division of the oculomotor nerve. The insertion of the muscle into the upper eyelid produced a crease running obliquely upwards and medially, from the junction of the medial one-third and lateral two-thirds of the lid margin, towards the medial part of the superior orbital fold. The authors suggest the name levator palpebrae superioris accessorius for this muscle in view of its topography and action as tested in the cadaver. The significance of the findings is discussed and the literature on the development of the muscles supplied by the oculomotor nerve is reviewed

Source: UCC
Accommodation preference among international volunteer tourists in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Generally, most studies on volunteer tourism have placed an emphasis on motivations and experiences of participants ignoring a significant component of tourism —accommodation. This paper is an attempt to unravel accommodation preference among international volunteer tourists focusing on homestay facilities in Ghana. The data are derived from a study of 151 volunteer tourists in Kumasi, Ghana. The primary reasons for the choice of homestay accommodation included a wish to better immerse themselves in the host community and to aid social interaction but differences are found on the basis of gender, level of education and other socio demographic variables

Source: UCC
Accommodative Anomalies in Symptomatic School Children in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana.

Accommodative anomalies even though have been associated with an increased risk of academic failure in the pediatric population, yet have been underappreciated in African populations. This prospective cross sectional study which conformed to the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declara�on of Helsinki) aimed to determine the frequencies of accommoda�ve anomalies among symptoma�c Junior High school children in the Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana. Accommoda�ve assessment (tes�ng for amplitude of accommoda�on, accommoda�ve lag, accommoda�ve facility, and nega�ve and posi�ve rela�ve accommoda�on) was conducted over best corrected refrac�on results in a mul�stage sample of 202 symptoma�c school children age ranged 12 to 17 years old. Descrip�ve data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard devia�ons. Binary logis�c regression was used to test associa�ons between outcome variables. Of the symptoma�c par�cipants (202) assessed, 38 (18.8%) were diagnosed with ametropia, with the most frequent type being as�gma�sm 19 (9.4%). A number of 104 (51.5 %) symptoma�c par�cipants were diagnosed with accommoda�ve anomaly. The frequency of speciﬁc accommoda�ve anomalies among symptoma�c Junior High school children was as follows: accommoda�ve insuﬃciency, 45 (22.3%); accommoda�ve infacility, 22(10.9%); accommoda�ve excess, 27(13.4%) and accommoda�ve fa�gue, 10 (5%). Par�cipants with accommoda�ve anomalies had greater odds of experiencing symptoms of visual fa�gue associated with near work (OR =0.530, p= 0.001) compared with other symptoms. The study results indicate a high prevalence of accommoda�ve anomalies on this symptoma�c school going popula�on in Ghana and this can impact nega�vely on their academic performance.

Source: UCC
Accommodators or non-accommodators? A typology of hotel frontline employees’ attitude towards guests with disabilities

Though studies on the experiences of travellers with disabilities abound, little is known on the attitude and attitudinal functions of frontline employees towards guests with disabilities. Using data from 825 hotel frontline employees in Ghana, this study applies the functional theory of attitude to understand their attitude and attitudinal functions towards guests with disabilities. Employing the two-step cluster, Kruskal-Wallis test and Chi-square test of independence, this study established that there are four segments of hotel frontline employees based on their attitude, and attitudinal functions towards guests with disabilities: pretending accommodators, empathetic accommodators, apathetic non-accommodators, and egoistic non-accommodators. As theoretically anticipated, each of the attitudinal segments is cultured to serve specific function and behavior. Meanwhile, the attitudinal segments differed by sex, formal educational attainment and hotel category. The service and managerial implications on accessible tourism are discussed

Source: UCC