Professor Augustina Naami (second left) receiving her award
Source: Africa Publicity
Professor Augustina Naami, Associate Professor and former Head of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana, has been honoured with the Hokenstad International Lecture Award at the 71st Annual Conference of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in Washington, D.C.
Prof. Naami made history as the first Ghanaian and West African scholar to receive the award and deliver the distinguished Hokenstad International Lecture, which celebrates global leadership and excellence in social work education. Her address, titled “Social Work Education and Disability Justice: A Global Perspective,” drew a standing ovation from educators, researchers, and practitioners gathered under the conference theme, “It’s Time to Act: Championing Disability Justice and Disability Joy in Social Work.”
In a speech that combined personal reflection and academic insight, Prof. Naami shared how contracting polio at the age of two inspired her lifelong commitment to disability advocacy. “I couldn’t ignore the fact that very few students with disabilities were represented in higher education,” she said. “I asked myself—where were the others, and who was advocating for them?”.
She emphasized that disability justice goes beyond removing barriers to building inclusive and joyful spaces where persons with disabilities can thrive. “Disability joy is not just resilience,” she explained, “it is a force that shapes knowledge, pedagogy, and advocacy.”
Drawing from her work in Ghana, Prof. Naami shared examples of how she integrates research, teaching, and activism to promote inclusion. She recounted a 2016 photovoice project that empowered persons with mobility disabilities to document their experiences through photography, transforming participants into “knowledge creators and advocates for change.” The project led to her book, Break the Barriers!!: A Guide to Addressing Environmental Barriers for Persons with Mobility Disability, and inspired her to personally fund and build 16 accessible ramps across schools in Accra.
“These ramps are not mere concrete; they are symbols of dignity and opportunity,” she told the audience. “When a child rolls up a ramp into his classroom for the first time, that is disability joy.”
Prof. Naami also described how she incorporates advocacy into teaching, citing a 2024 street campaign involving over 400 students and another initiative at Madina Market that engaged traders on disability inclusion. “When education moves beyond the classroom to the streets and communities, that is disability justice in action,” she said.
In her closing message, she urged universities worldwide to make disability justice central to social work education. “Do not leave disability at the margins of your work,” she charged. “Integrate disability justice into your teaching, research, practice, and advocacy. It shouldn’t be tomorrow. It must be now.”
Prof. Naami’s recognition with the Hokenstad International Lecture Award not only celebrates her outstanding scholarship but also cements her as a leading global voice advancing disability justice and inclusive social work education.
