Visually impaired Ephraim Ayeh Oracca-Tetteh emerge best student
Photo (L-R): Sarfowaa Akan-Duncan (Marketing Manager RSS DevelopersLtd), Felicia Sao (Managing Director RSS Developers Ltd), Ephraim Ayeh Oracca-Tetteh (Award Recipient), Rev. Peter Mensah Oracca-Tetteh (Ephraim’s Father) and Erica Essuman a friend and his aid on campus / © Minks
Ghanaian Ephraim Ayeh Orraca-Tetteh, a visually impaired student, made history after emerging as the best graduating student from the University of Ghana, Legon. The exceptional student in spite of his special needs, topped his class, and also excelled as the best graduating Bachelor of Arts student for the 2023/2024 academic year.
He had a Final Grade Point Average of 4.00 (FGPA) making history as the school’s first undergraduate in ten years with a perfect score. His remarkable achievement was celebrated at the university’s Vice Chancellor’s academic award ceremony, where he was honoured with a computer, an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai or South Africa, and a cash prize of 5,000 cedis.
The awards were presented by Dr. Paa Kwesi Eduofo-Yankey, an alumnus and current Chancellor of Koforidua Technical University, along with Madam Felicia Sao and Madam Sarfowaa Duncan
Dr. Eduofo-Yankey, who has been recognizing outstanding students for nearly a decade, expressed his admiration for Ephraim’s determination and perseverance. “I am overwhelmed that Ephraim defied the odds and became the best student,” he said.
Ephraim’s family and friends expressed their delight for his achievement and showed their gratitude for the recognition. Ephraim accepted his awards in the face of a cheerful crowd that acknowledged his hard work and dedication.
He wasn’t born blind
Ephraim was born in Prampram within the Ningo-Prampram Municipal Assembly and Constituency, in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. He studied visual arts at St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, winning a regional quiz competition in the subject. Then he gained admission to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 2017 to pursue a degree in Painting and Sculpture.
At this point that his eyesight began to deteriorate due to a medical condition. “I spent about six months at home, trying to find medical solutions to my eye condition,” Ephraim said in a statement. “But I knew people had completed school with visual impairment. If they could do it, then I could do it too.”
He sought assistance from the Ghana Blind Union, where he gained knowledge of assistive technology. With the use of this revolutionary tool, he was able to read course materials, perform research, and finish assignments on his own by introducing him to screen-reading software that translated text into speech.
Equipped with these abilities, Ephraim set out on a new academic path in 2020, applying to the University of Ghana to study political science, philosophy & classics, and archaeology.
“My parents were the foundation of my support system. They made sure my fees were paid and even bought me a laptop worth over GHC10,000 to aid my studies,” he said acknowledging his parents, and siblings, Priscilla Oracca-Tetteh and Rhoda Oracca-Tetteh, who were his strength through his study years.
Ephraim’s transfer to this new academic route was truly exceptional, as evidenced by his perfect 4.0 Final Grade Point Average (FGPA) at graduation. Before this accomplishment, Ephraim was the 2021–2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Alumni Prize winner for Best Level 200 Humanities Student.
According to the school’s administration, Ephraim despite facing unique challenges, proved that with determination and support, anyone can achieve greatness. He expressed gratitude to the University of Ghana for providing him with essential tools and accommodations that enabled him to successfully traverse his studies, in addition to financial support.
“The University supported me in many ways,” he said to the university’s press. “Through the Centre for Disability Studies and Advocacy, they converted hard copy books into soft copies so I could read them using speech software on my laptop. This made studying much more accessible for me.” Ephraim believes his story serves as a powerful reminder that disability is not inability.
Writen by Daisy Antwi, edited by Abeeb Lekan Sodiq.
This article is published by either a staff writer, an intern, or an editor of TheAfricanDream.net, based on editorial discretion.
