Conceptualising disability from an Indigenous Knowledge Systems perspective

Disability is a complex issue informed by culture. The individual context embeds the meaning of disability. Most existing models of conceptualising disability came exclusively from Western scholarship. However, there is a scarcity of information about how the African Indigenous Knowledge Systems are contributing to the Western models of conceptualising disabilities. Although Christianity came from the West, most African Christians are still profoundly tied to the indigenous traditions. Therefore, it is beneficial to unpack how the African Indigenous Knowledge Systems indirectly influence perspectives on disability. As a point of departure from the existing knowledge of disability, this chapter explores disability from the Indigenous Knowledge Systems perspective.