Beat the odds: Visually impaired lawyer appointed as law lecturer at UCC

The University of Cape Coast(UCC) has appointed Mr Carruthers Tetteh, who has a visual impairment, as a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law.

Mr. Tetteh, whose appointment took effect in December 2023, teaches Criminal Law and the Ghana Legal System.

Born with a passion for Law and a desire to advocate for the less privileged, Mr. Tetteh’s life took an unexpected turn when he lost sight at the age of 11 due to a drug reaction.

However, this setback did not deter him from pursuing his dreams.

He graduated with a first-class degree in English and History in 2015 at the University of Cape Coast and was also the overall best-graduating student with visual impairment.

Mrs. Julia Selman-Ayetey (left), Dean of the Faculty of Law, Mr. Carruthers Tetteh (middle), and Dr. Elijah Tukwariba Yin, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law.

Subsequently, he graduated with another first-class degree in Law at the University of Cape Coast.

Sharing his experience after the appointment, he said, “In 2002, I lost my sight as a result of a drug reaction when I was in primary five and at age 11”.

According to him, he had adverse reactions when he took a prescribed drug after visiting a private hospital in Winneba.

He added, “So in September 2002, when I was admitted to the Akropong School for the Blind, it dawned on me that life had taken a different turn because I am now going to be in the midst of people who are blind.”

On his first appearance in class, he won the hearts of the level 300s with his knowledge of Criminal Law.

According to him, “Reading Law has always been my interest from childhood. I always wanted to be in a position to advocate for the less privileged. So that has been driving my interest throughout my life.”

He added, “At the Law Faculty, I also went all out to give my best to set the right pace, knowing very well that I was the first student with Visual Impairment to be admitted to the Law Faculty in UCC.”