We don't see ourselves as different : a web of possibilities for disabled women : how black disabled women in poor communities equalise opportunities for human development and social change

Includes bibliographical references.This thesis plots a participatory action research (PAR) study that was done in collaboration with disabled women in Khayelitsha and Brown's Farm on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, over a two and a half year period. The aim of the study was to explore how disabled women living in poor communities equalise opportunities for human development and social change. The PAR approach was used to encourage the participation of disabled women to produce new knowledge and consciousness-raising related to the barriers faced and strategies used for their development since acquiring their impairments. The research partners were the SACLA Health Project, the Disabled Women's Development Project of Disabled People South Africa and the Division of Occupational Therapy, University of Cape Town

Discovering the barriers that stop children with disabilities from being children: the impact of lack of access to mobility devices - a human rights persective

In most research projects there is a tendency not to consult young disabled children about their priorities and experiences. Their needs and aspirations are pre-empted through service providers. Furthermore, there is little research about how resilient young disabled children are in dealing with or overcoming the barriers in their daily lives due to inadequate provision of mobility devices. Therefore, this study undertook to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of a sample of children with mobility impairments from disadvantaged backgrounds with regard to the impact of lack of access to mobility devices on their lives. From 1998-2000 in a qualitative study, a case study design was used as a method of inquiry to explore the experiences and perceptions of disabled children at a special school in a township in Cape Town in the Western Cape Province, South Africa with regard to the impact of inadequate provision of mobility devices on their lives. Analysis of the stories of disabled children revealed that without adequate mobility devices they were deprived of their right to development, education, play and social interaction as well as adequate health and rehabilitation services. The stories told by disabled children, their caregivers and therapists reflected the contradictory messages sent to disabled children about service delivery. Recommendations were related to the urgent need for transformation in the provision of mobility devices, based on the needs of disabled children

Access to livelihood assets among youth with and without disabilities in South Africa: Implications for health professional education

Purpose. This study compared access to 5 livelihood assets among disabled and non-disabled youth, to inform health professionals on inequities related to disability and to monitor the transformation agenda aimed at creating an inclusive society. Methods. Fieldworkers interviewed 989 youth (18 - 35 years; 523 (52.9%) disabled youth (DY), 466 (47.1%) non-disabled youth (NDY)) at 9 sites in 5 South African provinces. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and livelihood assets. Chi-squared and t-tests were used for comparisons. Results. Doctors at hospitals and nurses at clinics are health professionals most frequently seen. Far fewer DY than NDY attended and completed school. Unemployment was markedly more common among DY than among NDY. Barriers to accessing employment for DY were poor health and lack of skills development, and a lack of job opportunities for NDY. Both groups received the same amount of support from immediate household members, but significantly more NDY received support from extended family, friends, partners, and neighbours. They spent significantly more time engaging in all free-time activities. NDY reported more access to bathrooms, phone, and newspapers, as well as public services and the business sector. Participation and access were limited for both groups because of inaccessible public transport. Conclusion. This paper shows that DY have a greater struggle to access livelihood assets than non-disabled peers. The Disability Studies Academic Programme at the University of Cape Town is an initiative that seeks to take specific focused action with disability organisations in order to address the inequities faced by disabled youth to ensure their inclusion in development to the same degree as their non-disabled peers

The complexity of rural contexts experienced by community disability workers in three southern African countries

An understanding of rural communities is fundamental to effective community-based rehabilitation work with persons with disabilities. By removing barriers to community participation, persons with disabilities are enabled to satisfy their fundamental human needs. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the challenges that rural community disability workers (CDWs) face in trying to realise these objectives. This qualitative interpretive study, involving in-depth interviews with 16 community disability workers in Botswana, Malawi and South Africa, revealed the complex ways in which poverty, inappropriately used power and negative attitudes of service providers and communities combine to create formidable barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in families and rural communities. The paper highlights the importance of understanding and working with the concept of ‘disability’ from a social justice and development perspective. It stresses that by targeting attitudes, actions and relationships, community disability workers can bring about social change in the lives of persons with disabilities and the communities in which they live

Access to livelihood assets among youth with and without disabilities in South Africa: Implications for health professional education

Purpose. This study compared access to 5 livelihood assets among disabled and non-disabled youth, to inform health professionals on inequities related to disability and to monitor the transformation agenda aimed at creating an inclusive society. Methods. Fieldworkers interviewed 989 youth (18 - 35 years; 523 (52.9%) disabled youth (DY), 466 (47.1%) non-disabled youth (NDY)) at 9 sites in 5 South African provinces. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and livelihood assets. Chi-squared and t-tests were used for comparisons. Results. Doctors at hospitals and nurses at clinics are health professionals most frequently seen. Far fewer DY than NDY attended and completed school. Unemployment was markedly more common among DY than among NDY. Barriers to accessing employment for DY were poor health and lack of skills development, and a lack of job opportunities for NDY. Both groups received the same amount of support from immediate household members, but significantly more NDY received support from extended family, friends, partners, and neighbours. They spent significantly more time engaging in all free-time activities. NDY reported more access to bathrooms, phone, and newspapers, as well as public services and the business sector. Participation and access were limited for both groups because of inaccessible public transport. Conclusion. This paper shows that DY have a greater struggle to access livelihood assets than non-disabled peers. The Disability Studies Academic Programme at the University of Cape Town is an initiative that seeks to take specific focused action with disability organisations in order to address the inequities faced by disabled youth to ensure their inclusion in development to the same degree as their non-disabled peers

Rubidium Fluoride Post-Deposition Treatment: Impact on the Chemical Structure of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Surface and CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Interface in Thin-Film Solar Cells.

We present a detailed characterization of the chemical structure of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film surface and the CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interface, both with and without a RbF post-deposition treatment (RbF-PDT). For this purpose, X-ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopy, as well as synchrotron-based soft X-ray emission spectroscopy have been employed. Although some similarities with the reported impacts of light-element alkali PDT (i.e., NaF- and KF-PDT) are found, we observe some distinct differences, which might be the reason for the further improved conversion efficiency with heavy-element alkali PDT. In particular, we find that the RbF-PDT reduces, but not fully removes, the copper content at the absorber surface and does not induce a significant change in the Ga/(Ga + In) ratio. Additionally, we observe an increased amount of indium and gallium oxides at the surface of the treated absorber. These oxides are partly (in the case of indium) and completely (in the case of gallium) removed from the CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interface by the chemical bath deposition of the CdS buffer

Fostering evidence-based practice in community-based rehabilitation: strategies for implementation

Occupational therapists around the world are taking up the challenge to implement an evidence-based practice approach to the development of occupational therapy services. The emphasis in applying evidence-based practice within occupational therapy has been strongly biomedical in focus. In South Africa, many occupational therapists work in communities where their work is largely community-based rehabilitation. With no examples of how evidence-based practice can be applied in such settings, therapists have struggled with how it may be used to inform their practice. This paper explores the concepts of evidence-based practice and community-based rehabilitation, and illustrates how evidence-based practice can be applied within community-based rehabilitation. Examples are provided to show how evidence-based practice can realistically be applied in community-based rehabilitation programmes with the intention of empowering therapists to begin using evidence as a basis for their practice. It further explores how evidence-based practice can be used by occupational therapists to inform decision-making related to the development of community-based rehabilitation programmes and services

Causal attribution for mental illness in Cuba: A thematic analysis

Explanatory models (EMs) for illness are highly relevant for patients, and they are also important for clinical diagnoses and treatment. EMs serve to capture patients' personal illness narratives and can help reveal how culture influences these narratives. While much research has aimed to understand EMs in the Western hemisphere, less research has been done on other cultures. Therefore, we investigated local causal attributions for mental illness in Cuba because of its particular history and political system. Although Cuban culture shares many values with Latin American cultures because of Spanish colonization, it is unique because of its socialist political and economic context, which might influence causal attributions. Thus, we developed a qualitative interview outline based on the Clinical Ethnographic Interview and administered interviews to 14 psychiatric patients in Havana. We conducted a thematic analysis to identify repeated patterns of meaning. Six patterns of causal attribution for mental illness were identified: (1) Personal shortcomings, (2) Family influences, (3) Excessive demands, (4) Cultural, economic, and political environment in Cuba, (5) Physical causes, and (6) Symptom-related explanations. In our sample, we found general and Cuba-specific patterns of causal attributions, whereby the Cuba-specific themes mainly locate the causes of mental illness outside the individual. These findings might be related to Cubans' socio-centric personal orientation, the cultural value of familismo and common daily experiences within socialist Cuban society. We discuss how the findings may be related to social stigma and help-seeking behavior.Peer Reviewe