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Factors shaping attitudes towards physical disability and availability of rehabilitative support systems for disabled people in rural Kenya

MONK, Julie
WEE, Joy
2008

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This study examines the range of attitudes towards persons with physical disability in a rural community in western Kenya. It also evaluates the availability of services for persons with disabilities in the community. Qualitative data analysis of interview material led to the generation of a model describing the attitudes towards people with disabilities. Availability of services was explored through interview questions and document collection. Perceived cause of disability, perceived characteristics and activities of people with disabilities by the community and perceived role of society, appear to shape the attitudes towards people with disabilities in the community studied. The opinions within these categories contribute to enabling and disabling features of the environment in which people with disabilities live. It appears that services available are underused by disabled members of the community due to poor accessibility and financial barriers. The results yielded relatively enabling attitudes towards PWD. The responses suggest that this community may be ready to support increased participation by its members, possibly through a community based rehabilitation programme.

 

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 19, No 1

Disability and development: is the rights model of disability valid in the Arab region? An evidence-based field survey in Lebanon and Jordan

NAGATA, Kozue Kay
2008

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This paper reviews the process and outcome of constructing a "rights model of disability" which is culturally specific to Jordan and Lebanon. The objective of the empirical part was, to survey the current level of attitudes of non-disabled people towards their disabled fellows in Jordan, and to compare the attitudes of Lebanon's university students towards five different categories of disabled people (mentally disabled people, psycho-socially disabled people, physically disabled people, hearing impaired people and visually impaired people) to highlight the variations and diversity among them. It also examined the relationship between the attitudes and various demographic and social characteristics of the respondents. The set of findings was further tested and triangulated through meta-analysis of individual views expressed in the qualitative studies.

In Jordan, the attitude of 191 randomly selected non-disabled people was studied, using a Scale of Attitudes towards Disabled Persons (SADP). The participants from 4 communities of Jordan, exhibited overall negative attitudes towards disabled people. Socio-economic-demographic characteristics showed almost no difference regarding their attitudes towards disabled people.

In Lebanon, a more complex scale, composed of four sub-scales, namely a, "Baseline Survey of Student Attitudes towards People with a Disability" was used, to survey 94 university students' attitudes towards five different categories of disabled people, and a set of indices for future comparison was constructed. The results indicated the same pattern of gradations of attitude differences (found in other countries) towards persons with physical or sensory impairments (better), intellectual impairment (middle) and mental illness (worse). The main findings of this empirical field research showed particularly negative public attitudes towards people with intellectual impairment and mental illness in Lebanon.

Finally, the validity of the proposed rights model of disability and the empirical findings of this study, were further examined and co-validated through analysis of the collective views of those who took part in the questionnaire surveys and the participatory focus group discussions, which took place in Lebanon in 2005 and 2007, and in Jordan in 2005, as well as a series of intensive on-line and/or telephone interviews of a few informants comprising of disabled persons and experts. The policy implications of the findings are discussed.

 

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 19, No 1

Beyond community based rehabilitation: consciousness and meaning

CHEAUSUWANTAVEE, Tavee
2007

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This article seeks to explore CBR through different perspectives. Based on existing literature and research on CBR, the paradoxes between CBR as ideal and CBR in usual practice, are identified. The dual meaning of 'disability' through 'stigma' and 'empowerment' perspectives is explored, along with the dual understanding of 'community consciousness' as 'individualism' and 'collectivism'. The two dimensions of 'disability' and 'consciousness' together are characterised into four distinct paradigms. Most past rehabilitation services are placed in a stigma-collective paradigm. It implies that philanthropy, inter-subjective value, morality and public awareness of society have usually constructed and supported any help and services for people with disabilities, including CBR. This paper looks at limitations of the past perspectives on CBR, and also points out the need for 'consciousness' studies on CBR. To understand the discrepancies of CBR, people need to look "beyond" CBR as it is commonly understood.

 

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 18, No 1

Impact of socio-economic rehabilitation on leprosy stigma in Northern Nigeria: findings of a retrospective study

EBENSO, Bassey
FASHONA, Aminat
AYUBA, Mainas
IDAH, Mike
ADEYEMI, Gbemiga
S-FADA, Shehu
2007

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This study explored the perceptions of people affected by leprosy regarding impact of socio-economic rehabilitation (SER) on stigma-reduction. The study combined a quantitative questionnaire (the P-scale) with semi-structured interviews of 20 individual SER participants, five focus group discussions and 10 key informant interviews. The P-scale results showed four men suffered significant participation restrictions (scores of >12 points) in finding work and in social integration. The narratives of SER participants, focus groups and key informants showed that SER improved self-esteem, financial independence, acquisition of new skills, and access to public institutions. The authors speculate that through the pathway of improvements in economic and living conditions, SER is beginning to influence the process of social interaction, resulting in positive attitudinal change towards SER participants. The subjective opinions of interviewees suggest that improved self-esteem, positive family and community support for SER participants and increasing participation in community activities are indications of stigma-reduction.

 

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 18, No 2

Gendered experiences : marriage and the stigma of leprosy

TRY, Leonie
2006

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Stigma is rife in many areas of health and healthcare and it has implicit impacts that are often overlooked. Due to the continued social construction of the stigma of leprosy, it is clear that a greater understanding is needed of how stigma is experienced. This study considers the experiences of marriage of those vulnerable to stigmatisation due to leprosy and more specifically identifies different experiences of leprosy-affected women and men and the possible implications.

Framing disability issues in local concepts and beliefs

GROCE, Nora Ellen
1999

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This paper discusses three issues...[for] consideration as part of the evolving discussion of disability in a cross-cultural context. The first concerns seeing socially constructed concepts and beliefs about disability as ideas and attitudes that are often, and increasingly, in transition and not as static conceptual frameworks. The second issue deals with determining the best methodology to understand disability in the individual, family, community and societal setting out of the many methodologies that can be employed in these situations...The third issue is about ensuring that the information gathered is disseminated broadly, which means sharing the information generated not only with those interested in disability issues, but also with those working on issues such as development policy, social change and justice, who know little about disability

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