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Despite an ever growing body of research on disability sport very little is known about its organisational dimension and the role disability sport organisations play in promoting sport and how they change and adapt to their environment. This is a critical omission and the main aim of this thesis is to fill this gap in our knowledge. More specifically, the study addresses change in disability sport organisation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has different culture, religion, language, and laws as compared to the Western world .The main question addressed by the thesis is what factors, processes, and mechanisms are responsible for organisational change in disability sport in the UAE? Using a contextualist approach to organisational change (Pettigrew, 1985), the study is concerned with understanding long-term processes in their context. Three in-depth case studies with disability sport organisations were conducted covering a period from 1992 to 2012. The study reveals that Islam regards disability as a social issue whereby a Muslim society has the responsibility for individuals with disability as opposed to the medical or functional models, which place the emphasis on rehabilitation, functionality and personal responsibility. This interpretation of disability in Islam has shaped organisational visions and structures concerned with providing socializing opportunities and not with long-term strategies and performance targets. Change in the UAE disability sport organisations was episodic and reflected periods of divergence between the internal structure of these organisations and the environmental demands to be more receptive to political expectations and those of people with disability. Change was triggered by specific events which were responsible for shaping organisational structures, processes and strategies. The mode of change alternated between first-order changes, such as those prescribed by law and Governmental interventions, and second-order changes or those resulting from changes in cognitive frameworks held by various organisational members. Change was concerned with transforming the three organisations from places to socialise to professional bodies with rules and enhanced performances. An important finding with conceptual and practical implications is about the role of national culture (i.e., Arab) and religion (i.e. Islam) in shaping change in disability sport organisations in the UAE, where a significant distinction between religion and culture is established. The study identifies several theoretical and policy implications.

Learning disabled students have been described as "inactive" learners. They have difficulty organizing their learning environment and seem to lack the awareness of a need to develop methods or strategies to help themselves in accomplishing tasks. Research suggests that learning disabled students are able to learn strategies. In examining the academic area where most of these students have the greatest difficulty, it was found that reading comprehension is the predominate area of need for remediation. The major purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using a questioning strategy with learning disabled students to increase discussion participation and to increase reading comprehension. The study had a dual research focus: a teacher training component and a student component. Twenty randomly selected resource teachers were chosen to participate. One-half of these teachers were involved in a five weekend workshop course on questioning strategies where teachers learned how to ask higher cognitive level questions. The other half of the teachers received no training during the study. The 60 students were all learning disabled fifth and sixth graders having difficulty with reading, but reading at least on a third grade level. The data collection instrument TICOR, a mini-computer, was used to collect observational data reflecting student-teacher interaction (discussion) following the reading of a narrative story. The techniques taught to the students focused on the oral discussion. Written comprehension tests were administered before and after the workshops as well as one month later. It was found that there were significant differences between the two groups; the teachers in the workshops asked significantly higher cognitive level questions. As this group asked higher level questions, the students would respond with higher level answers. It was also found that there was no difference between the two groups in their performance on the written comprehension tests. Because of the emphasis on the oral discussion skills, this finding seems to demonstrate that learning disabled students have difficulty using strategies acquired through incidential learning and also have difficulty transferring oral skills to written tasks.

The glutathione S-transferase (GST) supergene family encodes isoenzymes that appear to be critical in protection against oxidative stress. Certain GST loci are polymorphic, demonstrating alleles that are null (GSTMI/GSTT1), encode low activity variants (GSTPI), or are associated with variable inducibility (GSTM3). Interleukin-1 (IL- 1) alpha and beta are cytokines involved in recruitment of inflammatory cells, the process of inflammation, and blood-brain barrier breakdown and nerve regeneration. Polymorphisms of both GST and of a complementary interleukin-1 receptor antagonist have been associated with severity and susceptibility to other inflammatory conditions. This thesis examines the influence of the GST and IL-1 genes on both the susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and the course of disease progression. The population examined consisted of four hundred patients with clinically definite MS. Disease severity was measured using the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), a robust established ranking scale. PCR-based genotyping was performed using DNA extracted from lymphocytes. Significant associations between genotypes and clinical outcome were corrected for known demographic factors influencing prognosis, these being; gender, onset age, and disease duration using the statistical method of logistic regression. Significant associations, withstanding multiple testing corrections, with certain IL-I genotypes and disease severity were found. There was also a significant trend with the GST isoenzymeM 3 that is expressedin nervous tissue. No robust findings suggest that these genes influence susceptibility to MS, but the results suggest that long-term prognosis is genetically influenced by the modulation of inflammatory cytokines and also by the ability to remove the toxic products of oxidative stress.

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Arising from personal experience and observations in employment, this thesis considers the working life course experiences of people growing older with long-term physical or sensory disabilities. It uses: work as a fulcrum to examine experience; the concept of the life course to embed disability within the ordinary elements of everyday life; and a social model approach to conceptualise impairment and disability. In addition, Adaptive Theory is used as an approach to the overall study design to recognise both researcher perspective and substantive theory in developing research instruments, data collection techniques and analytical framework. The thesis begins with a research and literature review which identifies some parallels and tensions between the disciplines of Critical Social Gerontology and Disability Studies. Building on exploratory discussions with disabled trade unionists, it then focuses on empirical research with 14 workers aged 40-65, from a range of non-sheltered occupations and disabled by physical or sensory impairments for at least 15 years. In-depth interviews about the intersection of work, ageing and disability examine how each person manages the challenges and opportunities encountered. The findings indicate how the impact of being disabled across the lifecourse is not only structurally influenced and socially constructed but also dynamically contextualised and interwoven into individual self-concept. In moving away from a conventional focus on barriers, discrimination and oppression the thesis demonstrates that a more nuanced approach to lifecourse experiences is fundamental to understanding the process of growing older with a disability. In addition, by defining and accessing participants as ‘workers’ rather than ‘older’ or ‘disabled’ people they proved to be both ‘hidden’ and ‘seldom heard’ in the existing research and literature. In parallel, therefore, the thesis also explores the research process itself by posing questions about the nature of research both in Critical Social Gerontology and in Disability Studies.

This research portfolio aims to further explore the issues faced by parents with a learning disability. Firstly, a systematic review of qualitative research into the social support of parents with a learning disability is presented. This not only indicated that a range of social support is provided to parents with a learning disability and received with different perceptions, but also highlighted the need for further qualitative research in the area, to gain a better insight into the lived experiences of this group of parents. Secondly, and further to the findings of the systematic review, is the empirical research study. Adopting a qualitative design (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis- IPA) (Smith, 1996; Smith et al., 2009), the study aimed to explore what parents with a learning disability understood about their learning disability and how they perceived it to impact on them in their parenting role. Analysis revealed five themes which reflect the perceptions and experiences of a sample of eight parents with a learning disability. Finally, to enable efficient and effective dissemination of the findings to the wider audience a journal article is presented. The journal article, as well as attempting to summarise the methodology used, focused on the most salient theme of the findings, which was how participants viewed themselves in relation to having a learning disability and being a parent.

Background: Standardized outcome measures used in assessment of chronic disease need to be relevant to the client if interventions based on the results are to be meaningful. The Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) (Pincus et al., 1983) is an eight-item questionnaire used commonly with individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) to assess self-reported function. This scale has been translated and validated in multiple languages and cultures but has never been evaluated for its relevance with a Canadian Indigenous population despite its frequent application in clinical and health research settings. Purpose: The primary objective of the following study was to determine whether or not the MHAQ is an appropriate measurement tool to adequately document the lived experiences of activity and participation in First Nations individuals diagnosed with RA. Methodology: A mixed methods sequential explanatory approach was utilized. The quantitative component consisted of secondary analysis of an existing clinical database developed at the University of Manitoba Health Sciences Arthritis Centre (UMHSAC). MHAQ scores and other indicators of disease activity of First Nations (n=252) and Caucasian (n=633) individuals with RA were examined for significant differences. The results informed a qualitative phase using interpretive description methodology whereby semi-structured interviews were held with 25 First Nations individuals with RA. Results: A significant relationship was observed between ethnicity and MHAQ score (p<0.001) where the First Nations cohort demonstrated significantly higher scores in pain and MHAQ scores (p<0.001), as well as physician global assessment and morning stiffness (p<0.05). Pain was the single greatest predictor of MHAQ score (p<0.001). In contrast, a convergence coding matrix comparing MHAQ scores to first-hand narratives found only 65% agreement in responses. The thematic analysis of the qualitative component resulted in three key themes: Ka-wachi-wa-pinaywin (“Coldness in the bones”), Adaptive Resilience, and Family Relations. Conclusion: Concurrent validity of the MHAQ in a First Nations population was supported through statistical analyses but convergent validity was not supported by subsequent qualitative and mixed methods approaches. The assessment of disability requires an integrated approach that takes into consideration an individual’s personal context. Both barriers and facilitators in the environment, as well as personal factors, must be addressed. / February 2016

This thesis analyzes the ways in which the Japanese state uses the disabled body and disability athletics as a tool of governance and how that affects the incorporation of disabled people into Japanese society. Throughout Japan's history the disability identity has been a subject of negotiation between social actors including the government, general public, those with disabilities, and powerful international collectives. After World War II, disabled former soldiers were celebrated for their national sacrifice while other disabled bodies were displaced. In later decades, disability athletics became a space where the symbol of the ideal disabled body has been promoted for public consumption. On the stage of athletics, various actors have shaped and influenced each other by advocating different visions of the disabled body in Japanese society. Disabled athletes negotiate depictions of disability as idealized (the 'super crip') or stigmatized (the 'pitiable disabled person'), and these depictions in turn create public expectations for what the disabled body should be but at times glosses over the struggles of many disabled people. The purpose of this thesis is to consider how notions of the disabled body are used to negotiate nationalism, modern ideas of care and social responsibility, and expectations to become a body of inspiration for the disabled community and the general public. The core question is: What are the implications of the disabled body being used as a tool on the stage of disability athletics for governance in modern day Japan? The thesis will provide a basis for deeper understanding about the relevance of disability athletics as both a form of governance and a site of identity formation for the disabled.

Abstract IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE FINANCING PROGRAMS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES By: Amy Nicole Dye Davis This study investigated the effect of assistive technologies purchased through Alternative Financing Programs (AFP) for individuals with disabilities on quality of life, independence in the home and community, and employment. In fiscal year 2000, AFPs received federal grants under the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (after it was repealed and renamed the AT Act) to provide financial loans to persons with disabilities to enable them to purchase assistive technologies (AT). In fiscal year 2002, Congress appropriated funds to support grants to increase access to telework for individuals with disabilities. There are 33 AFPs located across the U.S. and territories that use said funding to provide alternative financing for persons with disabilities so that the aforementioned opportunities are possible. This study also examined telework, defined as a way to reduce or eliminate barriers to employment or self-employment. Telework, irrespective of the circumstance or initial motivation, has the potential to circumvent the need to navigate the traditional workplace. As a result, telework could raise the standards for equality in the job market for persons with disabilities. An examination of AFP clients delineated loan acceptance and rejection rates, goals for acquiring assistive technologies, and employment outcomes for said individuals with disabilities. Determining the reasons why AFP clients needed assistive technology and how they planned to use it defined predictors to successful employment outcomes. Finally, the overall effectiveness of the AFPs with respect to increasing quality of life, independence, and employment rates for persons with disabilities was assessed. Examining employment outcomes as they are linked to public policy is puissant and a connection not previously pursued. This study found statistically significant associations between quality of life and employment in that persons with disabilities who were AFP applicants reported a higher quality of life if they were employed. Also found, was a statistically significant association between quality of life and independence levels in that persons with disabilities who reported increased independence at home or in the community also reported having a better quality of life.