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It is a terrible shock to parents when they hear from a medical specialist that their child is not normal like other children, but retarded. Such parents are traumatized to the same extent as other parents may be when they lose a child to death. They go through the same phases of shock, denial, anger and mourning. A complicating factor is that these parents cannot recover from this loss as they are reminded of this sorrowful fact on a daily basis and to an increasingly difficult level. The aim of this investigation is firstly to determine the effect that severely retarded child has on the functioning of the family. Secondly, to determine what the needs of such a family are in respect of pastoral care; and finally, to provide guidelines for the care of a family with a severely retarded child. This research is based on the practical-theological model of Zerfass and comprises: • A basis-theory that reveals Biblical perspectives that have been researched about the topic; • A meta-theoretical assessment based on the literature survey (also in related fields), as well as empirical research. The empirical study is based on a number of interviews that were undertaken with families who have severely retarded children; • Theory for application that proposes guidelines for the pastoral care of the family with a severely retarded child in their care. The research results reveal lacunas that exist in available literature in respect of pastoral care for families with a severely retarded child. It is also clear from the results of the empirical research that ignorance about this type of pastoral care is common. The conclusion of this research is that these families who have severely retarded children do not enjoy the benefit of proper pastoral care. This happens because both pastoral care-givers as well as members of the parish underestimate the influence that such a child has on the family. The research results could assist in educating people who are, to a large extent, ignorant in this regard; as well as equipping pastoral care-givers with guidelines to care for families with severely retarded children. / Thesis (M.Th. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

This thesis examines the means by which emergency egress for people with a disability can be provided and presents a model for the adoption of egress provisions for persons with a disability into the Building Code of Australia. / With the introduction of the commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 in March 1993, it became unlawful for a person to be discriminated against based on their disability. In the built environment this meant that all building and facilities are required to be accessible. However, this also includes the right for building occupants to also be safe and not be exposed to any form of adverse conditions such as fire, in a building. / The research undertaken to formulate this model traces the origins of disability rights both internationally and in Australia as well as Australian building code requirements. The technical provisions considered for inclusion in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) have been derived from an international survey of the research that has been undertaken and the various approaches taken by the building codes of other countries. In addition, to consider the appropriateness of the suggested model, a survey was carried out to gauge community expectations. The findings of this survey were then built into the model. / The conclusions show that people are willing to use whatever means of egress is provided if they have the confidence that the exit system will be safe during an emergency. / The research concludes that the technology exists to enable emergency egress for persons with a disability to be provided and that it is possible for the BCA to include specific provisions. / However, it also recognised that for it to succeed, a fully integrated approach addressing human behavioural and management aspects as well as the physical attributes of a building would be required. The present BCA does not take a wholistic view in this regard as it only addresses the physical construction of a building and hence its scope would need to be expanded. / To achieve this overall 'package', it is necessary for a major education campaign by which the community is educated about the use of the egress systems for persons with a disability using both 'protect-in-place' and 'everybody-out' strategies. This is especially the case for the use of lifts as the community has been educated for many years that it is not safe to use lifts in a fire. This requires a shift in the way people think about the use of lifts in a fire and is by far the most challenging component. / Thesis (MBuilding)--University of South Australia, 2003.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Literacy and Language))--University of South Australia, 1995.

This investigation aims to assess issues of physical, sensory and intellectual access to museums and galleries in Scotland, with a particular relevance to people with sight difficulties. The research has been completed from the point of view of the visually impaired visitor, using original fieldwork comprising visits to museums accompanied by people with different types of sight difficulties. An examination of the facilities provided has been undertaken from the visitors' perspective alongside the current and forthcoming legislative requirements. The opinions of the museums' community have been taken into consideration primarily by discussions with the curators of the museums and galleries visited. An appreciation of the legislative stimulus for museums and galleries to consider people with disabilities, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, is also attempted, including reports from the MPs involved in the development and the introduction of this legislation and the MSPs with responsibilities for the representation of people with disabilities in the Scottish Parliament. A particular focus is applied to the introduction of Part 111 of the legislation which was enacted during the research period and used as a stimulus for the areas of questioning with the visually impaired people who assisted. This facilitates the presentation of a context against which to place the findings of the discussions with visually impaired people. Visitors are an essential requirement for the existence and future of museums and galleries and the potential audience of people with visual impairments is increasing and significant.

Care of employees, with a focus on working conditions of handicapped ones. The purpose of my thesis is to describe the evolution and current state of legislation applying to care of employees and working conditions of employees with a disability. The thesis begins with an introduction, where I outline the reasons why I chose this topic, the method used, and the outcome that I intend to reach. The body of the thesis is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter provides the reader with an outline of legal sources constituting the basis of this segment of the law, including the transition from the previous Labour Code to the current one, showing how the notion of care of employees has developed over time and explaining why care of employees should be distinguished from terms such as "personnel management" or "human resources management". It covers the functions and segmentation of care of employees and mentions both Czech and international (EU and non-EU) legal standards and regulation governing the subject matter of the thesis, as well as relevant international conventions and agreements. It also contains a questionnaire the purpose of which is to compare the standard of care of employees at different employers. It describes in detail the components that care of employees consists of, and...

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the range of beliefs that a certain group of South African parents held about the appropriate educational placement of their children with mild to moderate intellectual handicaps. The sample consisted of 14 parents of children with mild to moderate intellectual handicaps attending at a special school for intellectually handicapped children in a disadvantaged context in the Western Cape. In line with the qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews with open elided questions were used to collect the data. Interviews were used rather than questionnaires because parents were illiterate and they felt more comfortable and confident with a personal interview and were able to use their own language. The data were analyzed according to Glaser and Strauss' Constant Comparative method as described by Maykut and Morehouse (1994). As has been found in other research studies, the parents in this study were not in principle against mainstreaming or inclusion of their children. Rather, they were at present not supportive of it as they perceive the conditions at the ordinary school to be unstable for their children. The qualitative analysis outcome revealed that parents were concerned about· teacher qualities, acceptance of their children by the ordinary school children and the ordinary school curriculum which they felt was only focusing on academic subjects. Parent involvement and inclusion are central concepts in the reconstruction of education in South Africa. Inclusion of intellectually handicapped learners is being considered by policy makers but it is not likely to be successful without parent support. This study is a small contribution to the debate.

<p> A microprocessor driven display was built and programmed for the storage and reproduction of Bliss symbols. An explanation is offered for the success of the symbol language in teaching the handicapped. </p> <p> The hardware was designed to be inexpensive enough for classroom use, but still deliver adequate flexibility and resolution. Due to the complexity and variety of the symbols a method of data compaction was developed to reduce the required storage space. </p> <p> Initial tests are presented and suggestions are made for continuing the work. </p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)