Includes bibliographical references / BACKGROUND: People with disabilities encounter major barriers that prevent them realising their right to health in South Africa. Health committees are legislated structures for community participation in health at a local level. This study investigated how health committee members understand and practise their role in community participation and how this advances the right to health for persons with disability. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with three health committees in the Cape Town Metropole in the Western Cape province of South Africa purposively selected for the study. Three facility managers and eight health committee members took part in focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, supplemented by participant observations of committee meetings. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 2 disability activists. These methods were used to gain a rich understanding of health committees’ roles and practises in relation to persons with disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The main research findings were: (i) health committees did not prioritise disability on their respective agendas; (ii) persons with disabilities were not adequately represented on health committees; (iii) health committees exhibited poor understanding of disability barriers relating to health; (iv) lack of egalitarian values led to persons with disabilities not trusting the health committee, and distrust amongst health committee members; lastly (v) health committees augment health facility operations instead of fulfilling their governance and oversight function. These factors may have contributed to health committees not helping to advance the right to health for persons with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Health committees should include mandated representation of persons with disabilities, whilst addressing marginalisation directed toward persons with disabilities on committees. Training of health committees, as well as networking with disabled organisations, could help improve their limited understanding of disability. Health committees should consider addressing disability a human rights issue, which critically involves community mobilisation, raising awareness around issues of disability and promoting agency amongst persons with disabilities to claim their rights.

No description available.

Helping professionals have an important role in supporting access to education for individuals regarding health-promoting and responsible sexual behaviors, including context-appropriate masturbation. Sexuality education is limited for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, despite evidence supporting its place in teaching and supporting positive and appropriate sexual expression. While prior research has identified perception of professionals related to sexuality education and barriers to providing access to these programs and topics, none have identified methods to increase provider effectiveness in responding to sexual behaviors for the people they support. This study evaluated the components of behavioral skills training as a method of teaching Board Certified Behavior Analysts to develop interventions for sexual behavior.

Social work services prior to the COVID-19 pandemic generally preferred in-person service delivery. When the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic began, social workers needed to modify their practice and pivot to a virtual delivery format to ensure safety as well as continuity of service for the individuals and communities they support. Current literature on virtual care in social work lacks clear identification of best practices for virtual care service delivery. Additionally, 1 in 5 Canadians have a disability. Given the prevalence of disability, social workers must consider how accessibility is impacted by service delivery methods. This research aims to address the gap in the literature by centering the narratives of 7 social workers who have disabilities, who both access and provide virtual care services. This research is guided by Critical Disability Theory (CDT) and the Nothing About Us Without Us movement to explore the social construction of disability within virtual care service delivery, from the perspective of those with disabilities. A focus group was conducted to elicit the experiences of these social workers. Using narrative and reflexive thematic analysis, five themes were identified: 1) digital literacy, 2) privacy, 3) factors enhancing accessibility, 4) factors challenging accessibility, and 5) practice standards in the digital domain. Reflecting on the themes identified in the data analysis, in conjunction with the literature review, a set of guiding best practices are proposed to support accessible virtual care service delivery in social work. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, as well as limitations of this research and potential directions for future research in virtual care and accessibility. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Building codes are socio-technical regulations that govern the manner in which the built world is designed, constructed, and maintained. Instituted in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of humans in the built world, codes also serve as an index of always changing societal values. If codes do not co-evolve with social values, however, they often perpetuate standards that no longer reflect the priorities of mainstream society. As crises arise and as cultural practices change, regulatory institutions are charged with creating new or amend old codes to reflect these societal shifts. Emergent social values are often dismissed by the general public, misrepresented by their political representatives, or abstracted by the louder voices of the market and the state. In a few critical moments in modern history, however, society successfully adopted and institutionalized previously underrepresented values into urban form. Social movements provide a primary venue for such paradigmatic change. They do this through the production of new knowledge that aims to alter the cognitive praxis of its citizenry and to generate the momentum required to codify grassroots ideals into the built world. Exploring how this confluence of socio-technical innovation functions within the built world, this dissertation addresses the primary research question: What is the relationship between urban social movements, the values they espouse, the building codes they construct, and the liberative function of the spaces produced? In this dissertation, I investigate three established and one emerging social movement to discern the characteristics of democratic code formation that lead to civic urban form. These four case studies are analyzed in terms of their origins, the claims made, strategies employed, and outcomes achieved. Patterns are then extrapolated from this analysis to identify qualities of collective action that contribute to the codification of civic urban form. The research discussed herein was conducted in two phases to develop a historical base from which to evaluate contemporary efforts to codify civic urban form. The first phase of this exploratory investigation tells the story of three intrinsically valuable, but also comparable case studies of social change in the United States: the community development strategy pursued by the civil rights movement, the architectural accessibility platform advocated by the disability rights movement, and efforts to institutionalize new building practices through voluntary building assessment systems by the environmental movement. The second phase extrapolates patterns from the established cases to inform the investigation of proto-movements currently coalescing around issues of spatial justice. Both phases are then reflected upon in order to propose a theory of civic urban form that recognizes the dialectic between social movements, emergent social values, building codes, and the physical spaces they inform. The thesis statement underlying this dissertation is that urban social movements in the U.S. require a myriad of different activist organizations— radical and mainstream, professional and grassroots— to simultaneously employ diverse strategies through an integrated frame of collective action in order to institutionalize new types of civic urban form. Based on the theoretical framework developed to conceptualize the production of civic urban form, I go on to argue in the concluding chapters that urban social movements currently seeking various means to codify the tenets of sustainable development in the United States might benefit from couching their collective actions within an integrated action frame of spatial justice. / text

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:43:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna Bellinato Scrivanti Santana.pdf: 6645668 bytes, checksum: 746399cc3dac36b0c30009306ed15ba8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-13 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / This study refers to the educational inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in Londrina - Paraná, according to testimony from four teachers of municipal schools. The objective of this study was to systematize and analyze the performance of these types of teachers from 1st to 5th year of the mainstream of what actually happens in the classroom with the deaf student rights - the possibilities and difficulties, adjustments, material support and specific courses for professionals from the public, for the care of students with intellectual disabilities in regular education. This dissertation is composed of two chapters. The first, on the theoretical foundation is on education of children with intellectual disabilities with data from the historical relations of special education in Brazil, its characteristics and conceptual changes, to the proposal of inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in regular education. It also describes data on intellectual disabilities, their characteristics, the question of diagnosis and assessment and placement of educational assessment in accordance with the CIF, as opposed to physician placement in accordance with the ICD. In the second chapter highlights interviews with teachers in the municipality of the regular education with a data collection was performed from August 2008 to June 2009, and with the consent of research subjects, the interviews were recorded. The data were analyzed based on the categories listed in the schedule of the interviews and organized in the framework of convergence and divergence in relation to work performed in regular education with students with intellectual disabilities. Data were collected from four teachers of municipal schools, which make the process of inclusion in your classroom. The analysis showed ways of working to somewhat in municipal schools that follow or should follow a standard procedure for the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in the classroom, the schools surveyed. A big surprise was the unpreparedness of teachers to see the students with intellectual disabilities in regular education. / Este estudo se refere à inclusão escolar de alunos com deficiência intelectual no Município de Londrina Paraná, segundo depoimentos de quatro professoras da rede municipal de ensino. O objetivo central desta pesquisa foi o de sistematizar e analisar as formas de atuação dessas professoras do 1º ao 5º ano do ensino regular, do que de fato acontece em sala de aula com o aluno deficiente intelectual as possibilidade e dificuldades, as adequações, material de apoio e cursos específicos aos profissionais da rede pública, para o atendimento do aluno com deficiência intelectual no ensino regular. Esta dissertação está composta por dois capítulos. O primeiro, referente à fundamentação teórica, é sobre a Educação da criança com deficiência intelectual com dados das relações históricas da educação especial no Brasil, suas características e transformações conceituais, até a proposta da inclusão do aluno com deficiência intelectual no ensino regular. Descreve também dados sobre a deficiência intelectual, suas características, a questão do diagnóstico e avaliação e o posicionamento da avaliação educacional em concordância com a CIF, em contraposição ao posicionamento médico em concordância com a CID. No segundo capítulo, destaca as entrevistas realizadas no município com professoras da rede regular de educação,com uma coleta de dados que foi realizada no período de agosto de 2008 a junho de 2009, e com a autorização dos sujeitos da pesquisa, as entrevistas foram gravadas. Os dados foram analisados a partir de categorias referenciadas no roteiro das entrevistas e organizados em quadro de convergências e divergências, em relação ao trabalho realizado no ensino regular com os alunos com deficiência intelectual. Foram coletados dados de quatro professoras da rede Municipal de ensino, que fazem o processo de inclusão em sua sala de aula. A análise evidenciou formas de trabalho pouco convergentes em escolas municipais que seguem ou deveriam seguir um padrão para o processo de inclusão do aluno com deficiência intelectual em sala de aula, nas escolas pesquisadas. Uma grande surpresa foi o despreparo dessas professoras para o atendimento dos alunos com deficiência intelectual no ensino regular.

The declaration of the International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981 and the international activism of persons with disabilities resulted in the globalization of disability, which involved a new framework for the treatment of PWDs. Although disability activism was being played out globally, it has been about PWDs gaining equality and full participation in their local societies. Therefore, at the heart of an international movement was the strategic organization of PWDs, most of who live in the developing world. This dissertation is based on a case study of activism for disability rights in one particular developing society, Jamaica. The Jamaican movement is spearheaded by the Combined Disabilities Association (CDA), which has been at the forefront of disability rights activism locally and regionally. The primary research question: how does CDA organize strategically to meet the needs of the broader disabled population of Jamaica is broken down into the following four sub-questions: 1) how is "disability" constructed in the context of Jamaican culture, 2) how did CDA members negotiate their original involvement and level of participation with the organization, 3) what is the nature of the linkage between the CDA and Disabled People International, and how does this relationship affect CDA's policies and procedures, and 4) what strategies does CDA employ to mobilize PWDs in Jamaica to participate in advocacy activities? These questions are explored using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, survey, and document review. Findings reveal a complex construction of disability as Jamaicans negotiate between various beliefs and ideas to understand the meaning of disability. Furthermore, the negotiation of movement involvement by PWDs is based their connections have with fellow members as well as the personal benefits that they receive. Although the CDA has been influenced by the international disability movement, it has also contributed to the global activism, especially in the Caribbean. In a local environment overwhelmed by limited financial resources and social inequalities the CDA by default addresses some social welfare of PWDS, while pursuing its primary commitment to advocacy, resulting in numerous challenges.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (pIDD) face barriers to quality health care, including psychiatric care, that result in worse health outcomes. While the mental healthcare community is increasing attention towards the psychiatric needs of pIDD, there continues to be a deficit of knowledge regarding psychiatric conditions, including suicidality. Engaging in community-based participatory research (PAR) with pIDD is the ethical way to address these deficits. An academic researcher (AR) must first educate herself on lessons from disability rights activism and disability bioethics. OBJECTIVE: Apply the intertwining history and principles of disability rights movements and disability bioethics to lessons learned from previous PAR with pIDD in order to propose a PAR project that aims to alleviate knowledge deficits regarding suicidality in pIDD. METHODS/APPROACH: Historical research will focus on landmark texts in disability rights movements and disability bioethics. Lessons learned from previous PAR is mostly obtained from reflexive accounts on behalf of the AR and outside of psychiatry. Analyzing these sources will result in a proposal of six principles that can guide the AR when ethically engaging in PAR with pIDD. RESULTS: The AR must understand the history of society valuing non-disabled lives over disabled lives, inclusive of pIDD, and the social model of disability as it relates to the human variation model. When engaging with pIDD, the AR can question the traditional definition of vulnerable populations, challenge the group to progress beyond informed consent, continually support a capacity-building approach to research and power-sharing skills, and embrace empowerment to enact political change. DISCUSSION: ARs, pIDD, and pIDD advocates must not accept the dearth of knowledge regarding psychiatric conditions, including life-threatening suicidality, in pIDD. The medical community should prioritize PAR with persons with pIDD to elucidate psychiatric conditions in pIDD that result in more efficacious and compassionate treatment. This proposal outlines major principles through which the AR can move forward ethically by engaging in PAR with pIDD. / Urban Bioethics

No description available.

Thesis (MPhil (Rehabilitation))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite the ever increasing number of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ethiopia and the resulting conditions of abject poverty, efforts made to curb the existing situation, thereby improving the lives and citizenry contributions of PWDs, has been minimal. Consequently, poverty and insufficient participation of PWDs continue to be the distinctive features characterizing the disability sector and movement in Ethiopia. This research was aimed at investigating the role, involvement and impact of PWDs and the Disability Rights Movement (DRM) in Ethiopia in realizing the effective inclusion of disability in the country‟s development agenda, with a specific focus on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). A qualitative research paradigm, using a case study design, was employed as a research method in this study. Data were collected using two data collection methods; namely, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Purposive sampling and snowballing techniques were used to select 44 people who participated in ten key informant interviews and three focus group discussions (each FGD attended by 8 to 10 participants). The researcher was flexible enough to conduct additional KIIs and FGDs until the data saturation point was reached. Semi-Structured Interview Guides were employed as data collection tools. A thematic content analysis was conducted following a systematic process of coding data and grouping codes into categories and emerging themes. The study was conducted in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Federation of Ethiopian National Associations for People with Disabilities (FENAPD) – the umbrella Disabled People Organization (DPO) in Ethiopia. The results of the study revealed that the disability movement in Ethiopia has not been active enough in ensuring the involvement of PWDs in the country‟s development endeavours. It was also reiterated that, even if the Ethiopian government was one of the first signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the practical recognition that it has so far conferred to disability and PWDs in its development plans has been less than satisfactory. The study also underlined the fact that some recent progresses, such as the mentioning of disability in the currently under-review third PRSP document of Ethiopia, should be strengthened in order to pave the way for a more comprehensive inclusion of disability. Imminent challenges and opportunities facing the Ethiopian disability movement have also been explored in the study. It is hoped that the results of this study will provide the pertinent disability stakeholders in Ethiopia, including the government, with useful, timely and concrete research evidence, especially as Ethiopia is now engaged in a process of launching its latest PRSP documents. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten spyte van die immer toenemende getal mense met gestremdhede (MMG's) in Etiopië en die gevolglike volslae armoede, is daar uiters min pogings aangewend om die bestaande situasie te bedwing en só die lewensgehalte en burgerskapbydraes van MMG's te verhoog. Gevolglik bly armoede en die ontoereikende deelname van MMG's eienskappe wat die gestremdheidsektor en -beweging in Etiopië kenmerk. Hierdie navorsing was daarop gemik om ‟n ondersoek te doen na die rol, betrokkenheid en invloed van MMG's en die Beweging vir die Regte van Gestremde Mense (BRGM) in Etiopië om gestremde mense doeltreffend by die land se ontwikkelingsagenda in te sluit, met spesifieke klem op Armoedeverligtingstrategieë (AVS'e). 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma, waartydens 'n gevallestudie gebruik is, was die navorsingsmetode van hierdie studie. Inligting is verkry deur twee data-insamelingsmetodes, naamlik onderhoude met belangrike segspersone (OBS'e) en fokusgroepbesprekings (FGB's). Doelgerigte seleksie en sneeubaltegnieke is gebruik om 44 mense te kies, wat toe aan 10 onderhoude met belangrike segspersone en 3 fokusgroepbesprekings deelgeneem het. (Elke FGB het uit 8 tot 10 deelnemers bestaan.) Die navorser was buigsaam genoeg om meer onderhoude en groepbesprekings te hou totdat die inligting 'n versadigingspunt bereik het. Semigestruktureerde onderhoudsriglyne is gebruik as instrument om die inligting in te samel. 'n Tematiese inhoudsontleding is gedoen ná 'n sistematiese proses om inligting te kodeer en kodes in kategorieë en duidelike temas te groepeer. Die studie is uitgevoer in Addis Abeba, die hoofstad van Etiopië, in samewerking met die Federasie van Etiopiese Nasionale Verenigings vir Mense met Gestremdhede (FENVMG) – die oorkoepelende organisasie vir gestremde mense in Etiopië. Die bevinding van hierdie studie is dat die gestremdheidsbeweging in Etiopië nie aktief genoeg is om die betrokkenheid van MMG's in die land se ontwikkelingsondernemings te verseker nie. Daar is ook bevestig dat, selfs al was die regering van Etiopië een van die eerste ondertekenaars van die Verenigde Nasies (VN) se Kongres oor die Regte van Mense met Gestremdhede (KRMG), die praktiese erkenning wat tot dusver aan gestremde mense in dié land se ontwikkelingsplanne gegee is, geensins bevredigend is nie. Die studie lê ook klem daarop dat onlangse vordering, soos dat gestremde mense genoem word in die derde AVS-dokument van Etiopië, wat tans hersien word, versterk behoort te word. Só kan die weg gebaan word vir 'n meer omvattende insluiting van gestremde mense. Naderende uitdagings en geleenthede wat die gestremdheidsbeweging in Etiopië sal moet aanpak, word ook in hierdie studie ondersoek.