This study aims to explore how interaction with the performing arts could facilitate the participation of youths with disabilities in opportunities for social and economic inclusion. Equal access for all is a dream, as the world is still a disabling place, particularly for women, poor, Black and persons with a disability. As a result of this intersectionality of social identities and oppression, a lack of access to mainstream activities and opportunities remains a day-to-day reality for many persons with disabilities (Le Roux, 2015). Persons with disability yearn for the individual freedoms enjoyed by most other members of society. One vehicle through which people with disabilities can further enrich themselves are through cultural and arts events. The 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) universally recognised the right of people with disabilities to: ● Access work opportunities (Article 27); and ● Take part in cultural life with others (Article 30), i.e., ensuring that people with disabilities have adequate access to these activities. This study aims to explore how youth with disabilities’ exposure to theatre performance, visiting the theatre or attending a workshop can derive benefit regarding their awareness and prospects for social and economic inclusion. The objectives of this study are to: 1. Describe the experience of youth with disabilities attending a performance at Artscape. 2. Describe how being at Artscape influences or expands career aspirations of youth with disabilities related to economic and social inclusion. 3. Describe the social and life skills learned through attending a performance or visiting Artscape as a facility. 4. Identify factors that influence the participation of youth with disabilities in attending performances and events at Artscape. 5. Investigate how participation in performing arts contributes to their social and economic inclusion. This study used a qualitative research approach, using critical ethnography methodology. Primary data was obtained from an in-depth interview with a young, Black disabled woman and three focus group discussions of six participants. Secondary data in the form of questionnaires were quantitatively analysed This research revealed that transport remains a major challenge for disabled youth seeking to interact with the arts. While disability is diverse and each disability is unique in itself, contact with the arts has been found to facilitate social and economic inclusion and trigger the empowerment of these youth. This was seen in the four themes that came out of the findings namely; Blown away, I can do it, you can do it, Embracing Hope, and a long way to go. Hence, accessibility has varying meanings for different kinds of disability. There remains a huge gap for people with disabilities to be included in social and economic activities, and as a result, youth with disabilities are still trapped in a world of exclusion. I have therefore proposed an Inclusive Model of Disability for Social and Economic inclusion, which are based on the same four themes that I derived from the findings, as well as a fifth theme entitled; Toward social and Economic Inclusion. Based on this model I have also discussed what the findings have shown under four themes; Artscape as a catalyst for inclusion, Career Aspirations, Social and Life Skills, and Enabling Social and Economic Participation. This study concludes that potential exists for disability inclusion and participation in the performing arts, and refers to numerous implications for the education, livelihoods, social and empowerment sectors to consider based on the CBR components of inclusive development, as well as some recommendations beyond Artscape.

This dissertation begins from the research question “How do the nature and availability of transfers influence the lived experiences of people with spinal cord injury (PWSCI) in low socio-economic independent living communities (ILC) in the context of personal assistance relationships?” Transfers here, refers to the need for people with severe mobility impairments to be lifted or otherwise assisted in moving between locations such as bed and wheelchair, wheelchair and toilet, wheelchair and vehicle, and so forth. “Personal assistance means that users of such service exercise the maximum control over how services are organised, and custom-design their services according to their individual needs, capabilities, life circumstances and aspirations” (Ratzka, 1992, p.1). PWSCI, as is the interest of this study, have unique insights into their disability and their context. In terms of international human rights conventions, PWSCI are entitled to have control over their lives and therefore must participate in the form of consultancy on issues that concern them directly. Many PWSCI are dependent on assistance from others for transfers during activities of daily living (ADL). ADL refers to everyday activities such as rising, dressing, washing, toileting, eating, and so on. In the lives of PWSCI, access to the means of performing ADL equates, in reality, to access to the means of survival. In low socio-economic communities, it is likely that personal assistance is performed by unpaid family members or friends, or low remunerated untrained personal assistance providers, rather than paid, professionally trained employees. Unpaid / low remunerated and untrained personal support has implications for i) the ready availability of transfers, ii) the safety of transfers, and iii) reciprocal dynamics of care and accommodation within the relationship. PWSCI represent a large portion of the South African population. Besides those already stated, a body of research shows that PWSCI may face particular limitations and obstacles in fulfilling of ordinary or normal life. These obstacles may include negative attitudes, structures of normalcy and ableism, and environmental barriers to access for PWSCI. These obstacles may influence how PWSCI construct their identity within relationships of personal assistance. Also, the voices and own experiences from the perceptions of PWSCI are not always heard and not given political recognition. This research aimed to explore the transfer-related experiences of PWSCI, in the context of personal assistance relationships, during activities of daily living. A qualitative study was conducted, and focused on the experiences and perceptions of nine PWSCI living in low socio-economic independent living communities (ILC) in Johannesburg. A semi-structured interview was used for data collection, and a Qualitative Thematic Analysis was applied to analyse the data. Ethics of Care (EoC) was a useful theoretical approach adopted in exploring the lived experiences of PWSCI in the interest of their taking back agency within relationships of personal assistance, being free of any assumptions and perceptions about impairment and their ability. Furthermore, the aim of an EoC approach is to foster inclusion, respect and dignity, and systems of influence and power, influencing the experiences and personal perceptions of PWSCI living in low socio-economic independent living communities (ILC). The results of this study revealed that PWSCI find living with a spinal cord injury not being a barrier to living a fulfilling life but instead, emphasised barriers created through stigma and negative attitudes from relationships within personal assistance and communities as a whole. These serious barriers to self-expression and fulfilment come in the form of stigma of disability, ableism, negative perceptions, and the pervasiveness of the medical model. How PWSCI feel about their belonging in their society and taking back their agency in relationships of personal assistance, was found to be representative of how they respond to negative social constructions of disability within care relationships, and their communities as experienced during daily transferrelated activities. The study revealed the importance of the need for accredited training for personal assistance providers to prevent secondary injury for PWSCI and care providers alike, and to create conducive working environments for care providers. Conducive working environments may include body mechanic training, appropriate assistive devices for safe lifting and moving of PWSCI. Furthermore, conducive working environments may contribute to positive attitudes and perceptions toward PWSCI. Access to allocated state resources will facilitate PWSCI to procure accredited, trained, paid care. The vocation of personal assistance providers should be organised, available and accredited.

This research study explored how teachers perceive the potential for online learning opportunities by investigating their experiences of an online course, Education for All: Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion Massive Open Online Course (EFA: DDI MOOC) on teaching children with disabilities. A key underlying concern is that teachers are not sufficiently trained to teach inclusively within their classroom-based environments. The literature reflects that teachers feel that they have not been provided with adequate skills and knowledge to teach students with disabilities and that a massive gap exists in teacher education, which hinders teachers from providing quality education in South Africa. These assessments of the current state of teacher education regarding children with disabilities in this country highlight a considerable need to upskill teachers, particularly those of children with disabilities. One of the proposed responses is to offer flexible online courses such as MOOCs that are open to anyone to enrol. MOOCs are a form of online courses with open enrolment delivered on web-based platforms that can support larger numbers of people. They are free courses that offer unlimited online participation, including technological advancement, peer support as well as collaborative practices. In this study, the EFA: DDI MOOC informs our understanding of how teachers might respond to and value this opportunity. This study thus sought to investigate “How do South African educators' experiences of an online learning course prepare them to adopt inclusive education practices?” Semi-structured interviews were employed as a means of collecting data. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the data set. The researcher was able to ascertain how the MOOC was valued by these participants including acquiring information regarding their level of engagement on the MOOC. The collected data was based on South African educators' experiences of doing the MOOC course and their readiness to implement inclusive education practices for all children with disabilities. The researcher was also interested to ascertain how the online course prepared them to adopt inclusive education practices after completion. This further included establishing how educators perceive MOOCs as being accessible, feasible, and acceptable to their context to develop increased engagement in inclusive teaching practices. The thematic analysis was used to analyse the data from the in-depth interviews. Finally, participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The interviewees spoke of fundamental changes having occurred after participating in the EFA: DDI MOOC which led to newer understandings of their conceptualisation of inclusion. The benefits to these individual teachers were diverse, with important aspects including their intrinsic motivation, skills development, as well as the desire for continuous professional development. For some there was also an increased willingness to take up the challenge of adopting inclusive education practices as well as becoming agents of change in their communities. The flexible and low-cost MOOC mode was valued as supporting and complementing inclusive teacher education where few other opportunities existed. The overall outcome of the study was that online education (MOOCs) appeared as another important option to consider for the successful implementation of inclusive education practices. Teachers were willing to take up the challenge of adopting inclusive education practices as well as becoming agents of change in their communities. Therefore, the findings signified that MOOCs could aid tremendously towards the goal of achieving inclusive teacher education in South Africa.

Education is a fundamental right for children all over the world. In Ghana, education for children with mobility impairments (MI) is one area that needs attention because little research has explored the experiences of these children and youth in basic educational settings. The research question that guided this research was: What are the educational experiences of children and youth with MI in education in Ghana? Understanding educational experiences of children and youth with MI will allow policymakers, the Ministry of Education, and educational researchers to develop educational support systems for children with MI. This is very important especially in the low-and-middle-income countries like Ghana where resources are limited. This study drew on three theoretical frameworks: Disability studies in education; Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory and post-colonial theory. These theoretical frameworks guided the exploration of the educational experiences of children and youth with MI in four basic school settings (mainstream, inclusive, rehabilitation and special schools) with consideration to the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana. The child development and learning processes were researched in terms of complex systemic interactions between children with MI and their environment, and the advancement of liberation and the colonial legacy of the study in context. Data were drawn from 20 children with MI, from four head teachers and from 20 parents of children with MI through in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. This study revealed inequities in the basic school curriculum within the four school settings. These inequities that existed in the school curriculum contributed to parents not achieving the expected results they had hoped for by sending their children to the rehabilitation centre and the special schools. This study also showed the inadequacy of the educational support systems (for example, student support teams, parents support teams, teacher support teams and education support teams) in the four educational settings. The study concludes that the absence of educational support systems contributed to the struggle that children with MI and their parents experienced during their children's educational trajectories. From the findings of this study, it is imperative to have further research to consider a general basic school curriculum to promote inclusivity in all four school settings. The study critically showed how the experiences of children and youth with MI were characterised by the inequity of basic school curriculum, negative attitude towards disability and the unavailability of an educational support system. This study also contributes towards the development of inclusive schooling practices in Ghana by providing a framework which promotes inclusion of children and youth with MI. The new knowledge not only adds to the limited literature on the educational experiences of children with MI, but also assists policymakers, stakeholders of education and researchers to promote practices that encourage inclusive education.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The study aimed to explore the capacity of family and service providers to facilitate the participation of disabled youth in accessing skills development and employment opportunities in rural areas. The objectives were to describe the family and service providers' understanding of disability; identify visions and strategies for promoting inclusion of disabled youth in skills development and employment opportunities; analyse the provision of services related to the economic development of disabled youth; identify the gaps in skills in facilitating disabled youth's transition in the economic development; and identify the available material resources for economic development of disabled youth.

Intellectual disability (ID) is associated with limitations in cognitive, practical and adaptive functions. Individualised supports therefore enhance functioning for people with ID. Families often manage supports for their ID members alone. If not supported, the family quality of life (FQOL) is affected, which also affects the quality of life of the disabled member. FQOL therefore is an outcome measure for support services and strategies. In Kenya, FQOL and supports of families with individuals with ID is not known. This study’s purpose was to understand the FQOL of people with ID and their families and their support needs. The methodology used was a qualitative design, exploring perceptions of 7 people with mild ID and 8 caregivers on FQOL and support needs through interviews and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs). The Beach Centre Family Quality of Life Conversation Guide was used and piloted with 2 people with ID and 2 caregivers. It was adapted by simplifying the questions for people with ID and translated into Swahili. The study had emancipatory approaches with 2 people with ID and 1 caregiver as research assistants. 10 participants were identified through special schools and a village elder from each zone namely Nyahururu, Kinamba, Ol’ngarua and Mailoinya in Laikipia County. 2 participants for each category were selected through random sampling. Informed consent was received from all participants and caregivers of people with ID. Ethical approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Cape Town and a research permit granted by the Kenya National Commission of Science, Technology and Innovation. Data was collected and recorded on a mobile device. Identification codes were used to protect anonymity. Verbatim data was transcribed and checked by participants in FGDs. Confirmed data was translated into English and deductive and inductive analysis was done using Dedoose version 7.5.15. Similar data from the 5 domains in the Beach Centre FQOL Conversation Guide was coded together to develop the theme (community supports). FindingsFQOL in Kenya can be described through family interaction, parenting, emotional wellbeing, disability-related supports, physical/material wellbeing and community supports. Poverty, rights of people with ID and cultural constructions of disability can inform disability-related services, government policies and guidelines. Study limitations: The findings are representative of support needs for families of people with mild ID. The study gathered perspectives of people with ID and caregivers, and hence more views could be gathered from other family members. This study was conducted in rural settings and should be interpreted with this in mind.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-61). / Disabled students face a number of challenges in accessing equitable education within higher education institutions. The University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, as stated in the Policy on Students and Staff with Disabilities, is committed to making tertiary education accessible and inclusive for all students. However, it has been observed that physically disabled students are under-represented in the science and engineering fields, as there is a misconception that disabled students cannot fulfil all the criteria required to complete these programs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the attitudes of academics to the possibility of admitting physically disabled students with the Undergraduate Civil Engineering Programme at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. A qualitative approach was adopted where data was collected by carrying out in-depth interviews with five permanent full - time academics within the Civil Engineering Programme. The participants included 2 professors, 2 senior lecturers and one lecturer who have been teaching courses in Civil Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for periods between 3 and 20 years. The results of the study revealed that the academics interviewed all displayed a positive attitude in accommodating physically disabled students within their program. However, some challenges were identified, which included site / field work in the curriculum. All the participants indicated that these challenges can be met and are willing to provide the support that may be required by physically disabled students. Recommendations were made, that it implemented, will result in changes being made not only to the physical environment, but also as to how curricula can be planned and delivered.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / This study explored disability inclusion in the curriculum of the Faculty of Humanities, in the University of Cape Town. There is a need for Universities to actively engage in issues of diversity like disability, as reflected in the University of Cape Town Vice Chancellor Strategic Goals. This engagement should not only encourage participation of disabled students, but it should also promote the integration of disability issues into the curriculum to help alleviate barriers to participation, attitudinal barriers especially. While many studies speak to the accommodation of disabled students in higher institutions, this study rather speaks to disability inclusion within the curriculum. This study looked at the extent and nature of the integration of disability in the curriculum of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town. It is relevant because there are very few studies done on disability inclusion within the curriculum. The study will assist in creating awareness to mainstream disability issues across disciplines. Disability inclusion across disciplines will aid in reduction of stigmatization of disabled people as the barriers to participation experienced by disabled people are erected by a non-disabled majority .This can further inform policy making. The Faculty of Humanities in UCT was of particular interest to me because it is the largest Faculty at UCT with extensive student turnover, houses the School of Education which I believe is key to disability inclusion. This case for me, relates disability marginalization in the curriculum to how disability is also marginalized in the wider society and how disability can be easily perceived to be a medical issue rather than a socio-political issue.

Includes bibliographical references. / CBR (community-based rehabilitation), a relatively new discipline, was initiated in South Africa in the 1980s. The methodology used in this study is that of a quantitative document analysis to gain a deeper understanding of CBR practice in South Africa. Two evaluation documents and one annual report, from three CBR organisations operating in South Africa were analysed.

There is evidence that disability and poverty are closely linked (Mitra, Posarac& Vick, 2012) and in a South African context this has become more evident as unemployment remains high among youth with disabilities (Lorenzo & Murray Cramm, 2012). To address this problem and align with South Africa's legislation, empowerment strategies such as the Employment Equity Act (DoL, 1998), the Skills Development Amendment Act (DoL, 1998) and the Code of Good Practice (DoL, 1998), amongst others, were implemented to ensure that employment of people with disabilities were supported. Despite this, youth with disabilities who live in poverty found it difficult for various reasons to access information which could lead to livelihood opportunities. The literature in this study spoke about empowerment strategies but it also looked at the barriers disabled youth faced in accessing livelihood opportunities, such as the digital divide. If people with disabilities were to address other areas in their lives that were lacking, and could not, for example, access information via Internet Technology because of poverty, then alternative ways were necessary for them to access information. For this reason, it was essential that people had access to information if they were to have the capacity to exercise their other rights. The purpose of this study, was to explore the role of Disability Advice Desks (DADs) in providing information on livelihood opportunities for disabled youth in the Cape Metropole. The methodology used in the study was a qualitative explorative case study, which was based on an instrumental approach. The data collection methods were in-depth interviews, participant observation, document analysis and reflective journaling. The participants included persons with disabilities who were the service providers at the DAD as well as youth with disabilities who approached the DAD for information. Data analysis was done inductively across the different data sources to verify categories and themes until data saturation was reached. The researcher also discussed how the data was triangulated because of her direct interest in the subject. Given that the work was inherently interpretive, the biases, values and judgments of the researcher was explicitly acknowledged so that it could be taken into account in the data presentation (Creswell, 1994). Ethical issues have been considered throughout the course of the research. Two themes emerged in the findings, and three themes formed part of the discussion. The first was 'Building capacity for change' which focused on objective one: to describe the role and function of the DADs in assisting youth with disabilities in accessing information that facilitates in livelihood development. The second theme looked at 'The personal nature of the work' and focused on the experiences of the DAD service providers in assisting youth with disabilities. The third theme in the discussion was 'Wake up, stand up and do things'. This theme focused on the experiences of the disabled youth and identified the enablers and barriers that influenced them to access information on livelihood development opportunities. The conclusion provides recommendations made, which included 1. To create more awareness on the service that is provided through the DADs 2. Use existing networks to expand the DAD project 3. Emulate the NAP (see chapter one) by providing an integrated service to the disability community 4. Strengthen existing ties with stakeholders and community partners 5. An assessment of organisational capacity be undertaken to evaluate its human capital, material and financial resources to construct an organisational development plan 6. Integrate ICTs as a tool for communication and service delivery for the development of the DAD 7. Continuing professional development among the service providers with disabilities