Thesis (MScMedSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This was an investigation into the needs of people with physical disabilities in the district of Butterworth, and their accessibility to available resources, conducted with the aim of improving service delivery in the area. As a physiotherapist the researcher has always been in close contact with people with physical disabilities, and could see the problems they had. The researcher then embarked on conducting this study with the aim of helping them.
The study was conducted in three areas, a rural area called Zangwa Administrative Area, Bika, a township, and Skiti, an informal settlement. The research methodology used was qualitative research. Participants in this research included people with physical disabilities, caregivers of people with physical disabilities, and service providers dealing with people with physical disabilities in the district of Butterworth. Methods of data collection used were focus group interviews for people with physical disabilities and caregivers, and questionnaires for service providers. The reason why service providers were given questionnaires, and not interviewed in focus groups, was that they were from different government departments and it was not possible for them to be part of a focus group due to the commitments they had. Questions in the questionnaires and in the interview schedules used in the focus group interviews were similar to each other, and were open ended. A total of 24 people with physical disabilities were recruited to take part in the focus group interviews in identified locations. Nine caregivers of people with physical disabilities, drawn from two of the above locations participated in this study. Focus group interviews were tape recorded, with the informed consents of the participants. The response rate to the questionnaires was 81%: 13 of the 16 service providers returned completed forms. Data analysis was done through a process of listening to the tapes, together with other students, to ensure the trustworthiness of the data, taking detailed notes, translating the interviews from Xhosa to English, coding the data and putting them into categories, with similar categories building up into themes. In the case of the questionnaires, similar responses were grouped together, and those showing the same responses from participants were prioritised. The results of the research indicated that the primary needs of people with physical disabilities were housing, employment, skills‟ development - emphasising training in those skills which could bring them an income - assistance with income generating projects, suitable public transport, accessibility of buildings and facilities, driving schools catering for people with physical disabilities, and Primary Health Care. They needed Primary Health Care to not only address their basic health needs, but to include preventative care, the promotion of effective care, curative and rehabilitative care. At a personal level they required disability grants, caregivers, intimate relationships and marriage. While caregivers placed greater emphasis on assistive devices and Day Care Centres to give them some respite time, service providers emphasised on education for children with disabilities, which neither people with physical disabilities nor caregivers had mentioned. The service providers also said nothing about the need for caregivers and housing. These disparities in the needs mentioned by these three groups of participants showed that needs that may seem important to professionals and other service providers, may not be important to people with disabilities, therefore it is important to consult with the consumers first, before planning for service delivery. It was clear that services were not easily accessible, due to transport and financial problems, as travelling for people with physical disabilities meant additional expenses in terms of hiring special vehicles. Another barrier to accessing resources was lack of knowledge about the availability of those resources, and how they could be accessed.
On the basis of this study, recommendations have been made to relevant service providers for the planning and improvement of service delivery. These include more accessible buildings, good roads, and the appointment of suitable individuals to fill vacant posts in different government departments so as to be able to reach all people with physical disabilities in the district of Butterworth. Finally, the researcher emphasizes the need for outreach programmes to raise awareness about available services. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek ten opsigte van die behoeftes van mense met fisiese gestremdhede in die Butterworth distrik en hul toegang tot die beskikbare hulpbronne is gedoen met die oog daarop om dienslewering in die omgewing te verbeter.
Die navorser het die studie in drie areas naamlik: Zangwa Administratiewe Area,`n landelike gebied, Bika, „n dorp en Skiti, „n informele nedersetting gedoen. Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes is gebruik. Studie deelnemers het bestaan uit mense met fisiese gestremdhede, versorgers van mense met fisiese gestremdhede en diensverskaffers aan mense met fisiese gestremdhede in die Butterworth distrik. Fokus groep besprekings met mense met fisiese gestremdhede en hulle versorgers is gebruik om data in te samel. Voorts is data verkry vanaf vraelyste wat deur diensverskaffers voltooi is. Vier en twintig persone met fisiese gestremdhede, uit bogenoemde drie areas, is geselekteer om aan die fokusgroep besprekings deel te neem. Nege versorgers van persone met fisiese gestremdhede, uit twee van bogedoemde areas, het ook aan die studie deelgeneem. Fokusgroep besprekings is op band opgeneem, met die toestemming van die deelnemers. Dertien van die sestien diensverskaffers (81%) het voltooide vraelyste ingehandig.
Volgens die resultate het persone met fisiese gestremdhede `n behoefte aan behuising, werk, vaardigheidsontwikkeling, projekte wat inkomste genereer, geskikte openbare vervoer, toegang tot geboue en fasiliteite, bestuurskole wat voorsiening maak vir mense met fisiese gestremdhede en primêre gesondheidsorg. Die volgende persoonlike behoeftes is geidentifiseer: ongeskiktheidstoelae, versorgers, intieme verhoudings en huwelike. Die versorgers het meer klem geplaas op hulpmiddels en dagsorgsentrums. Die behoefte aan dagsorgsentrums kan aanduidend wees daarvan dat versorgings verligting van die sorg las nodig het.. Diensverskaffers het op hulle beurt klem gelê op `n behoefgte aan onderwys vir kinders met gestremdhede. Dit is nie deur of persone met fisiese gestremdhede of versorgers genoem nie. Die diensverskaffers het niks oor versorgers gesê nie. Die verskille tussen die behoeftes wat deur die drie groepe deelnemers uitgelig is dui daarop dat behoeftes wat as belangrik voorkom vir proffesionele persone en ander diensverskaffers nie noodwendig belangrik is vir mense met gestremdhede nie. Dit is dus belangrik om eers die klient te raadpleeg voordat dienslewering beplan word. Vervoer en finansiele probleme het daartoe gelei dat dienste ontoeganklik was. Vervoer vir mense met fisiese gestremdhede bring addisionele onkostes mee omdat `n spesiale voertuig gehuur moet word. „n Verdere struikelblok met betrekking tot toegang tot hulpbronne was `n gebrek aan kennis oor die beskikbaarheid van hulpbronne in die studie area.
Aanbevelings na aanleiding van die studie sluit in: groter toeganklikheid tot geboue, goeie paaie en die aanstelling van geskikte individue om vakante poste in die verskillende staatsdepartemente te vul om sodoende die mense met fisiese gestremdhede in die Butterworth distrik te bedien. Ten slotte, wil die navorser klem lê op die behoefte aan uitreikprogramme om mense bewus te maak van beskikbare dienste.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20379 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Dingana, Carol Joyce Nomalungelo |
| Contributors | Mji, G., McKenzie, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Science. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Science. Centre for Rehabilitation Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 175 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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