African Journal of Disability最新文献

Background: Persons with disabilities are involved in self-employment (vocational rehabilitation) in microenterprises despite key role players not making valuable contributions or using self-employment as a placement option.

Objectives: This research aimed to explore profitable self-employment microenterprises for persons with disabilities in rural South Africa.

Method: This qualitative research study was conducted in a rural community in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 10 persons with disabilities running profitable microenterprises for an average of 5 years each. Data were collected using a piloted question guide in a face-to-face interview. Thematic analysis followed the hybrid inductive and deductive approaches.

Results: Persons with disabilities participated, and 9 out of 10 were males. Two themes emerged. Theme one: Running microenterprises - self-initiated and maintained. They use their hands and minds to start microenterprises that benefit them and their families. Theme two: Multiple key role players should be involved in self-employment. Persons with disabilities perceive various key role players and themselves as having an active role in self-employment to benefit their microenterprises.

Conclusion: Persons with disabilities in a rural setting engage in successful self-employment in microenterprises, which they self-initiate and maintain. Roles and responsibilities of persons with disabilities and key role players in and outside the hospital setting are crucial for those in self-employment.

Contribution: This research generated contextual data towards the under-researched subject on self-employment for persons with disabilities.

Background: Despite the transformation initiatives, the inclusion of people with disabilities in sports remains a challenge. Athletes with disabilities (AWDs) in low- and medium-socioeconomic countries are still being left behind, including in South Africa. They are facing various challenges.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to sports participation and the needs of AWDs.

Method: This was a qualitative study design based on semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with South African Paralympians. Permission was obtained from a physical disability association. Ethical clearance was issued by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee. An interview schedule with predetermined questions was used to guide the interviews. Interviews were held face-to-face or online from 20 min to 30 min per interview. All participants gave consent. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed in themes deductively.

Results: A total of 23 athletes participated, 12 of which were females and 11 were males. Participants were mostly Africans (n = 23) with a mean age of 26 years. All had over 5 years of sporting experience. Barriers included: Social stigma, a lack of disability awareness, limited opportunities to participate in sports; limited access to resources and services. Facilitators included: health; belonging; fulfilment, winning, and support from loved ones.

Conclusion: Results showed a need to scale up disability inclusion, especially regarding the rendering of healthcare services and making resources available.

Contribution: This article provides knowledge that may be useful as a baseline for developing a suitable intervention for AWDs.

Violence against women with disabilities (VAWDs) in Africa is a significant issue, with women facing higher risks of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. However, data on VAWD are scarce, hindering effective policy development. Challenges include the lack of disaggregated data by sex and disability, methodological gaps and the absence of culturally relevant measurement tools. Common tools such as the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning often miss important nuances. To improve data accuracy, integrating comprehensive disability measures into national surveys and developing context-specific tools are essential. Accurate data are crucial for creating policies to reduce violence and protect women with disabilities in Africa.

Background: Stigma is a barrier to inclusion for people with disabilities and mental health conditions. There is increasing recognition of the need to address stigma within disability inclusive programmes, but limited research is available on what are effective participatory approaches to stigma reduction interventions.

Objectives: (1) To document participatory approaches used in the design and delivery of disability stigma reduction interventions in a disability and mental health programme in Ghana and (2) to understand the experience of programme implementers and participants in these processes, with particular attention to the leadership and involvement of people with disabilities.

Method: A mixed-methods study was conducted. The data were drawn from a purposive sample of 20 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with programme staff, partners and key stakeholders, and 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) with self-help group (SHG) members, organisation of people with disabilities (OPD) members, and disability champions. We conducted thematic analysis using deductive and inductive approaches.

Results: The programme adopted several approaches to participation at design and implementation stages, with a focus on the leadership of people with disabilities and people with mental health conditions. The process was seen to promote acceptability of stigma reduction approaches. Providing opportunities for building and strengthening relationships with a wide range of stakeholders was key to successful implementation. Understanding, and engaging with, power dynamics in the local context also provided important benefits.

Conclusions: Participation of people with disabilities and mental health conditions is essential for the design and delivery of stigma reduction programmes in Ghana.

Contribution: This study provided lessons from the field on the value of participation in reducing stigma, and the role of key stakeholders, particularly people with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease requiring interprofessional collaborative care because of its varied manifestations. This study explores the experiences of individuals living with SLE regarding the communication and collaboration among their healthcare providers.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the communication dynamics that shape treatment experiences and well-being in SLE care.

Method: A qualitative multiple case study design was used, with thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews from six people living with SLE.

Results: Three primary themes emerged: the necessity of cohesive healthcare teams, the centrality of client-centred care and the significant challenges posed by fragmented healthcare systems.

Conclusion: The study highlights the need for integrated care models to enhance communication and coordination among healthcare providers.

Contribution: This research adds empirical insights into the communication dynamics within medical teams managing SLE, advocating for client-centred and systemic improvements in care coordination.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4102/ajod.v13i0.1461.].

Background: In light of the increasing diversity within school populations globally, a pressing need arises for nations to prioritise the enhancement of teachers' competencies in implementing inclusive education, recognising the central role teacher education programmes play in addressing this imperative. Teacher education programmes centred on inclusion not only respond to this global priority but also wield influence on teachers' attitudes, self-efficacy and stress levels when engaging with diverse learners.

Objectives: The study presents an analysis of the effectiveness of a teacher education programme in Ethiopia in developing teachers' competencies for inclusion.

Method: Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design, involving 159 teachers, data were collected through questionnaires (n = 152) and individual interviews (n = 7). Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, and qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. This approach ensures a nuanced examination of the research question with precision and depth.

Results: Findings highlight challenges in the Ethiopian teacher education system, revealing a significant lack of provision of sufficient knowledge to empower teachers to understand inclusion. The inadequacy extends to the influence on teachers' attitudes towards inclusion, as well as the insufficient exposure to practical, hands-on experiences essential for addressing diverse learning needs.

Conclusion: The challenges faced by teacher training in Ethiopia, evident in its struggle to align with global standards for supporting teachers in implementing inclusive education, necessitate urgent and substantial reforms.

Contribution: Addressing the gaps in understanding inclusion, fostering positive attitudes and enhancing practical experiences necessitating a comprehensive overhaul of teacher education curricula and practices.

Background: Parents of Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) children are faced with a plethora of overwhelming decisions concerning their children, particularly during the early stages of development. Among these decisions are those concerning assistive devices and the modes of communication for their child.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of parents of DHH children towards the various modes of communication for their children within the South African context.

Method: The study adopted a Q-methodology research design. Participants rated statements according to what they least and most agree with and then answered follow-up questions concerning the statements. Participants were also invited to participate in a live, one-on-one, semi-structured interview with the researcher. Data were analysed through both qualitative and quantitative statistics. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the qualitative data, while factor analysis through Ken-Q analysis was used for quantitative data.

Results: Although 66% of participants thought that sign language allows DHH children to communicate more freely, 88% agreed that a DHH child should always learn to speak if they can. In terms of decision-making, 88% reported the issue of stigma or marginalisation and 88% cited the lack of Deaf schools as barriers in their decision-making.

Conclusion: The study's findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay of factors influencing communication mode decisions for DHH children in South Africa.

Contribution: These insights are crucial for developing inclusive and effective communication strategies that consider individual needs, societal norms and access to support services.

Background: Caring for children with disabilities in Tanzania involves significant challenges, including stigma, limited support and mental health risks. A cultural collective for caretakers of children with disabilities enrolled at a primary school was established to address these issues.

Objectives: The study aims to explore the experiences of caregivers who started a cultural collective and to assess its impact on their lives in the short term.

Method: This study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach with a sequential mixed-methods design. Data were collected over a period of 8 weeks, while the participants in this study established a collective in Dar es Salaam. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's method for thematic analysis.

Results: As assessed by a validated and normed questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), 63% of the caregivers showed signs of depression before starting work in the collective. Economic needs, education and the desire for support were the primary motivations for joining. Starting the collective improved social support, fostered agency and began to enhance caregivers' financial conditions.

Conclusion: The collective addressed caregivers' needs for economic improvement, social support and mental support, and the experience was vitalising for the caretakers.

Contribution: This study deepens our understanding of holistic interventions for children with disabilities and their families in urban Africa. It offers valuable insights into a crucial stage of developing contextually relevant interventions for vulnerable, poverty-stricken populations. It provides a model that can be adapted for similar interventions in comparable contexts.

Background: Play is integral to optimal childhood development. Occupational therapists often use play to improve play skills. However, when it comes to learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in South Africa, there is limited research regarding play-based interventions that address the underlying motivators of play, namely, social play and playfulness.

Objectives: In this study, the authors present a rationale for the development of a protocol for a study aiming to measure the impact of the Playbox Africa Intervention. This is a play-based occupational therapy intervention with the aim of enhancing the playfulness, social play and occupational performance of South African children with ASD.

Method: The study will utilise a within-subject, repeated measures design and will be implemented over 16 weeks with 8-10 learners (aged 3-8 years) with ASD attending a developmental-centre environment in Johannesburg, South Africa. The playfulness and social play of the learners will be assessed using the Test of Playfulness (ToP). The modified Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (M-COPM) will be used to measure occupational performance factors.

Results: Given that this protocol outlines an intervention that has not yet been implemented, there are no results to report on.

Conclusion: The development of this protocol could encourage the adaption of existing play-based protocols, for children with ASD, perhaps within different settings or varying support needs.

Contribution: Additionally, it could lay the foundation for future clinical trials and culturally relevant play-based interventions to be developed in the South African special needs context.