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Disabled youth and citizenship: opportunities, constraints and actions
A/Prof Theresa Lorenzo
Disability Studies Programme
Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT
Oral submission for parliamentary portfolio committee
25 July 2012
Study population
• Surveyed nine sites in five South African provinces.
• Fieldworkers interviewed 989 youth (18 - 35 years);
• Sample: 523 (52.9%) disabled youth (DY), 466 (47.1%) non-disabled youth (NDY)
Data Collection
• Questionnaire consisted of seven sections including demographics and
• 5 categories of livelihood assets: – human assets (health, education, employment ),– social assets (social support systems and use of
free time), – financial assets (and other sources of income), – physical assets (living situation, facilities and
services) and natural assets (resource-based activities, e.g. gathering firewood and vegetation).
• Closing questions
Opportunities
• Doctors at hospitals and nurses at clinics are health professionals most frequently seen.
• Both groups received the same amount of support from immediate household members
• Significant difference btwn 2 groups related to friendships and intimate partners
• NDY spent significantly more time engaging in all free-time activities.
• DY asks specifically for more sport and recreation facilities in communities
Opportunities 2
• Majority of DY indicated that social security grants were the main source of income, whereas NDY received salaries or wages.
• NDY reported more access to– phone, and newspapers, – public services – business sector.
Opportunities 3
• Primary dwelling for both groups was some form of brick home with availability of a toilet in the house or access to water facilities, electricity, television, and radio.
• NDY had significantly greater access to police, municipal services, labour, banks, internet cafés and post offices
• Smaller number in both groups reported farming.
Constraints
• Far fewer DY than NDY attended and completed school. Minimal accessed HEI
• Both groups indicated financial reasons as the chief barriers to completing school.
• Unemployment was markedly more common among DY than among NDY.
• Barriers for DY were poor health and lack of skills development as well as lack of job opportunities. The latter was primary barriers for NDY.
Constraints 2.
• Less awareness of community rehabilitation workers, home-based carers and rehabilitation therapists.
• Lack of knowledge of social services and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for both groups
• Participation and access were limited for both groups because of inaccessible public transport.
• Fewer DY reported access to land/fields as a resource
Actions
• DPOs including parent organisations
• Government departments
• NGOs and civil society alliances
• Faith Based Organisations
• Higher education institutions
• Other?
Recommendations: Accessibility
• Use all forms of media to disseminate information on services, opportunities and resources and better co-ordinating across sectors
• Transportation –need public-private partnerships with taxis, buses, trains
• Dial-A-Ride; get govt to fund properly- hold them accountable
• More sport and recreation facilities in communities for social inclusion
Recommendations: Health
• Implement Screening, Intervention, Assessment, Support document for collaboration be Social Development, Health, Education
• Make transport and others resources for outreach available
Recommendations: Rehabilitation
• Availability of rehab therapists in rural areas scarce
• Address power dynamics to change systems and
• Make rehab managers and services more available and accessible
• Job descriptions of rehab managers at district level are non existent
• Decision making boards need rehab and disability representation
Recommendations: Education
• Retention through school system and access to Further Education and Training and Higher Education Institutions
• Financial support needed
• Accessible transport needed
Recommendations: Higher education institutions and curricula
• Making information and resources about disability services available for all HEI programmes
• Higher education to adapt curricula of all disciplines and programmes in all faculties; expose lecturers to lived experiences of persons with disabilities and their families
• Integrate disability issues into policy processes and research
Acknowledgements
• Research team and fieldworkers
• Respondents
• Funding from SANPAD, UCT and NRF
• Participants at community dissemination workshops
• Authors of papers