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Disabled youth and citizenship: opportunities, constraints and actions

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.

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Disabled youth and citizenship: opportunities, constraints and actions

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  1. 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

  2. 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)

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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

  9. Actions • DPOs including parent organisations • Government departments • NGOs and civil society alliances • Faith Based Organisations • Higher education institutions • Other?

  10. 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

  11. Recommendations: Health • Implement Screening, Intervention, Assessment, Support document for collaboration be Social Development, Health, Education • Make transport and others resources for outreach available

  12. 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

  13. Recommendations: Education • Retention through school system and access to Further Education and Training and Higher Education Institutions • Financial support needed • Accessible transport needed

  14. 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

  15. Acknowledgements • Research team and fieldworkers • Respondents • Funding from SANPAD, UCT and NRF • Participants at community dissemination workshops • Authors of papers

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