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Disabled Youth and Citizenship: Insights from South Africa

This study explores opportunities, constraints, and actions for disabled youth in South Africa regarding livelihood assets, access to services, education, and social inclusion. The data collected from 989 youth in nine sites across five provinces highlights disparities in income sources, educational barriers, and limited access to resources. Recommendations focus on improving accessibility, health screening, rehabilitation services, education support, and inclusive higher education practices.

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Disabled Youth and Citizenship: Insights from South Africa

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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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