Patrick J. Devlieger

The disability paradox: high quality of life against all odds

This paper builds on the work of Sol Levine to examine a disability paradox: Why do many people with serious and persistent disabilities report that they experience a good or excellent quality of life when to most external observers these individuals seem to live an undesirable daily existence? The paper uses a qualitative approach to develop an explanation of this paradox using semi-structured interviews with 153 persons with disabilities. 54.3% of the respondents with moderate to serious disabilities reported having an excellent or good quality of life confirming the existence of the disability paradox. Analysis of the interviews reveals that for both those who report that they have a good and those who say they have a poor quality of life, quality of life is dependent upon finding a balance between body, mind and spirit in the self and on establishing and maintaining an harmonious set of relationships within the persons social context and external environment. A theoretical framework is developed to express these relationships. The findings are discussed for those with and without disabilities and directions are given for future research.

Mediation as a Transition Process: The Impact on Postschool Employment Outcomes

This article utilizes ethnographic research methods to evaluate the impact of mediation on the transition outcomes of persons with mild mental retardation. The involvement of parents and the focal persons was disproportionate to that of school and agency personnel. School and agency efforts most often resulted in sheltered employment, while personal or parent mediation resulted more often in self-employment and continuing education outcomes. Strategies used by focal persons, their parents, and agencies or schools are discussed in relation to: (a) empowerment and self-determination, (b) the social dimensions of transition planning and “balanced mediation,” and (c) the Individualized Education Program meeting as a planning tool for developing balanced mediation and identification of mentor relationships.

From handicap to disability: language use and cultural meaning in the United States

The historical shift in discourse regarding disabled persons in the US is analysed by its core terms, handicap and disability. First, this shift in discourse is illustrated in the marketplace and in the context of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Then, discourse shifts are theoretically explicated through a semiotic and historical analysis. Last, the discouse shifts are theoretically explicated through a semiotic and historical analysis. Last, the discourses of handicap and disability are tested in their societal context, especially in the case of American youngsters who have directly experienced the shift in their own life course. Changes in terminology reflect a different logic of the understanding of disability as phenomenon. While handicap reflects an era in which accessibility is central for understanding and practice, the concept of disability shifted the attention to the individuals ability. The impact of such large discourse shifts is tangible in the lives of individuals with mental retardation in the experiences that shift from access to ability. Whereas in the handicap era, access is to be created, in the disability era this is replaced by ability. Professionals are reminded that the rehabilitation process takes on different meanings with shifting discourses.

From Self-help to Charity in Disability Service: the Jairos Jiri Association in Zimbabwe

In todays Zimbabwe, an extended network of institutions which serve persons with disabilities are the legacy of Jairos Jiri, one of the greatest African philanthropists. Started as a personal initiative to help Africans with disabilities, it became part of a larger self-help movement in colonial Rhodesia. This movement was characterized by the idea to establish independent African-controlled schools and black-run business ventures in an effort to uplift Africans. Jiris activities started as early as 1945 but gained momentum in the early 1950s with the establishment of a leather shop followed by institutional expansion all over the country. The period 1950-60 is characterized by Jairos Jiris effort to build African consciousness and the solicitation of financial support for Africans with disabilities. In this process, the financial contributions from non-Africans and from overseas, institutional expansion, and the idea in the 1960 that political control would uplift Africans overshadowed Jiris self-hel...

Living on the Margin: Disabled Iranians in Belgian Society.

This paper explores the antecedents, experiences and consequences of marginalization as reported and dealt with by disabled Iranian immigrants in Belgium. This work extends the work of Gallie and colleagues and Siegrist demonstrating that the forces of marginalization applicable to all immigrants are particularly pertinent to disabled immigrants. The research is based on 26 in‐depth, face‐to‐face interviews, focus groups, interviews with government officials and immigration experts, ethnographic work and official government statistics. The findings detail how the combined forces of history, context and reasons for immigration; isolation, vulnerability and perceived loss of control; religion and rejection; lack of reciprocity in social exchanges; problems in obtaining jobs; and difficulties in negotiating an entry into Belgian society combine to sustain marginizalation. As a consequence, disabled immigrants in this group are generally excluded from society and discriminated against in terms of citizenship, education, jobs and general acceptance.

Your Experience Is Not My Experience The Concept and Experience of Disability on Chicago's Near West Side

Central to the field of disability studies is the concept of disability culture, because it provides a sense of cohesion for persons with disabilities and helps to explain their identity, place in the world, and management strategies. Discussions of disability culture generally focus on shared experiences, values, and relationships to the environment. An implicit assumption in many analyses is that disability cul. ture is common to all people with disabilities and is experienced in a similar way. The authors of this paper analyzed the contextualized life stories of four African Americans with disabilities in Chicago in order to explore their disability experiences, their ideas about disability and disability culture, and the relevance of and possible participation in the disability community. None of these individuals embraced the idea of disability culture, nor did they participate in the disability community. Instead, they responded to their own inner city context and culture, which is defined by poverty, racism, danger, drug use, unemployment, and poor medical services. Their culture of persecution, which is widely spread and expressed in different ways, deals with concerns other than disability, such as day-to-day survival. For inner-city African Americans, the concept of disability has some similarities to—but is essentially different in meaning, consequences, and life expression from—that of other groups of people with disabilities, such as those from different racelethnic backgrounds or social status. The implications of these findings for future research, service interventions, and social policy are also explored.

Vocational rehabilitation in Zimbabwe: a socio-historical analysis

This article reviews the social history of vocational rehabilitation in Zimbabwe as developments from the inside or the outside. The reviews take into account indigenous approaches to employment and occupation, missionary and colonial legacies, the post-colonial period, and examples of recent African developments as parts of the complex picture of vocational rehabilitation. Both inside and outside forces are marking the current situation. For consideration for further study and development are the impact of migration, the impact of colonial legacy, and the phenomenon of begging. The article concludes with raising the need of a platform to discuss vocational rehabilitation and disability issues related to Africa.

Representations of Physical Disability in Colonial Zimbabwe: The Cyrene Mission and Pitaniko, the Film of Cyrene

Pitaniko, the Film of Cyrene is a unique short film, created in 1946 in part to popularize the work of Cyrene and its founder, the Reverend Edward George (Ned) Paterson. The film is the story of the mission, told through the transformation of the life of a disabled young man, Samuel Songo, who portrays Pitaniko, first through his experience of rejection at his village and then at the Cyrene mission. In Pitaniko , physical disability is viewed in two worlds, one African, the other the world of the Cyrene mission, befitting the colonial contrasts of the primitive and the civilized. The meaning of rehabilitation is derived from the transformation from the African world into the world of the Cyrene mission through the medium of art, and ultimately, through conversion into Christianity. Disability is first an opportunity and later a symbol that illustrates and enhances the mission of Cyrene.

“Handicap” and Education in the United States of the 1930s: Discursive Formations in the New York Times*

This article traces the discursive development of the concept of “handicap” in the United States, through an examination of one written medium, namely the New York Times The emergence, development and decline of the concept of handicap are situated over a span of about 75 years, beginning in 1905. The concept reflects a modern era that replaces a previous era, represented by the concept of “cripple”. The article focuses both on the impact of education and the strong impact of events in the 1930s in the formative stages of the concept. Overcoming barriers, mainly through vocational skills, is an overarching educational goal. The strong impact of public instead of charitable assistance is an important contribution in the formative stages of the 1930s.