Theresa Lorenzo

Understanding partnerships in developing disabled entrepreneurs through participatory action research

Purpose. The paper reports on a community disability entrepreneurship project in Khayelitsha and Nyanga, Cape Town, South Africa. Disabled people, Disabled People South Africa ( a national organization made up by disabled peoples organizations), a non-governmental organisation and occupational therapists from the University of Cape Town collaborated with the focus to achieve economic empowerment of disabled people though the establishment of micro-enterprises. Method. Participatory Action Research strategies, which informed and monitored the effective development of the community disability entrepreneurship project, were carefully integrated with the existing principles of community development. Results. The participatory action research process provided an opportunity for shared learning and development. This article reports on the challenges and strategies faced by disabled people in the quest to establish themselves as entrepreneurs. The challenges that were identified through analysis from the experiences of participants were starting with nothing, lack of capacity and complexity of establishing working relationships. The strategies used were building group identity and developing capacity together. Indicators of positive outcome that emerged from an inductive content analysis are presented and discussed.

‘We've moved away from disability as a health issue, it's a human rights issue’: reflecting on 10 years of the right to equality in South Africa

The South African Constitution (no. 108, 1996) enshrines the rights of disabled people to equality – an almost unprecedented attainment achieved by disabled people. Ten years on this paper reflects on what this has meant for disabled people in South Africa. It uses secondary sources and draws on the work and research experience of the authors. Human rights are viewed as a bundle of interrelated, interdependent and mutually supporting civil and political, as well as socio‐economic, rights. A brief description of the context introduces the body of the paper. The paper demonstrates that legislative and administrative measures have been put in place to protect the rights of disabled people but these have yet to be experienced at the everyday level of social life. The scale of the inequality that still exists requires disabled people to move beyond the courts of law and to adopt a human rights approach. However, this approach will require reviving the successful strategies and the spirit of collective action that realised disabled peoples constitutional right to equality.

No African renaissance without disabled women: a communal approach to human development in Cape Town South Africa

The African Renaissance is upon us. Those who have eyes to see, let them see. Disabled women who live in wooden shacks in the peri-urban areas of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa, participated in storytelling workshops over a two-and-a-half-year period. They shared experiences of what helped or hindered their social and economic development since becoming disabled. The workshops were part of a participatory action research (PAR) study of the Division of Occupational Therapy, University of Cape Town, together with Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) and the Zanempilo Health Trust [formerly South African Christian Leadership Assembly (SACLA) Primary Health Care Project]. The findings revealed the struggles and sadness, as well as the strengths and spirit that the women experienced within their every day context at an individual, family and community level. The women spoke strongly about meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs (human development) as the means to social and economic development. The discussion reflects on the many paradoxes of disability encapsulated in the essence of interdependence of Ubuntu. Three themes discussed are building emotional resourcefulness: nurturing children and families in disability issues; and renewing spirituality and Ubuntu in disability and development programmes. In conclusion, managing the paradoxes of disability, the creation of a new individual and collective identity, and the capacity to change are proposed as the way forward.

Economic empowerment and black disabled entrepreneurs: Negotiating partnerships in Cape Town, South Africa

Purpose. This paper presents a second part reporting on Community Disability Entrepreneurship Project (CoDEP) which was initiated in order to contribute to the development of entrepreneurial skills of disabled people living in informal settlements around Cape Town, South Africa. The aim of CoDEP has been the upliftment and economic empowerment of disabled people. This paper describes the point of departure, the theoretical framework of participatory action research (PAR), the development of research parameters, and continued focus. Method. A participatory action research (PAR) approach was initiated in order to monitor and inform the effective development of CoDEP. This cyclic methodology allowed all participants to engage in decision-making and development of the programme. Results. While negotiating partnerships with disabled entrepreneurs, the six spheres within which optimal interaction could take place emerged as: (i) the choice of occupation; (ii) changing a culture of receiving; (iii) nurturing teamwork by negotiating roles and responsibilities; (iv) a focus on ability; (v) understanding the research process; and (vi) organizational development dynamics. Committed interaction emerged as the quintessence of these partnerships.

Comparison of barriers to employment among youth with and without disabilities in South Africa

OBJECTIVE Disability limits access to education and employment, and leads to economic and social exclusion. This study compared barriers to employment among disabled and non-disabled youth in South Africa. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS Fieldworkers interviewed 989 youth [18-35 years; 523 (52.9%) disabled, 466 (47.1%) non-disabled] at nine sites in five provinces (Gauteng, North West, Kwazulu Natal, Western Cape, Free State). Differences in employment between disabled and non-disabled youth were described and logistic regression analyses were used to predict barriers to employment within both groups. RESULTS Employment differed between disabled and non-disabled youth (32.9% vs. 13.1%; p ⩽ 0.001). Lack of job availability and skills were associated significantly with unemployment among non-disabled youth. For disabled youth, unemployment was additionally associated with social attitudes and poor health. CONCLUSIONS This research showed that disabled youth are facing more barriers to employment compared to non-disabled youth and that the unemployment rate among disabled youth is higher. Disabled youth thus faced additional challenges to employment and special attention must be given to reduce these barriers.

Access to livelihood assets among youth with and without disabilities in South Africa: Implications for health professional education

PURPOSE This study compared access to 5 livelihood assets among disabled and non-disabled youth, to inform health professionals on inequities related to disability and to monitor the transformation agenda aimed at creating an inclusive society. METHODS Fieldworkers interviewed 989 youth (18 - 35 years; 523 (52.9%) disabled youth (DY), 466 (47.1%) non-disabled youth (NDY)) at 9 sites in 5 South African provinces. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and livelihood assets. Chi-squared and t-tests were used for comparisons. RESULTS Doctors at hospitals and nurses at clinics are health professionals most frequently seen. Far fewer DY than NDY attended and completed school. Unemployment was markedly more common among DY than among NDY. Barriers to accessing employment for DY were poor health and lack of skills development, and a lack of job opportunities for NDY. Both groups received the same amount of support from immediate household members, but significantly more NDY received support from extended family, friends, partners, and neighbours. They spent significantly more time engaging in all free-time activities. NDY reported more access to bathrooms, phone, and newspapers, as well as public services and the business sector. Participation and access were limited for both groups because of inaccessible public transport. CONCLUSION This paper shows that DY have a greater struggle to access livelihood assets than non-disabled peers. The Disability Studies Academic Programme at the University of Cape Town is an initiative that seeks to take specific focused action with disability organisations in order to address the inequities faced by disabled youth to ensure their inclusion in development to the same degree as their non-disabled peers.

Disabled youth in South Africa: barriers to education

Abstract Background: In South Africa, disability limits access to education and leads to economic and social exclusion. Identifying related barriers is a first step in solving this problem. This study explores barriers to education among disabled youths in South Africa. Methods: Fieldworkers identified households with disabled youths aged 18 to 35 years. A snowball sample consisting of 989 individuals was used in the study. These individuals were interviewed at nine sites in five South African provinces. The sample consisted of 523 (52.9%) disabled and 466 (47.1%) non-disabled youths. Physical disability (n=231, 44.2%) comprised the largest group in the sample, followed by intellectual disability (n=169, 32.3%) the second largest. Differences in education between disabled and non-disabled youth groups were established via χ2-tests. Logistic regression analyses were also used to find educational barriers for disabled youth. Results: As expected, we found a large difference between non-disabled and disabled youths who currently attend or attended school in the past (99.3% vs. 82.4%; p≤0.001). Results from the logistic regression analyses among the disabled youth showed no significant relationship between financial exclusion and education. Social exclusion and exclusion by design were significantly associated with education. Conclusions: The study’s findings suggest that special attention should be given to vulnerable groups who are disproportionally disadvantaged and to the specific education barriers they face, which may require a combination of various interventions. Reducing negative social attitudes requires interventions aimed at teachers and families of disabled youth. Exclusion by design can be reduced through proper information about schools, less difficult admission systems, improved access, and elimination of physical obstacles.

Reciprocal capacity building for collaborative disability research between disabled people's organizations, communities and higher education institutions.

Abstract This paper focuses on the reciprocal capacity building that occurred through collaborative research between occupational therapy departments from six higher education institutions in South Africa, community-based organizations and a disabled peoples organization on disabled youth and their livelihoods. The authors aimed to identify principles for collaboration and capacity building from the pilot phase and first phase of the main study. Occupational therapy departments place students in communities for service learning experience, but little collaboration with disabled peoples organizations and communities in research processes occurs that could enrich such partnerships and inform relevant curriculum development. Secondary data from different sources including a transcript of a focus-group interview with the researchers in the pilot phase, workshop reports, and transcripts of free-writing exercises done by researchers were analysed thematically, both inductively and deductively. Two themes are explored: first, reciprocal building of organizational capacity and, second, generating collaborative relationships. The principles that were identified are integral to the strengths and challenges faced when multiple organizations work together over a wide geographical area on a complex research topic that also builds capacity reciprocally.

An exploratory analysis of community-based disability workers’ potential to alleviate poverty and promote social inclusion of people with disabilities in three Southern African countries

This article draws on accounts by community-based disability workers (CDWs) of their life and work experiences in resource-limited rural communities in Botswana, Malawi and South Africa. Using the World Health Organisation’s community-based rehabilitation (CBR) matrix and the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals as analytic frameworks, the article explores CDWs’ potential to contribute to improving the lives and increasing the levels of social, economic and political inclusion of people with disabilities, their families and communities. The article argues that CDWs’ knowledge, experience and understanding of disability in resource-limited communities may constitute an important local resource for helping to address the inter-related effects of poverty and disability in developing countries.

Community rehabilitation workers as catalysts for disability: inclusive youth development through service learning

This paper explores access to health and education for disabled youth in sites with and without community rehabilitation workers (CRWs). A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was undertaken in nine sites in South Africa, and a snowball sample of 523 disabled youths of both sexes, aged between 18 and 35 years, was selected. The survey found that a significantly larger proportion of disabled youth living in sites with CRWs were seen by health care workers at home, and that there was a large difference in educational access between sites with and without CRWs. CRWs are well positioned to promote equal citizenship for disabled youth through service learning with occupational therapy final year students to improve access to health and education, so that barriers to their participation in economic development are removed.