African Journal of Disability

BACKGROUND: International and local policy frameworks on disability promote inclusive higher education practices for students with disabilities (SWD). However, the actual application of these frameworks concerning students with physical disabilities (SWPD) in any School of Health Care Sciences (SHCS) is uncertain in South African universities. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of academic and admission staff on the inclusion of SWPD in SHCS at a South African university...

BACKGROUND: Climate change and disability are rarely addressed by academic scholars within the spectrum of disabilities and as a single field of study. However, the intersectionality of disability exacerbates the vulnerability of people with disabilities to climate change as climate change frameworks in the Global North and South continue excluding them. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to map the research-based knowledge housed in Scopus on disability and climate change...

BACKGROUND: Zimbabwean government adopted competency-based curriculum in 2017 as a measure to prepare learners for life and work in an indigenised economy and increasingly globalised and competitive environment. The government also sought to ensure that learners develop skills necessary for lifelong learning in line with the emerging opportunities. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore challenges faced by teachers in the implementation of competency-based curriculum to learners with learning disabilities in Mhangura of Makonde District in Zimbabwe...

BACKGROUND: Vocational programmes run by teachers in the special needs school context can play a significant role in the vocational development of learners with severe intellectual disability (SID). This study aimed to answer the question 'what are the challenges faced by teachers in the implementation of vocational programmes in selected public special needs schools for learners with SID in the Metropolitan (Metro) District within the City of Cape Town?' OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to describe the challenges as perceived by participants, to highlight common and contrasting challenges in the different schools and to share recommendations on support needed...

BACKGROUND: Research on the lived experience of dementia is burgeoning across the social and health sciences. Yet, very little is still known about the experience of dementia for many tribes and ethnoreligious groups, as most studies are conducted in Western countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to advance the understanding of the role of faith and prayer in the lives of people with dementia in Nigeria through a lens of everyday citizenship. METHOD: Interviews were conducted with 17 older people with dementia in a low-income, Yoruba-speaking community in Southwestern Nigeria...

BACKGROUND: Although trauma is one of the leading causes of behaviour problems among children with disabilities, there has been limited scholarly interest in trauma management within the discourse of implementation of inclusive education. OBJECTIVES: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) trauma management model was used to study teachers' awareness of trauma management among students with disabilities studying in regular classrooms...

BACKGROUND: Full-service schools (FSSs) were introduced into the South African school system as part of the movement towards inclusive education. OBJECTIVES: The authors of this article embarked on a study to obtain the opinions and feelings of a group of teachers about FSSs and inclusive education. Thus, the 'voice' of these teachers could be heard. METHOD: The research followed a qualitative approach using group discussions and classroom observations...

BACKGROUND: The annual incidence of lower limb amputations (LLA) at Groote Schuur Hospital is rising gradually. However, little is known about the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of people undergoing these limb amputations. OBJECTIVES: To collect and analyse data to describe the sociodemographic, health and amputation profiles of people who have undergone LLA at Groote Schuur Hospital. METHOD: A descriptive retrospective chart review was conducted using a sample of 107 participants who had undergone LLA at Groote Schuur Hospital between January 2019 and July 2020...

BACKGROUND: Freedom of movement, which is dependent on community mobility, is a key contributor to good quality of life and important in the establishment of a person's community identity. OBJECTIVE: To describe the community mobility experiences of wheelchair users who lived in a socio-economically challenged setting. METHOD: The study setting was Paarl, a peri-urban area of the Western Cape province of South Africa. This article reports findings from phase 1 (a reflection on past community mobility and minibus taxi use experiences) of cycle 1 of a co-operative inquiry...

BACKGROUND: Cooperative inquiry gives a voice to marginalised groups and breaks down power imbalances which makes it suitable for researching practical issues at community level. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this article is to illustrate how cooperative inquiry can be utilised to empower members of marginalised communities in facilitating social change. METHOD: The study setting is in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. A cooperative inquiry methodology was used...

BACKGROUND: Intellectual disabilities refer to a permanent brain condition that interferes with a learner's ability to perform basic living tasks, academic tasks and social interactions. By observing the motor proficiency levels of these learners, one can determine the extent of a learner's possible physical motor proficiency barriers. OBJECTIVE: To determine the motor proficiency levels of learners with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2) Brief Form...

BACKGROUND: Prolonged disability resulting from road traffic injuries (RTIs) contributes significantly to morbidity and disease burden. A good understanding of the prevalence and the level of disability of orthopaedic injuries in developing countries is crucial for improvement; however, such data are currently lacking in Rwanda. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and levels of disability of 2 years post-road traffic orthopaedic injuries in Rwanda. METHOD: A multicentre, cross-sectional study from five Rwandan referral hospitals of 368 adult RTI victims' sustained from accidents in 2019...

BACKGROUND: In South Africa, the sharp rise in people with severe illness because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020, meant that health systems needed to adapt services and operations, including rehabilitation services. Important insights into the lived experiences of rehabilitation personnel enacting these adaptations in an African context are limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of rehabilitation practitioners working in the public sector in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic...

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BACKGROUND: There has been a steady increase in the number of students with disabilities (SWD) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa, with a significant number of students having visual disabilities. Equal access remains a key challenge in the classroom setting, thus emphasising a significant gap. OBJECTIVES: This paper capitalised on the significance of this gap and examined the potential of Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) to promote equal access for students with visual disabilities (SWVDs) in the classroom within a university setting in order to maximise learning outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder impacting 5% - 6% of children and continues into adulthood for 50% - 70% of cases. Despite the multidomain and lifelong influence of this disorder, little consideration has been given to the experiences of the family. Post-diagnostic support has been recommended however, the specific areas requiring support remain vague. OBJECTIVES: This study described the familial experiences of living with a member diagnosed with DCD...

BACKGROUND: Tunafasi is a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programme for persons with disability, implemented by a local non-governmental organisation in Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo, in partnership with government. To assess affordability and support discussions with the government about continued financing and implementation, Tunafasi representatives commissioned a cost-effectiveness study of the programme's health component. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the programme's impacts, costs, cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted and affordability of the health component implemented from February 2019 to December 2021...

BACKGROUND: People with disabilities often experience poorer access to healthcare because of multiple barriers even in non-crisis times, especially more so in low- and middle-income countries. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly constrained health systems, thus exacerbating access barriers. African health system responses to, and considerations made for people with disabilities during the pandemic have not been adequately examined to inform future inclusive practices during emergent and non-emergent periods...

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the top causes of disability in the younger population worldwide. Rehabilitation services should be accessible to all citizens to achieve universal health coverage. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators influencing the provision of rehabilitation for patients with TBI from occupational therapists' perspectives in Gauteng, South African healthcare facilities. It further explored the perceived strategies that would strengthen the delivery and provision of TBI rehabilitation...

BACKGROUND: Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare, systemic, hereditary disorder characterised by obesity, polydactyly, visual and auditory impairment, and cognitive disability. Providing quality education in appropriate schools for children who present with such complex chronic conditions is challenging. OBJECTIVES: This study explored the dimensions of psycho-educational support needs for a child with BBS in South Africa to contribute to the improvement of early detection and holistic interventions...