Myths and Beliefs About Disabilities: Implications for Educators and Counselors

Abstract

abstractThis study reviewed past and current literature in Africa south of the Sahara to assess the impact of formal education and Christianity on African traditional beliefs and myths in relation to disability. The review builds on previous studies on the impact of education and Christianity on African cultures. The study reviewed articles that were published before 1970 and after 2000, that are ethnographic in approach, that sampled people with disabilities and their parents as the main participants, and used anthropological theories for analysis. Findings reflect a continued positive and negative impact of traditional myths and beliefs on the contemporary social constructs of disability. However, slight changes in negative attitudes have been observed among parents of children with disabilities where education and counseling are offered immediately after the birth of a child with disabilities. This indicates that formal education is one way of de-mystifying, dispelling and challenging some negative cultural myths and beliefs that are entrenched in history. Therefore, any effective and empowering formal education or counseling program needs to be cognizant of the underlying social construct of disabilities in order to counter any discriminatory myths and beliefs that can perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination of people with disabilities--and encourage those that promote their well-being.