Understanding the needs of persons with disabilities in rural and urban Mysore: A step towards exploring the unreached

Abstract

Context: It is estimated that about 10% of the people in the world are disabled. The disability rate in the developed regions is 8.5% and in the developing regions is 4.8%. A disabled person who is in the prime of his/her youth has every right to equal opportunity and must therefore be offered a range of assistance. Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of disabilities in rural and urban areas of Mysore and to assess the needs of people with disabilities. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban slum of Mysore city and a rural and urban and rural field practice area of a medical school. The study included 6,000 persons who were permanently residing in the study areas. Qualitative survey using focus group discussions were conducted for assessing the needs of persons with disability. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, percentages, and Chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of disability in the urban area was 19.27% and that in the rural area was 28.07%. There was a need for sending the children with disability to general schools and also to improve the facilities related to rehabilitation through the government and Non Government Organizations (NGOs). Conclusions: The overall prevalence of disability was observed to be higher in the rural areas as compared to the urban area. Needs of persons with disabilities were pertaining to education, rehabilitation, and provision of essential services.