Definition Of Disability Research Articles

Disability and Spirituality: Re-Membering Wholeness in Services and Supports

ABSTRACTSpirituality has received scant attention in scientific research, policy development, and service provision in relationship to intellectual and developmental disabilities, yet the importance of self-determination, community inclusion, and natural supports points to its importance as a component of holistic care, as well as a crucial component of cultural attitudes and values. The goal of this article, presented as a master lecture at the 2016 International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Global Congress, Melbourne, Australia, is to demonstrate the foundational connections between disability and spirituality, summarize current research, and advocate for inclusive research and practice. Current definitions of disability lead into the core dimensions of personal and social constructs. To define spirituality, one ends up in the search for meaning in the face of limitations and vulnerability and in questions of identity, purpose, and community. Both paths lead to one another in theory and, as current research indicates, in practice and thus to a rationale for collaborative practice, policy, and research that leads to more effective and holistic supports and services. Ignoring spirituality is unscientific, and ignoring scientific perspectives is unfaithful.

Pessoas com Deficiência em Áreas Rurais da Metade Sul do RS

O presente artigo analisa dados do Censo de 2010, realizado pelo IBGE, relacionados às pessoas com deficiência em áreas rurais de 8 municípios da Metade Sul do RS. O objetivo está centrado na discussão da metodologia do Censo e a forma como os dados foram gerados, buscando o entendimento acerca do termo deficiência. Para compreender a perspectiva dos levantamentos censitários sobre a incidência ou não de deficiências foi realizada pesquisa documental na legislação federal, o que permitiu concluir que o número de pessoas com deficiência, tanto em áreas rurais quanto urbanas, aumentou em relação aos Censos anteriores, devido à definição utilizada pelo IGBE, baseado na legislação. Analisando a variável gênero, os dados demonstram que o número de mulheres com algum tipo de deficiência é consideravelmente maior que o de homens, tanto em áreas urbanas quanto rurais. Mas no que diz respeito à frequência de pessoas com deficiência, nas áreas rurais os dados são superiores aos números encontrados em áreas urbanas, independente do gênero. Nesse sentido, os resultados indicam que as áreas rurais são mais vulneráveis, elaborando-se reflexões sobre as responsabilidades do poder público na construção de políticas públicas que levem em consideração tais variáveis em prol do desenvolvimento social dessas regiões.

Hoarding disorder and the legal system: A comparative analysis of South African and Dutch law

Hoarding is an internationally recognised disability. Those who suffer from hoarding behaviour can be comfortably brought within the definition of disability found in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and should be provided with “reasonable accommodation” where doing so does not place an unjustified burden on others. However, hoarding also poses a threat to public health, and hoarders' behaviour may infringe on the rights of their neighbours and landlords. Thus, through their behaviour, hoarders may ultimately come into conflict with various areas of law, including neighbour law, housing law as well as administrative law. This article examines how hoarding may be addressed by the law in both South Africa and the Netherlands. It seeks to answer to what extent hoarders are provided with “reasonable accommodation” when their behaviour brings them into conflict of the law in these two jurisdictions. It also takes cognisance of the need to balance the provision of “reasonable accommodation” with the rights of neighbours and landlords. Finally, it seeks to assess which of the two jurisdictions provides the most balanced approach to handling hoarding, in light of the need for therapeutic jurisprudence.

Equivalence, equality and equity for prisoners with a borderline intellectual disability: reflections from the UK

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the legislative and policy architecture governing the protection of individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) in the UK, and whether these protections extend to protect those with a borderline ID (BLID) in prison. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents policy and legislative analysis. Findings This paper argues that the legislative definitions of disability are broad and draw on a needs-based understanding of disability, meaning that those with a BLID – if they experience disability – should be included in these protections. But the clinical definitions of ID that guide access to support services tend to exclude those with a BLID. Notions of horizontal and vertical equity are invoked to examine the spirit of “equivalence” captured in legislative instruments, and how these filter into policy that may ultimately be discriminatory to those with a BLID. Research limitations/implications If the founding principle of equality legislation is equivalence, and an argument can be made that those with a BLID are protected from disability discrimination, public authorities will need to reconcile their use of clinical diagnostic cut-offs to justify service provision inside and outside of the prison estate. In essence they are faced with a choice: consider how best to provide equitable support for those with a BLID (which may not necessarily mean identical support), or risk breaching these fundamental rights. Practical implications The paper calls into question the extent to which the current suite of ID-related services (both in the community and in prison) fulfil a public authority’s obligations for vertical and horizontal equity that are captured in the disability discrimination legislation. Specifically authorities must consider whether: replicating services in prisons serves the particular needs of the prison population, or is horizontal equity only partial fulfilment? The higher than expected numbers of BLID in prison justify consideration of different services for these different needs? There is an opportunity to rethink the conceptualisation of disability service provision in the National Health Service from one defined by diagnostic bands rather than a socio-ecological understanding of need, and in doing so whether the needs of the BLID group in prison are being suitably met. Originality/value The paper provides a line of legal argument and analytical thought useful to those seeking to challenge the non-provision of support for those with a BLID; particularly those who are especially disadvantaged in prison. This paper draws attention to the disconnect between legislative intent and policy operationalisation for those with BLID. Further research and possible legal challenge is needed to clarify whether this amounts to direct or indirect discrimination.

Defining Disability in the European Union Nondiscrimination Legislation: Judicial Activism and Legislative Restraints

To date European Union anti-discrimination legislation, particularly the Employment Equality Directive (Directive 2000/78/EC), does not provide any clear definition of disability as a ground of discrimination. In the last few years, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has attempted to fill this gap and discussed the concept of disability in several decisions, in the attempt to provide a definition of the ground of disability. The ratification by the European Union of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), has led to a clear overruling in the case law: the Court shifted from the medical model to the social model of disability. The UNCRPD now represents a milestone for the CJEU, which recognized that a duty arises to define disability in line with the social model, under the principle of consistent interpretation. Against this background, this article discusses CJEU case law, and compares and contrasts the judicial activism of the Court with the cautious approach adopted by the European Commission in the proposal for a new non-discrimination directive.

Creating an image of people with disabilities in formal education. Analysis of the textbooks used in the chosen European countries

Creating an image of people with disabilities in formal education is an important element of educating young people into a full and unbiased understanding of the needs and reality of these people. Consequently, it is an element of creating a social climate around people with disabilities and influencing state policy in this area. Therefore, I find it extremely important to analyse and compare ideas worked out in different countries in order to correctly assess our own situation and find inspiring and applicable solutions. In the text, I focused on one component of the system of formal education, i.e. selected textbooks used in Poland and Sweden in which I highlighted their disability-related content. The starting point for the analysis was the definition of disability and explanation of the social identity theory which provided the framework for the research questions. The presented analysis and comparison of the chosen teaching material, fragmentary as it, might form the basis for further investigation in this area.

Disability Divides in India: Evidence from the 2011 Census.

BackgroundUnderstanding the socioeconomic and regional divides in disability prevalence in India has considerable relevance for designing public health policies and programs.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study is to quantify the prevalence of disability by gender, region (rural and urban; states and districts), and caste. We also examine the association between disability prevalence and the major socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the districts in India.MethodsAge-standardized disability prevalence (ASDP) was calculated using 2011 census data and applying the WHO World Standard Population. A regression analysis was carried out to examine the association between disability prevalence and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics across districts of India.ResultsThe study found that ASDP varies substantially across districts and is higher among women, rural dwellers, and members of scheduled tribes (STs) and scheduled castes (SCs). The regression model showed that the disability rate in districts rises with increasing proportions of the population who are urban dwellers, aged 65 or older, members of STs, and living in dilapidated housing; and that the disability prevalence decreases with increasing proportions of the female population who are literate, and of the general population who are working and have access to safe drinking water.ConclusionAs the burden of disability falls disproportionately across geographic regions and socioeconomic groups, public health policies in India should take this variation into account. The definition of disability used in the census should be modified to generate internationally comparable estimates of disability prevalence.

Clinical Reasoning in the Assessment and Intervention Planning for a Reading Disability

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with insight into the clinical reasoning process involved in the assessment and intervention planning for a child with a reading disability. A Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theoretical/neuropsychological approach shall serve as the foundational theoretical framework for this case study, and Flanagan, Ortiz, and Alfonso’s Dual Discrepancy/Consistency Operational Definition of Specific Learning Disabilities will serve as the decision-making model for diagnosis. The reader will be guided through the author’s conceptualization of this case and suggestions for intervention will be discussed.

The Concept Of "Disability" In Architecture As A Power And Ideology Problem

The concept of disability, which is well accepted around the world and seem to be a statement of positive discrimination at first, requires to become a current issue as an equality problem in architecture and society today. In fact, the definition of disability and its intellectual basis are major and still invisibile obstacles to obtain equal rights for everyone regarding architectural accessibility and participation in social life. In this study, the intellectual basis of the concept of disability in social understanding has been explored to identify the main problem. It has been realised that this understanding, which is to be seen also in architectural practices, has occured as an issue of power and ideology. On one hand, the society itself generates the definitions, classifies people and creates hegemony based on consent, and on the other hand speaks up for resolving the problems caused by this classifications with a total inactivity. Strong ideologies, which ignore the problems of existing definitions, forms absolute truths and minds unable to question. Therefore, the definition of “disabled” becomes approved by the entire society, although it does not include inseperable parts of society such as children, patients or elderly. These ideologies result in a communal power created by free will insted of enforcement. In this manner, even individuals classified as “disabled” accept the legitimacy of this authority. However, existing of such an accepted definiton causes otherizing and ignorance in society. It also affects architectural perception and plays a significant role in creating isolation projects such as “disabled-friendly houses” or “libraries for disabled”. These projects show that people defined as “disabled” are the dark subconsciousness of society willing to be forgotten. When it is realised that the unity of differences creates the society, the classification will be forgotten, environments and mentallities will be shaped accordingly and designs will be created for everyone instead of designing for disabled. Bringing an accurate and fair point of view into existence, which is based on the mentioned facts, is the only way to solve the current problems in architectural practices and social inequalities.

K–12 Students Eligible Solely Under Section 504

This analysis provides an update of the national incidence data for “504-only” students, that is, students who are not eligible under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act but are eligible under the broader definition of disability in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended by the Americans With Disabilities Act of 2008. More specifically, this article analyzes the data for 504-only students overall and for selected student and school characteristics based on the 2011–2012 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) and compares the results with the parallel analysis of the 2009–2010 CRDC. The findings include a national incidence of 1.48%, as compared with 1.02% for 2009–2010, and continuing notable difference for student race/ethnicity and gender, and for school Title I status. However, the more recent data do not show a notable difference between the percentages of 504-only students in charter and non-charter schools. The discussion includes research as well as policy considerations.

A Study on Industrial Accident for Broken Prosthesis: with Focus on July 10. 2014 ruling 2012 du 20991 in Supreme Court of Korea

Background/Objectives: This study is to consider decision of Supreme Court of Korea to acknowledge broken prosthesis is the same with physical injury and to pay worker's compensation reimbursement following industrial accidents. Methods/Statistical Analysis: We analyzed the judgment of the Korean Supreme Court in 2014 of the 'Case No. 2012 du 20991', the case of cancel for disapproval dispose for care of the damaged artificial limb by the Industrial Accident Compensation in 2010. For this, we reviewed legal definition of disability and assistive device based on concerned laws and ICF model, compared prior precedents, and interpreted the final sentence of the Korean Supreme Court. Findings: We suggested the incident happened during job performance had to be counted as an industrial accident. Prostheses are in direct contact and connect with damaged body, and it may alternate deficient parts of body and restore one's body function and appearance. Artificial limbs have considerably different properties compared to assistive technology devices. So, broken prosthesis was not different from any physical injury. Intervention by professional are required to properly use prosthesis for the disabled. Prosthesis is essential products for daily life and job retention of them despite hassle of use. In work performance of the Plaintiff, Prosthesis must be judged as part of body that is responsible for core functions necessary to perform essential duties as a security guard. Korea Workers' Compensation&Welfare Service has duty to support him to continue work life and to return to work. The refusing to reimbursement for the damaged prosthesis may hinder to return to worksite of injured workers. Finally our society will make mistake of lowering the efficiency of public spending. Application/Improvements: We support the ruling for case No. 2012 du 20991 of the Korean Supreme Court. It acknowledged the importance of assistive technology devices for participation and activities for the disabled.

‘Dissolving Boundaries’ – An Analysis of Threshold Concepts Within Disability Theology

This article focuses on an analysis of threshold concepts (TCs) within disability theology. It explores a range of ideas linked to TCs and the experience of people living with a disability (people LWD). The world in which Christian parishioners encounter people LWD (the focus of this article), could be described as a ‘liquid world’ which is fuzzy, uncertain, unstable and marked by ‘dissolving boundaries’ (Barnett, R. 2012. “The Coming of the Ecological Learner.” In Transitions and Transformations in Learning and Education, edited by P. Tynjälä, M.-L. Stenström and M. Saarnivaara, 9–20. Dordrecht, NL: Springer) The authors argue that, despite such boundaries, or perhaps because of them, certain thresholds need to be crossed by members of faith communities in order for a person LWD to feel as if he/she genuinely belongs to a community. Nevertheless it is acknowledged that some people involved might be both people LWD and parishioners. The three interrelated thresholds examined within this article are — empowerment, hospitality and neighbourliness. The article links these thresholds with TC theory, and also addresses two related topics — a definition of disability within the discipline of theology, and Jesus as the model for threshold crossing within the Christian tradition. Reflections on TCs in this article are deliberately grounded in the most recent collection of TC theory from Land, R., J. H. F. Meyer and M. T. Flanagan, editors. (2016. Threshold Concepts in Practice. Rotterdam, NL: Sense). Finally, the article considers some relevant, practical responses which, it is argued, members of Christian faith communities ought to consider, so that people LWD feel that they genuinely belong to that particular community. It concludes with a summary of key insights and some possible future research directions.

The Social Status of Children with Disabilities and Their Families as Determined by Census Data

Russia’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has necessitated that regular monitoring studies of the social situation of people with disabilities and families with disabled members be conducted. These studies have exacerbated the issue of obtaining accessible data that is suitable for these purposes. The article investigates specific concerns related to Russian disability statistics and the place of census data in compiling these statistics. The latter are of interest to the study of the social position of disabled persons in Russia. However, they have never been used for these purposes before. This article focuses on the analysis of the socioeconomic situation of families with disabled children as one of the most vulnerable groups in the population. We analyze the accuracy of the census estimates of the contingent of children with disabilities as compared against administrative data, and discover that the number of disabled children has been underreported, due to the inaccuracy of the disability criterion. We have assessed the composition of families with disabled children, the level of education and employment of parents, the livelihoods of these families, and the level of access of children to education on the basis of the recently released microdata from the 2002 and 2010 Russian Censuses. In light of these characteristics, we are able to demonstrate existing inequalities in the social status of families with disabled children in comparison with other families with children without disabilities. In conclusion, having determined the scope of the problem, we demonstrate the possibility for developing disability statistics as the foundation for implementing the principles of the CRPD. In particular, we propose methods for providing a social definition of disability by assessing functional status through continuous and sample surveys of the population. The use of standard international practices would allow assessing the social status of families with disabled children in a comparative perspective.

Is the WHO disability grading system for leprosy related to the level of functional activity and social participation?

To investigate the relationship between the WHO disability grading system for leprosy with the limitations to perform daily functional activities and the decrease in social participation in participants with leprosy. Participants with a diagnosis of leprosy were recruited at the dermatology ambulatory clinic of the University Hospital of Sergipe. In order to investigate the association of WHO disability grading system for leprosy with activities of daily living measured with the Screening Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (SALSA) scale and with the social participation (P-scale), we performed an analysis with the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Spearman coefficient. Thirty-six patients diagnosed with leprosy participated in the study. Most of participants had mild to moderate daily activity limitations and 58% of participants did not have any restriction participation. The findings demonstrated that the WHO grading is associated with the level of activity (P < 0·0001; p = 0·58), but not with the level of participation (P <0·05; p = 0·27). Although the WHO grading system is used in Brazil and worldwide as an epidemiological indicator to explain the burden of leprosy, the results of this study demonstrated that in our sample the WHO grading system was not associated with participation. Participation is a complex construct with the influence of different psychosocial factors. In order to determine social participation damage of infectious diseases such as leprosy, it is necessary to develop new index of classification based on a broader definition of disability. Health professionals should consider the international classification of function and health (ICF) to develop such index.

The Relationship Between Brain MR Spectroscopy and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: 20-Year Data from the U.S. Glatiramer Acetate Extension Study.

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND AND PURPOSEConventional MRI techniques do not necessarily provide information about multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathology or progression. Nonconventional MRI techniques, including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H‐MRS), are increasingly used to improve the qualitative and quantitative specificity of MR images. This study explores potential correlations between MRI measures of disease and disability progression as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Functional Systems (FS), and ambulation index scores in a unique cohort of MS patients treated with glatiramer acetate that has been closely monitored for over 20 years.METHODSThis was a multicenter, open‐label, cross‐sectional MRI substudy among participants in the GA‐9004 open‐label extension of the 36‐month, double‐blind GA‐9001 study, timed to coincide with the prospectively planned 20‐year clinical exam.RESULTSOf 64 patients who participated in the MRI substudy, results are presented for the 39 patients (61%) who had a 1H‐MRS assessment at 20 years of treatment. Both total N‐acetylaspartate relative to total creatinine (tNAA/tCr) concentration ratio and T1 lesion volume were found to be robustly associated with disability levels with different statistical approaches. Gray matter (GM) volume was found to be a more consistent parameter than white matter (WM) volume for disability allocation. The elastic net algorithm showed a trade‐off between WM and GM volumes for disability estimation when different disability definitions were used.CONCLUSIONSAmong patients with MS receiving long‐term glatiramer acetate therapy, consistent effects on disability levels indicated by EDSS and pyramidal FS score thresholds were found for tNAA/tCr concentration ratio and T1 lesion volume.

Teaching About Psychosocial Aspects of Disability

This article presents some psychosocial aspects of disability linked to the person–environment relation that teachers should share in the psychology classroom. Disability is an often-overlooked form of diversity, one that teachers should discuss alongside race, gender, sexual orientation, social class/socioeconomic status (SES), religiosity, and aging. The experience of disability and disability culture are important topics that should be shared with and understood by secondary and postsecondary students, particularly because people with disabilities are no longer at the social margins of everyday life in the United States. To that end, I review definitions for disability as well as a nascent model for understanding the experience of disability, some select but fundamental psychosocial constructs regarding disability, and a representative negative (stigma and stereotyping) and positive (disability identity) context example from the social psychological literature on disability. I then close with suggestions for teaching about disability.

Enhancement, disability and the riddle of the relevant circumstances

The welfarist account of enhancement and disability holds enhanced and disabled states on a spectrum: the former are biological or psychological states that increase the chances of a person leading...

Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Incidence of Intellectual Disabilities: Current Trends and Issues

The prevalence of intellectual disabilities is often quoted at 1 %. A meta-analysis of articles published between 1980 and 2009 confirmed this prevalence. Changes in diagnostic practices, population characteristics, and exposure to known risk factors in recent years place this estimate in question and make it imperative to examine more recent studies of prevalence and incidence. Twenty relevant articles were obtained from five databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane, and MEDLINE), published between 2010 and 2015. Most studies (n = 17) only reported prevalence estimates, while two provided incidence estimates. Various methodologies were applied, with the majority of studies (n = 16) using administrative data. Heterogeneity in study settings, methodologies, age groups, and case definitions contributed to a range of prevalence estimates (0.05 to 1.55 %). Future research should include reproducible and consistent definitions of intellectual disabilities, provide age-specific estimates, and monitor changes in prevalence over time.

Burden of diabetes in Australia: life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in adults with diabetes.

The aim of this work was to estimate the life expectancy (LE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) for adults with and without diabetes. The Chiang method and the adapted Sullivan method were used to estimate LE and DFLE by age and sex. Mortality data in 2011 were available from the National Diabetes Services Scheme for diabetes and from standard national mortality datasets for the general population. Data on prevalence of disability and severe or profound core activity limitation were derived from the 2012 Australian Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC). The definitions of disability used in the SDAC followed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Data on diabetes prevalence were derived from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study. The estimated LE and DFLE (with 95% uncertainty interval [UI]) at age 50years were 30.2 (30.0, 30.4) and 12.7 (11.5, 13.7) years, respectively, for men with diabetes, and the estimates were 33.9 (33.6, 34.1) and 13.1 (12.3, 13.9) years, respectively, for women with diabetes. The estimated loss of LE associated with diabetes at age 50years was 3.2 (3.0, 3.4) years for men and 3.1 (2.9, 3.4) years for women, as compared with their counterparts without diabetes. The corresponding estimated loss of DFLE was 8.2 (6.7, 9.7) years for men and 9.1 (7.9, 10.4) years for women. Women with diabetes spent a greater number of absolute years and a greater proportion of their life with disability as compared with men with diabetes and women without diabetes. The gains in LE and DFLE across the whole population at age 50years after hypothetically eliminating diagnosed diabetes were 0.6 (0.5, 0.6) years and 1.8 (1.0, 2.8) years. In adults, diabetes results in a modest reduction in LE and a substantial reduction in DFLE. Efforts to identify the specific causes of disability and effective interventions are needed.

ADHD: The Untold Truths of the ADEP (Australian Deficit in Educational Policy)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that predominantly results in behaviours associated with hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention that are frequently not conducive to successful learning and academic performance. Children who display these behaviours often require extra assistance, adjustments, and accommodations in the classroom in order to achieve their full potential. This article reviews Australian and New South Wales Discrimination, Disability and Education legislation, policy and procedures with respect to the education of students with ADHD. This review illustrates the need to standardise the definition of disability used throughout Australia, and to more firmly clarify an education provider’s responsibilities toward students with disabilities. With more clarity, students with ADHD will be provided with the additional educational and behaviour support they need in order to realise their full potential.