Disability Issues Research Articles

Practical pathway for the management of depression in the workplace: a Canadian perspective.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and other mental health issues pose a substantial burden on the workforce. Approximately half a million Canadians will not be at work in any week because of a mental health disorder, and more than twice that number will work at a reduced level of productivity (presenteeism). Although it is important to determine whether work plays a role in a mental health condition, at initial presentation, patients should be diagnosed and treated per appropriate clinical guidelines. However, it is also important for patient care to determine the various causes or triggers including work-related factors. Clearly identifying the stressors associated with the mental health disorder can help clinicians to assess functional limitations, develop an appropriate care plan, and interact more effectively with worker's compensation and disability programs, as well as employers. There is currently no widely accepted tool to definitively identify MDD as work-related, but the presence of certain patient and work characteristics may help. This paper seeks to review the evidence specific to depression in the workplace, and provide practical tips to help clinicians to identify and treat work-related MDD, as well as navigate disability issues.

Islamic Law, Disability, and Women in Indonesia: The Cases of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah

The awareness to fulfill the rights of people with disabilities (PWDs) in Indonesia has increased significantly recently. To address concerns regarding the rights of individuals with disabilities, Indonesia’s two most prominent Islamic organizations (Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah) have released fatwas on Islam and disabilities. NU published Fiqih Penguatan Penyandang Disabilitas, while Muhammadiyah prepared its Fikih Difabel. Previous studies have neglected a critical area of intersection between Islamic law, women, and disability issues. This article explores the contribution of women with disabilities in formulating these fatwas and how they tackle problems relevant to women with disabilities. Based on textual analysis of those fatwa and field research, the paper argues that although women with disabilities have been involved in the drafting, their participation has been limited. Only a few were engaged in making NU’s Fiqih Penguatan Penyandang Disabilitas; only limited types of disabilities were involved in Muhammadiyah’s Fikih Difabel. As a result, this study found that the fatwas on the issues related to women with disabilities are comparatively less extensive. They leave room for developing a more women-friendly Fikih Difabel in the future.

Realizing an Inclusive City in Banjarmasin Based on Disability Community with Local Government Synergy

Banjarmasin has affirmed its commitment to realizing the City of Inclusion through the Inclusion City Roadmap 2018 as a locomotive and advocacy driver for regional development based on inclusion and equality for all its citizens. This research aims to provide a comprehensive picture of inclusive cities in Banjarmasin. The research also explores the synergy between the government, disability groups, and the community in achieving inclusive cities. Guided by the Banjarmasin Inclusion City Roadmap, this research targeted two groups of key informants drawn by purposive sampling, namely the Regional Work Units (SKPD) that deal with disability issues on behalf of the local government and disability organizations and communities. The study results show that the Banjarmasin City Inclusion Roadmap is tangible evidence of strong political will from the local government to realize the city of inclusion. In its implementation, there is an element of synergy that cannot be underestimated. The synergy between the city government and disability communities and organizations is good enough but needs to be nurtured and improved. Furthermore, understanding, responsiveness, and synergy among SKPDs within the Banjarmasin city government must be improved so that existing programs are interrelated and sustainable. The findings further show that disability communities and organizations, in their work programs, target cooperation with other community organizations, such as Nahdatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, and non-governmental state institutions, such as Indonesia General Election Commission and Election Supervisory Board, to help socialize elections at the disability level. The disability community is actively involved in political, social, and community activities to prove its existence as an integral part of society.

The Study of Paralympic Athlete Malathi Holla’s Authorized Biography: A Different Spirit

The predicament of women with disability is very disheartening. They face triple discrimination because of their disability, social stigma and gender issues. Human rights violation is seen in the denial of sex and reproduction. Their social and economic participation is resisted. The traditional roles of marriage and child bearing are denied. In this context, the study of Paralympic athlete Malathi Holla’s authorised biography “A Different Spirit” gains paramount importance in addressing the challenges of women with special challenges. Malathi Holla narrates her struggle to battle the marginalization which reduce the opportunities for the disabled to contribute productively to the household and the community. Attitudinal barriers as well as physical barriers such as lack of adequate or appropriate transportation, physical inaccessibility, and lack of training for Paralympic athlete resulted in reducing the opportunities in social participation. This paper addresses the trials and tribulations of Malathi Holla which unravel the aspects of socio-cultural construct and the struggle for identity of disabled women athlete. The paper also gives a brief introduction about the field of disability and its relationship with the different models of disability. Disabilities need to be accommodated and accepted. The WHO definition of this concept summarizes the most common understanding of the social model: Disability is not an attribute of an individual, but created by the social environment. Hence the management of the problem requires social action, and it is the collective responsibility of society at large to make the changes necessary for full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of social life. (WHO 2001, 28)

Implementation Methodology of People with Disabilities for Work and Sports/Free-Time Teams

In the last 10 years, the Czech Republic has been struggling with a strong social policy, influenced by the active social policy of post-communist countries. See the article PROGRESSION OF SUPPORT FOR COMPANIES EMPLOYING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, already published in IJMAS vol.8, issue 8. The implementation of people with disabilities on the labour market and in Czech companies is very important if we look at the fact that there is still a lack of workers to fully cover vacancies and a large mass of people who are partially able to work and their potential can only be used. The aim of this survey is to complement previous surveys and to be part of a large research on the issue of disability in the Czech Republic. An in-depth survey was used with the help of in-depth interviews with managers of diversity teams, corporate management and by the employees themselves in the corporations using a questionnaire survey. The sample consisted of 101 workers and 15 team leaders in 8 companies. The result is not a universal implementation methodology for a team leader to integrate a new/existing worker with a health disadvantage into the work team and measure his effectiveness in the team. The question remains how the implementation methodology can be applied outside the work environment, namely to teams of leisure activities of people with disabilities.

Implementation of Inclusive Empowerment-Based Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme

Inclusive development is becoming a mainstream development which is being promoted by many parties. This departs from the fact that there are still many people who are still marginalized in the development process, one of which is disability. Disability issues are always a hot topic to be discussed not only in developing countries but also in developed countries. This is because groups of persons with disabilities are a minority group whose fulfillment of their rights by the state often goes unnoticed. In order to support inclusive development, CSR PT PLN Indonesia Power Kamojang POMU conducted an empowerment program for Budidaya Jamur Bisabilitas (Bujali). The group that was empowered was the mushroom cultivation farmers group in Sudi Village, Ibun District. This group consists of persons with disabilities and non-disabilities who are pre-prosperous people. This research uses descriptive qualitative method. This research was conducted with the basic objective to find out how social inclusion is carried out in community empowerment programs. Data collection was carried out by means of literature studies, observations and interviews with groups, the CSR team of PT PLN Indonesia Power Kamojang POMU and drawing conclusions. The concept used is the concept of inclusive development and CSR empowerment. The results of the study from this study based on field data of the empowerment program carried out by CSR PT PLN Indonesia Power Kamojang POMU for disabled groups are inclusive empowerment patterns that lead to capacity building, fulfilling the community's economy, community participation and renewal or innovation developed in home industry commodities (industrial houses) that encourage group sustainability and independence.

Exploring stakeholders' response to travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

AbstractAccess to public transport increases vulnerable people's social mobility, facilitates economic integration and improves general well‐being. This is possible given the low vehicular acquisition and low cost required to enjoy public transport services. Unfortunately, the discourse on the responsiveness of public transport services to the disability community in the Global South has been viewed from users' perspectives, leaving out key stakeholders whose actions impact persons with disability (PWDs') mobility needs. This study seeks to fill the gap by exploring stakeholders' responses to the travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Employing an exploratory research design, this study purposively engaged five national stakeholders on transport and disability issues. All interviews and transcripts were transcribed using MaxQDA. The qualitative data analysis was iterative as the study adopted a thematic analytical approach to explore participants' opinions. From the data, all stakeholders did not have a disability‐inclined transport agenda or policy despite making various attempts to meet the travel needs of PWDs. Some attempts include the reliance on one's discretion as seen in the case of transport operators, while other stakeholders appeared to offer little support due to financial and administrative bottlenecks. Transport‐oriented stakeholders cared little about PWD while disability‐oriented stakeholders cared little about transport issues. This study recommends a consultative action framework to guide all stakeholders in ensuring the delivery of barrier‐free transport services to the disability community.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and health equity (HE) education in hematology/oncology (HO) fellowship: A longitudinal curriculum.

11002 Background: The medical workforce remains markedly less diverse than the patients we care for, and outcomes disparities persist. This highlights the need for DEI efforts and HE education. In 2021, we implemented a DEI curriculum in the HO fellowship at Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and found improvements in our fellows’ upstander responses. We present an assessment 1 year after initiation of this series and we share our longitudinal 3-year DEI/HE curriculum and other institutional steps taken to improve equity. Methods: An anonymous survey assessing DEI/HE needs, experiences with and comfort level addressing discrimination, and preferences for curriculum was emailed to all YCC HO fellows. 1st year fellows had no formal DEI education prior to the survey. Senior fellows had completed 1 year of the fellowship’s DEI series. Results: 23 fellows (79%) responded, including 8 1st year and 13 senior fellows (2 unknown). Most fellows had experienced (78%) or witnessed (87%) some form of discrimination. Notably, 1st year fellows felt under-equipped to navigate bias and microaggressions compared to senior fellows. 1st year fellows reported a mean confidence score of 2.5/5 navigating these events when experienced personally and 2.9/5 when directed at others, compared to senior fellows (mean confidence scores 3 and 3.2 respectively). Fellowship DEI education was perceived as important (mean 8.6/10). When asked which DEI/HE topics they would be interested in learning about, the most popular choices among the 23 fellows were cancer treatment and outcomes disparities (78%) and bystander training (70%). They indicated lectures from field experts (65%), affinity groups (57%), small group discussions (52%), and advocacy education (52%) would be useful to them. The chief fellows convened a series of discussions with faculty and field experts, which led to creation of a 3-year longitudinal DEI/HE curriculum. This includes an annual cancer disparities lecture and bystander training session, and 2-4 rotating lectures per year covering implicit bias training, issues of race, gender, LGBTQIA+, disability, and religion in the workforce and in patients’ experiences, pay and promotion disparities, and financial toxicity for patients. YCC and fellowship leadership have also implemented a DEI lecture series, increased recruitment of under-represented in medicine (URiM) physicians, established an URiM mentorship group and a diversity enhancement program for rotations for URiM medical students, and encouraged community engagement. Conclusions: DEI/HE education at all levels is essential for fostering equity in the workplace and patient care. Implementation of a longitudinal curriculum in parallel with other YCC initiatives has improved fellows’ confidence in navigating bias and microaggressions. This curriculum can serve as a guide for other programs developing DEI/HE education.

An Assessment of Inclusive Education Experiences of Teacher-Trainees with Sensory Impairment in Colleges of Education in Ghana

Effective Inclusive education experiences can be built through structured interventions. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of inclusive education experiences on teacher-trainees with sensory impairment in the Ghana Colleges of Educations of Ghana. The study was based on pragmatist philosophy. The study adopted convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. The population involved all 66 students with sensory (visual and hearing) impaired in the three (3) CoEs (PCE, Akropong Akwapim, WESCO, Kumasi and NJA, Wa) that practice inclusive education (IE) during the 2018/19 academic year. Purposive and census sampling techniques were used to select the three (3) colleges of education and sixty-six students for the study. The main instruments for data collection were questionnaire and focus group discussion. The quantitative data items were coded for input into the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 23 software and analysed using means and standard deviations. The qualitative extracts collected into themes that were coded, analysed and interpreted. The study revealed that teacher-trainees had varied experiences on campus, while they felt welcomed into the inclusive institution; they also felt the Colleges were not well prepared to meet their needs. The physical environment was not conducive for the VI on campus. It is recommended that, College authorities should work with the MoE and agencies concerned with disability issues in the society to provide comfortable environment on College campuses for TTSI. It is also recommended that, providing a comfortable environment should include facilities and resources needed for the TTSI to learn effectively. It also involves physical arrangement of the campus environment. The TTSI, regardless of their disabilities, should be provided with an environment where their movement, their studies, their interactions with their peers and tutors are made easier to help them graduate successfully.

Parental perspectives on Phelan-McDermid syndrome: Results of a worldwide survey

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by hypotonia, speech problems, intellectual disability and mental health issues like regression, autism and mood disorders. In the development, implementation and dissemination of a new clinical guideline for a rare genetic disorder like PMS, the parental experienced perspective is essential. As information from literature is scarce and often conflicting the European Phelan-McDermid syndrome guideline consortium created a multi-lingual survey for parents of individuals with PMS to collect their lived experiences with care needs, genotypes, somatic issues, mental health issues and parental stress. In total, we analysed 587 completed surveys from 35 countries worldwide. Based on parental reporting, PMS appeared to be caused by a deletion of chromosome 22q13.3 in 78% (379/486) of individuals and by a variant in the SHANK3 gene in 22% (107/486) of the individuals. Parents reported a wide variety of developmental, neurological, and other clinical issues in individuals with PMS. The most frequently experienced issues were related to speech and communication, learning disabilities/intellectual disability, and behaviour. While most reported issues were present across all age groups and genotypes, the prevalence of epilepsy, lymphoedema, and mental health issues do appear to vary with age. Developmental regression also appeared to begin earlier in this cohort than described in literature. Individuals with PMS due to a 22q13.3 deletion had a higher rate of kidney issues and lymphoedema compared to individuals with SHANK3 variants. Parental stress was high, with specific contributing factors being child and context related in accordance with the PMS phenotype. The survey results led to various validated recommendations in the European PMS guideline including an age specific surveillance scheme, specific genetic counselling, structured healthcare evaluations on sleep and communication and a focus on family well-being.

Development of the national priority assistive product list in Malawi

Purpose In 2016 WHO launched the priority assistive products list (APL) consisting of 50 products and recommended that using this as a reference, countries should develop their own contextually relevant national APLs. This paper describes the development of Malawi’s APL. Methods Two hundred and ninety-six persons with disabilities participated in a rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) survey. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) with people with various types of disabilities were conducted. The rATA questionnaire and FGDs collected data on assistive products (APs) participants used, APs they needed and the challenges they experienced. Data collection was done in six districts spread across the three regions in Malawi. All age groups were included in the survey. Persons with disabilities aged less than 18 participated but went with their guardians. All persons who participated in this study provided consent. Survey and FGDs results were presented at an APL consensus meeting with policymakers, service providers, disabled peoples’ organizations and development partners in the disability sector. Based on the results and further discussions, a consensus was reached on the priority APs for Malawi. Results More than a third of respondents used wheelchairs (32%), followed by auxiliary crutches (25%), walking sticks (13%), reading glasses (11%), prosthesis (10%), elbow crutches (9%) and orthosis (8%). There is also a high demand for products such as pull-up underwear (incontinence products) (79%), hearing aids (70%), reading glasses (59%) and diapers (63%). After intensive discussions during a consensus meeting, an agreement was reached on the 22 priority APs for Malawi. Conclusion There is a wide range of APs being used by people with different functional limitations in Malawi. There is also a demand for APs that are not readily available. When developing an APL, the list should include products in use, those in demand, and those recommended by service providers.

Where are the Voices and Experiences of Persons with Disabilities/Disabled People in Transitional Justice Research and Practice?

Abstract The ever-expanding field of transitional justice has, to date, largely overlooked the issue of disability, even though there is growing research on disability and armed conflict. Relatedly, little attention has been given to the accessibility of transitional justice processes. This Policy and Practice Note, the idea for which developed from the author’s own personal experiences and reflections as a transitional justice scholar with a physical disability, points to unexplored synergies between the human rights and social models of disability (reflected within the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), on one hand, and transitional justice, on the other. It also highlights and discusses three important dimensions of accessibility—processual, contextual and methodological—that could be usefully explored within transitional justice scholarship and practice to give the issue of disability the recognition and prominence that it deserves.

Who Cares?: Ethics and Practices of Care and Making Change in Contemporary Queer Performance Production

Queer performance has historically illuminated an imbalance of care for minoritarian concerns and fostered community connections for collective survival and resistance.1 1. José Esteban Muñoz, Disidentifications: Queers of color and the performance of politics (Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1999). This article interweaves theorisations by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and collaborators in the book Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice 2 2. Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2018). and draws upon interviews with key queer cultural producers, practitioners, scholars, and artists currently working in the UK to identify and theorise contemporary ethics and practices of care in their work. It reveals how queer performance practice attempts to address issues of ethnicity, race, class, disability, gender, and gender identity, tokenism and racial representation, access, class, (dis)ability, and trans-inclusivity in generative ways.3 3. Adam Carver, Queering the Sector: Meaningful Change, Meaningful Care, Conference programme, SHOUT! Festival of Queer Arts and Culture, Birmingham Hippodrome, November 8, 2019. Considering the urgent need for material reconfigurations and diversification of the UK arts sector – both in response to and preceding the global COVID-19 pandemic – I argue that an ethics of care and orientation toward action can address ongoing issues around who and what is ‘made to matter’ in queer arts production. Contemporary queer performance praxis in the UK reaches further toward the margins to find new solutions to embed radical care in production practices. As philosopher Rosi Braidotti suggests, such work ‘is enhanced by the rejection of self-centred individualism … [producing] a new way of combining self-interests with the well-being of an enlarged community’.4 4. Rosi Braidotti, The Posthuman (Cambridge: Polity, 2013), 48. Through foregrounding collectivity, community, care, and social justice the queer performance sector is well positioned to be at the forefront of wider cultural production trends, creating, and amplifying change throughout the sector and beyond.

A Case Study for Solving Social Problems Using Appropriate Technology: Focusing on Busan Metropolitan City

This study sought to identify social problems in Busan and find solutions through Busan-type appropriate technology. To this end, in-depth interviews with expert FGI (5 times), in-depth interviews with socially disadvantaged and marginalized groups (elderly, disabled, youth), and in-depth interviews with caregivers/expert groups were conducted. A demand survey was conducted to solve social problems in Busan using appropriate technology. In addition, a demand survey was conducted among the elderly, the disabled, and young people, and found various problems in housing, medical care, and information transmission. We have derived an appropriate technology to solve this problem. First, improving housing, strengthening and disseminating access to medical technology, information transmission. It should help ease interpretation (elder problem). Second, appropriate technology should be used to improve citizens' awareness, guarantee the right to movement, and facilitate emergency medical requests (disability issues). Third, appropriate technology should be applied to make use of vacant houses and use sustainable energy to make housing stable and enjoyable work (youth problem).

Translation and EIL in accessible tourism

Abstract This paper aims at exploring the potentials and limits of translation and English as International Language as tools of inclusion in accessible tourism. Accessible tourism can be defined as a form of tourism that enables people with access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and environments. This research will try to identify the main linguistic, translational and multimodal features characterising a series of accessible tourism texts in English and Italian, in order to show how translation and English as International Language may increase, or sometimes hinder, the actual level of accessibility and promotional aims of these texts, raise awareness on disability issues and, mostly, contribute effectively to the development of a more inclusive and egalitarian society.

To Build for the Future

This article offers a brief introduction to the Disability issue of Southern Cultures. It briefly recounts the contexts for disabled politics and scholarship, and then spotlights the issue's contents within those contexts. Each article in the issue is briefly discussed. Framed around the multiple methods of self-definition and community-building in which disabled people have historically engaged, Hughes calls on the issue's readers to use it as both a source of information and an impetus for further storytelling and action.

Factors associated with long-term functional and psychosocial outcomes in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

To assess the long-term functional, psychosocial and participation outcomes in an Australian cohort of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) survivors. A cross-sectional sample of adult NHL survivors at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (between 2015 and 2020), participated by completing validated questionnaires. A series of analyses described their current level of function, psychosocial well-being, and participation. Of 129 participants (mean (M) ± standard deviation (SD) age: 62.5 ± 8.8 years), the majority (58%) had aggressive NHL and grade III-IV (72%), with time since diagnosis of 4.6 ± 1.2 years. Participants reported ongoing issues after completion of treatment: fatigue (63%), bladder dysfunction (61%), cognitive impairment (53%), and NHL-related pain (46%). Most made good functional recovery (M ± SD) (Functional Independent Measure-Motor: 79.5 ± 8.2), reported minimal change in their negative emotional states, and NHL-specific quality of life (QoL) (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lymphoma: 133.5 ± 22.1). Participants were "well" adjusted to community living (Community Integration Measure: 42.2 ± 7.4) and satisfied with their current life (Satisfaction with Life Scale: 26.3 ± 6.0). Factors significantly associated with the poorer current level of function were: age at diagnosis < 60 years, time since NHL diagnosis > 4.5 years, and aggressive NHL type. Despite good functional recovery and adjustment in the community, NHL survivors report the presence of ongoing residual impairments and cognitive issues, which requires long-term rehabilitation-inclusive management.

The PHF21A neurodevelopmental disorder: an evaluation of clinical data from 13 patients.

Potocki-Shaffer syndrome (PSS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deletions involving the 11p11.2-p12 region, encompassing the plant homeodomain finger protein 21A (PHF21A) gene. PHF21A has an important role in epigenetic regulation and PHF21A variants have previously been associated with a specific disorder that, whilst sharing some features of PSS, has notable differences. This study aims to expand the phenotype, particularly in relation to overgrowth, associated with PHF21A variants. Analysis of phenotypic data was undertaken on 13 individuals with PHF21A constitutional variants including four individuals described in the current series. Of those individuals where data were recorded, postnatal overgrowth was reported in 5/6 (83%). In addition, all had both an intellectual disability and behavioural issues. Frequent associations included postnatal hypotonia (7/11, 64%); and at least one afebrile seizure episode (6/12, 50%). Although a recognizable facial gestalt was not associated, subtle dysmorphic features were shared amongst some individuals and included a tall broad forehead, broad nasal tip, anteverted nares and full cheeks. We provide further insight into the emerging neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with PHF21A disruption. We present some evidence that PHF21A might be considered a new member of the overgrowth-intellectual disability syndrome (OGID) family.

Corrigendum to: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access and use of health services by middle-aged and older Australians.

Objectives To examine: the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on access to health services by middle-aged and older Australians; and the use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing usefulness. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among participants who completed the COVID-19 supplement in the 45 and Up Study 2020 Survey. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between socio-demographic characteristics and health conditions with missed/delayed access to health services, changes in health outcomes resulting from missed/delayed access, and use of telehealth services. Results Data for 45 071 participants were analysed (56% female, 72% aged ≥65 years). Almost half (42.2%) reported they had missed/delayed access to health care due to COVID-19; mainly for dental services (26.1%), visits to a general practitioner (GP) (16.3%) and specialists (12.6%). Missed/delayed visits to GPs and specialists were more likely among females, participants from non-English-speaking backgrounds, with disability/illness, living in outer regional/remote areas or with chronic health conditions. People with a disability or high/very high psychological distress were twice as likely to report worse health as a result of missed/delayed care. Half (48.0%) the study participants used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and 81.9% indicated telehealth would be useful post-pandemic. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic impacted access to healthcare services, particularly for people with a disability, and chronic or mental health issues who also reported worse health. This may account for their higher use of telehealth services as an alternate way of accessing health care. Ongoing evaluation of telehealth services for vulnerable groups post-pandemic is required.

Classroom Experiences of Learners with Albinism in Selected Regular and Special Education Schools in Zambia

Learners with albinism potentially face a number of challenges in schools due to their skin condition. Albinism is an inherited condition from birth as a result of the absence of melanin pigment which usually changes the colour of the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is usually greeted with disdain in most Bantu communities. In Zambia, some communities consider it a bad omen to give birth to an albino. Therefore, attempts are made to either kill baby albinos at birth or banish them from the community. In schools, learners with albinism are constantly abused and ridiculed by other learners and are given demeaning social tags that serve as a form of stigma. Ostensibly, the discrimination against learners with albinism are underlain by religious and cultural beliefs. The overriding aim of this study was to establish the learning experiences of learners with albinism in both regular and special schools. The study was located within an interpretive qualitative paradigm and used a phenomenological research design while the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore in detail how participants made sense of their personal and social world with regard to learners with albinism in regular and special schools. The findings revealed that in regular schools, learners with albinism tended to exclude themselves from other learners so as to avoid discrimination and stereotypes surrounding their condition. The findings also confirmed the existence of myths and stereotypes regarding albinism. The findings further revealed that teachers in regular schools were not competent in handling learners with albinism as some teachers kept a social distance with learners with albinism. It was observed that most learners with albinism felt more secure in special schools than regular schools. The study recommended inter alia that school administrators and teachers should raise awareness campaigns on the plight of learners with albinism including other disability issues.