Disability Issues Research Articles

Creating, archiving and exhibiting disability history: The oral histories of disability activists of the Carleton University Disability Research Group

Building a disability archives that is accessible is an ongoing challenge. At Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, this work began a decade ago with the formation of a modest collection of scholars interested in disability issues. The Carleton University Disability Research Group developed as a collective of scholars, graduate students, and non-governmental organisation workers from the fields of social work, engineering, history, library, and archives, including people with disabilities. Since 2013, it has worked to collect, archive, discuss and display histories of disability in Canada, using various media. This paper documents and analyzes the aspects of this work linked to information studies, from the role of archivists and librarians to the making of archives and exhibits with, for, and about people with disability. It presents innovative decisions, introduces unexpected benefits for all in the light of the project of a critical disability archival method and discusses the potential of universities as a site of practice. It takes its most recent project, the Oral histories of activists in the disability rights movement in Canada (1970–2020) as the main case.

Inclusive design strategies for museums. Targets and remarks for wider access to culture

Museums are repositories of culture, knowledge, and values that everyone should be able to have access to. To this end, specific attention should be paid to the issue of disability when designing or operating such facilities. Despite an increased awareness, many designers still lack a full understanding of the complexity of people's needs and the topic of inclusion. Through an excursus of the evolving concept of diversity and how design can provide an enabling or disabling built environment, this paper aims at setting the cognitive framework to address the issue of broader fruition in museum spaces. Particularly, the focus of this contribution is on the European context, its historical cities and cultural heritage. Therefore, the needs of inclusion must be balanced with those of conservation, adding an extra layer of complexity. The museum will then be examined from an inclusive perspective, highlighting the issues to be addressed and providing some suggestions on the tools available to overcome them and grant everyone access to culture.

Serological ineptitude in blood banks: is there an association with sexually transmitted infections?

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a serious public health problem, and some of these infections are also transmitted through blood transfusions. Objective: To identify publications in scientific journals in Brazil and in the world showing if there is an important association between serological inadequacy due to sexually transmitted infections traced in blood and blood products used for medical use. Methods: Systematic review of articles published from 2018 to 2023, using the LILACS, SciELO and PubMed databases, with a concomitant approach to the issues of serological disability and STI. Original studies or review articles in Portuguese, English and Spanish with Brazilian and international data were included. Editorial publications, letter to the editor, letter from the editor or comments on the subject were excluded. Results: The search found 571 articles, of which 106 (18.40%) met the inclusion criteria, that is, Serological disability and STI. In studies with international data, the prevalence of donors with hepatitis C ranged from 0.12 to 4.8%; with hepatitis B, from 1.3 to 8.2%; with HIV, from 0.0021 to 2.5%; with syphilis, from 1.73 to 2.4%; with HTLV, 0.66%; and with Chagas disease, from 0.017 to 2.76%. Among articles with Brazilian data, the prevalence of donors with seroreactive tests for hepatitis C ranged from 0.18 to 1.76%; with hepatitis B, from 0.05 to 7.9%; with HIV, from 0.03 to 0.82%; with syphilis, from 0.37 to 3.51%; with HTLV, from 0.02 to 0.3%, and with Chagas disease, from 0.8 to 0.5%. Conclusion: STIs are rarely discussed in the scientific literature in studies on serological inadequacy. In addition, a minority of articles were with Brazilian data. However, results show that STIs, despite being little discussed in the scientific literature in studies on the subject of serological inadequacy, have statistically significant percentages of seropositivity for STIs. Moreover, hepatitis C and B have a relevant seroprevalence, reaching 8.2% and 4.8%, respectively, in the international scenario. In Brazil, hepatitis B continues to occupy a prominent place with a seroprevalence of up to 7.9%. However, syphilis now holds a very important role, with a maximum percentage of 3.51%. More studies are needed for further reflection: although STIs are little addressed in studies about serological inadequacy in human blood banks, would they contribute to the maintenance and non-reduction of the general frequency of infections transmitted by blood transfusion?

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Escalating Intravenous Infusions of Lignocaine and Ketamine in Reducing Pain and Disability for Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, disability, sleep, memory and mood issues. The pain of fibromyalgia is difficult to manage and has no complete remission. While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications have been tried to minimise symptoms and improve general health. Hence, a trial was conducted to evaluate lignocaine and ketamine as pharmacological modalities to treat fibromyalgia. Aim: To evaluate effectiveness of intravenous (i.v.) lignocaineketamine infusions in reducing pain and disability in fibromyalgia syndrome. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India, between March 2021 and March 2022, on patients aged between 18-60 years diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome. Sixty patients were included in the study. Escalating doses of i.v. lignocaine of 5 mg/kg, 6 mg/ kg and 7 mg/kg followed by escalating doses of i.v. ketamine of 0.4 mg/kg, 0.5 mg/kg and 0.6 mg/kg were administered on alternate days over a period of 12 days. Infusions were given in 50 mL normal saline through syringe pump over a period of 45 minutes. Pre and postinfusion 11 point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score was used to assess pain and World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 score to assess disability. Data are presented as mean and standard deviation. Statistical analysis was done by using the t-test for pre and post-treatment score, with a p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The present study showed female predominance of 42 out of 60 patients (70%) compared to males 18 out of 60 (30%). Pretreatment average baseline NRS score was 8.8. The mean reduction in NRS scores after lignocaine-ketamine infusions at the end of one month was 1.40 and at sixth month 1.25 which was statistically significant (p-value=0.001). Pretreatment mean average disability score was 2.70 and at the end of sixth month it was 0.59 which was statistically significant (p-value=0.001). Three patients did not have reduction in NRS scores and reported mild to moderate side-effects in the form of dizziness, headache and raised blood pressure. Conclusion: Combined infusions of lignocaine-ketamine resulted in significant reduction in pain and disability in patients with fibromyalgia. Higher and repeated doses seem to be more effective and resulted in longer pain relief. Long-term follow-up periods are needed to determine the effectiveness, dose response and safety of these infusions as a therapeutic modality for fibromyalgia.

Falling Stories: Cinematic Naturalism and Disability in Frank Norris’ and Stephen Crane's City Sketches

Falling Stories: Cinematic Naturalism and Disability in Frank Norris’ and Stephen Crane's City Sketches

CURRENT ISSUES BULLETIN

This commentary discusses the challenges faced by individuals and organisations promoting independent living in Türkiye. In addition to the dominant charity-based perspective towards disability, in recent years a key challenge has become the increasing and systemic attack on human rights and human rights defenders and delegitimising of the rights-based perspective. Additionally, the difficult political situation in the country positions disability issues at the bottom of the political agenda and makes it difficult to strengthen the independent living perspective.

Performing Normal: Restless Reflections on Music’s Dis/Abling Potential

Abstract This analysis aims to bring disability issues and the realities of systemic ableism to the center of discourse and action related to music therapy and social justice. An account of my evolving understanding of how ableism shaped my relationship with music draws attention to the importance of understanding the subtle yet palpable ways that ableism can invade even the most positive aspects of disabled peoples’ lives and, therefore, contribute in disturbing ways to the perpetuation of normalcy as the human ideal. I begin by providing some essential context to center my activist disability identity and the struggle that underpins the current analysis. I then engage with the performance of normal and explore my discovery of disability as possibility—a discovery that ultimately made space for significant transformation. An explanation of critical disability studies and ableism as important transformative influences follows, and I conclude by articulating some possible implications for music therapy education and training, research, and practice.

Unable to work? Characteristics of people with blindness and low vision who are out of the labor force

BackgroundApproximately half of the people who are blind or have low vision in the U.S. are not in the labor force, yet we know little about their characteristics or reasons for being out of the labor force. Objective/HypothesisThe objective of this study was to compare people with blindness or low vision who reported being unable to work to those out of the labor force for other reasons, unemployed, and employed, and investigate characteristics that differentiate these groups. MethodsOur sample of people with blindness or low vision was selected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare people who reported being unable to work to those in other employment groups utilizing multinomial logistic regression. ResultsThe majority of people out of the labor force reported they were unable to work. People unable to work were likely to have low income, more chronic health conditions, days with poor physical health, and functional disabilities than all other groups. They were also more likely to have access to health care than other groups and were more likely to be male and uncoupled compared to those out of the labor force for other reasons. ConclusionsPeople who reported being unable to work had more chronic health and functional disability issues. Because being out of the labor force puts one at economic risk, further research is indicated to assess policy issues and strategies that might identify employment options that accommodate people with blindness or low vision and additional health issues and disabilities.

GLAUCOMA, CATARACT, AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN NEW ENGLAND: FINDINGS FROM THE HEALTHY AGING DATA REPORTS

Abstract Glaucoma and Cataract are two common leading causes of vision loss and major sources of disability and mental issues for older adults, but few studies investigated glaucoma and cataract among older adults from a community-level perspective. This study describes the rates of glaucoma and cataract among older adults 65+ in New England and examined the association of glaucoma and cataract and emotional distress (depression and anxiety) of older adults at the community level across 794 towns/cities (MA (351), NH (235), RI (39), and CT (169)) in New England. Data sources used to calculate rates of communities were: the American Community Survey (2014-2018 RI and CT, 2012-2016 MA and NH) and the Medicare Current Beneficiary Summary File (2016-2017 RI, 2015 MA and NH, 2016-2017 CT). Small area estimation techniques were used to calculate age-sex adjusted community rates for more than 150 health indicators (https://healthyagingdatareports.org/). Results showed CT had the highest rates of glaucoma (28.3%), RI had the highest rates of cataract (67.5%), and NH had the lowest rates of glaucoma and cataract (22.9% and 61.2%, respectively). After adjusting for age, gender, race, marital status, education, income, chronic diseases, communities with higher rates of glaucoma or cataract were significantly associated with higher rates of emotional distress compared to those with lower prevalence (glaucoma: β=0.06, p< 0.01, for depression, β=0.09, p< 0.001 for anxiety; cataract: β=0.08, p< 0.01 for depression, β=0.11, p< 0.01 for anxiety). Findings help practitioners and policymakers to allocate emotional support services to areas of high need due to eye diseases.

Being seen: The lived experience of psychodynamic practitioners disclosing or not disclosing sight impairment

ABSTRACT The taboo of therapist self-disclosure and literature addressing disclosure and disability issues from a psychodynamic perspective is explored. Research on disclosure decisions among physically impaired practitioners is limited. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis qualitative research methodology was employed to understand the lived experience of psychodynamic practitioners with sight impairment to understand disclosure decision-making processes in a therapeutic setting. Six participants self-identified as sight impaired psychodynamic practitioners and were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Findings showed that the experience of working as a practitioner with sight impairment is a tenacious endeavour, requiring high levels of self-awareness and determination in navigating the minefield of self-disclosure, daring to be seen by others, holding the patient’s need to be seen and journeying through loss and acceptance of the changing self. Results showed that there is an inverse relationship between likelihood to self-disclose sight impairment and the extent to which practitioners work with unconscious process and transference. Ultimately, the capacity to reclaim disavowed parts of the self, defined therapists’ ability to make therapeutic disclosure decisions. Suggestions for future research, clinical and ethical implications are provided plus recommendations for impaired practitioners and those who work with difference.

Literature profiling on tourism, impairment and disability issues: A future directional guide.

South African tourism is evolving towards accommodating disabled people. Within the same standpoint, the country receives ageing tourists as a major international tourism market from the Global North, whose access needs are similar to disabled people. The present article explored 'blind and blank spots' in the extant literature on tourism-impairment disability as a synchronised field within academic research to provide theoretical insights and gaps for the disability-tourism research community to consider the composite concept instead of individualistic concepts. The objectives were: (1) to track knowledge development from 1990 to 2018 using a narrative literature review approach and (2) to justify future research areas previously overlooked and understudied within a tourism-impairments-disability perspective in South Africa and beyond. A narrative literature review search strategy was used. Keywords and synonymous terms were used in electronic searches of Scopus, ScienceDirect, Sabinet Online, Emerald Insights Journals, African Journals and Google Scholar. The literature screening process used predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria for the data source. Content thematic analysis was adopted for the present study. The findings reflect a dearth of tourism-impairments-disability research in South Africa. Nonetheless, there is an observable pattern of slow growth in research after the 2000s. The extant literature is skewed towards the tourism supply side and sporadic on tourism demand (tourist experiences), education and skills development. It is clear that the absence of scientifically developed knowledge on disability-impairments-tourism affects inclusive tourism growth. Therefore, the research community should consider disability-inclusive (accessible) tourism management, human resources and marketing practices and knowledge for teaching material in future research. The article mapped and provided insights that sets a research agenda for tourism research community to see the gaps in literature and/or knowledge for accessible tourism (disability-inclusive) tourism to be a game changer as found by UNWTO (2020) with low-resources setting. Thereby setting a tone towards call for more research that can uncover an economic narrative that shows a relationship between skills development, labour and consumer markets for the participation of diverse disabled persons as such is shown as understudied in Low-to-Middle income earning countries like South Africa.

Legislative and Practical Aspects of Writing Legal Documents on the Example of Decision on Disability Issues

Legislative and Practical Aspects of Writing Legal Documents on the Example of Decision on Disability Issues

International engagement with North Korea: disability, human rights and humanitarian aid

This article examines disability rights in North Korea as an area of shared interest between humanitarian workers (who operate inside, with the consent of North Korean authorities) and human rights actors (who work outside, in defiance of the regime). Disability issues represent a notable deviation from the usual separation evident between these actors when it comes to their work on North Korea, insofar as the issue is one that both groups agree represents a critical area for engagement. Drawing from a small but deep pool of expert interviews, this article argues that international practitioners across these approaches recognise evidence of improvements in the area of disabilities inside North Korea and perceive potential for further meaningful change in a country that can be difficult to understand and challenging to achieve progress within. It further argues that the human rights model of disability provides a conceptual framing rooted in the disability studies literature, which allows for a clearer articulation of the shared meanings embedded in the different approaches to disability in North Korea.

Rethinking Individual Differences in SLA: A Special Issue in Honour of Richard Sparks

Richard Sparks is currently Professor Emeritus of Special Education in Mount St. Joseph University's Department of Graduate Education in Cincinnati, USA. For over 40 years, Richard has had a celebratory career in teaching, researching, and servicing language education. His broad research interests and academic influence span various sub-domains of individual differences in L1 and L2 reading and writing, language learning difficulties, and language aptitude. Richard has published extensively in top journals of language and education, producing an impressive list of empirical studies and thought-provoking theoretical position papers related to key topics and issues in foreign language education, educational psychology, and learning disability. Scholars and practitioners in both language and psychology have read his works with interest and cited frequently many of his influential works on language, education, psychology, dyslexia, hyperlexia, and in particular language aptitude.

Disability and Indian Cinema: A Paradigm Shift in Bollywood from being Neglected to being in the Limelight

Abstract: Disability, according to medical terms, is a condition which is hard to compare to others. The issue of disability is neglected and lacks a lot of awareness among people. Indian cinema especially Bollywood is known for making films on different issues and they have made a lot of movies based on this. Unfortunately, the portrayal was negative or comic and ignored and many are shown weak and rely on a person who is physically fit. Most of the films were nothing but just making films for commercial interest. It is really important to promote awareness and real-life issues faced by them. This paper will explore the shift from being neglected to becoming the centre of attention where they become path-breakers, who are confident, and strong. With reference to the famous characters like-Naina from Hichki (2018), Rizwan from My Name is Khan (2010) and the most popular character Akash from Andhadhun (2018), this paper will give an insight into how these characters are different from the other characters and whether Bollywood was successful or not in order to showcase their characters in a different form, how they are bringing a different form within the films mentioned.

The double burden of COVID-19 and Israeli military rule on persons with disabilities in the West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has enormous negative effects on people’s lives. People with disabilities (PWDs) who have been made vulnerable and who tend to face significant barriers in accessing public services are likely to be affected even more. This study aims to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PWDs with special attention to their ability to access public services in the West Bank region of the occupied Palestinian territory.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted between March 2021 and October 2021. The study was divided into two phases. The first phase consisted of interviews with people with different disabilities, while the second phase targeted policymakers and stakeholders in discussion of the results of the first phase. A total of 16 interviews with people with different types of disabilities (7 males, 9 females) were conducted via telephone. For the second phase, a total of 6 interviews were conducted with stakeholders most responsible for addressing the issue of disability and the needs of PWDs in the West Bank. Analytical memos were prepared for all interviews. Main themes and subthemes were identified by reading and re-reading memos and transcripts until themes and subthemes emerged.ResultsAll participants agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected all aspects of life for all groups of people, including PWDs. The effects of the pandemic exacerbated the overall living conditions and access to basic services for PWDs. The results show that access to public transportation, public services, and to health services was all interrupted during the pandemic. This was compounded by deterioration of the financial situation for PWDs which further worsened their access. The stakeholders’ interviews confirmed and explained the findings as mainly due to lack of prioritization of PWD’s rights and needs.ConclusionThe study emphasized that most of the reported barriers to accessing essential services were intensified during the pandemic. Furthermore, the results show that PWDs and their needs are not considered a priority by the Palestinian Authority, exacerbated by the Israeli occupation. Our findings underline the importance of including PWDs in any future crisis planning.

Crip the elders and get out of white privilege free

The question of identity positioning in relation to engagement with issues of social exclusion is complex. I am a white non-disabled South African man working on disability and care issues....

Making the “Citizen Constitution”: Popular Participation in the Brazilian Transition to Democracy, 1985–1988

AbstractThis article examines popular participation in the making of Brazil's 1988 post-authoritarian “Citizen Constitution.” In 1987, Brazilians submitted 122 popular amendments (emendas populares) supported by over 12 million signatures to the National Constituent Assembly (1987–88). As this article contends, this extraordinary experiment in popular constitution-making problematizes notions of Brazil's transition from authoritarian to democratic rule as the most conservative of those that swept Latin America at the end of the Cold War. The popular amendments emerged amid a nationwide campaign for popular participation that saw millions of Brazilians participate in letter-writing campaigns, protests, and debates over the constitution that carried over into the halls of the Constituent Assembly itself. I argue that the popular amendments countered the arbitrary authoritarianism of the Brazilian civil-military dictatorship (1964–85) with a constitutionalism in which everyday Brazilians would safeguard democracy through popular participation in government. While only partially consolidated, this vision offered diverse marginalized groups an opportunity to claim full citizenship in Brazil's nascent democracy, especially in ways that more overtly addressed issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and disability. This article thus shows that far from being the exclusive province of political elites, everyday people meaningfully shaped the constitutional restorations in late twentieth-century Latin America.

Health care providers' and persons with disabilities' recommendations for improving access to primary health care services in rural northern Ghana: A qualitative study.

In Ghana, many persons with physical disabilities are members of populations who face health disparities including physical, structural, knowledge, attitudinal and financial barriers to various health care services compared to those without disabilities. However, there is limited evidence on how to improve access to primary health care services for persons with physical disabilities. This study aimed to understand persons with physical disabilities’ experiences and health care providers’ perspectives for improving access to primary health care for persons with disabilities in rural Ghana. We used a qualitative approach and interviewed 33 persons with physical disabilities and health care providers, and thematically analysed data from in-depth interviews. We identified 4 major themes. According to the participants, health care could be more accessible by: i) Making it more affordable; ii) Increasing the availability of providers and services; iii) Providing more education about system navigation; and iv) Improving access to disability friendly health facilities and equipment. Participants’ recommendations were nested in the areas of policy and practice modifications. Policy makers need to consider supporting persons with physical disabilities who cannot afford non-medical services (i.e., cost of transportation). In terms of practice, the provision of education and training related to physical disability issues should be extended to both clinical and nonclinical health workers for better client centered care. There is an urgent need for policy makers and relevant key stakeholders to include persons with physical disabilities in designing and implementing policies and programs to ensure that they are meeting their needs.

Le premier festival du film en Afrique et dans le monde arabe qui traite des questions de handicap : Un appel à l’action

Art is a powerful means to promote the values of respect and tolerance and a culture of acceptance of disability in a society, on the one hand, art could be used as a therapeutic means of neurological disorders, on the other hand. Disability has become a multidimensional subject, in fact, human technical and cultural development has changed our conception of disability. All the fields interfere, the socio-political field, the economy, the sport, the medicine, the art... etc. The artist, like the thinkers in a society, has a privileged place in this multicultural world. Through this manuscript, we report on the unique experience in the Arab and African world of an artistic event that addresses the issue of disability. The topics are multiple: learning disabilities, visual disorders, motor disorders... etc. Through these topics, the organizers raise awareness of the general public and civil servants in particular, in order to change their view on disability. This policy would allow the development of public policies to improve the participation of people with disabilities in the development of society. The audience is constantly evolving at the national and international level. It promotes a positive and constructive culture among the youth of today, who will be the socio-political actors of tomorrow. Other countries and OMS s’impliquent d’avantage dans ce domaine en prônant ces initiatives.