Inclusive health promotion : public health remedy for people with disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the views of adults with disabilities and their care providers with regard to extent to which health promotion implementation was facilitated within Protective Workshops across several service areas in South Africa. Quantitative and Qualitative Data was collected via a combination of data collection approaches that included the use of a descriptive survey, a self-administered questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Structured questionnaires and an interview schedule were used to generate data from both the patient and care provider participants in each of the selected facilities. Participants with disabilities and care providers working in the Protective Workshops were identified and sampled through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Participants from 48 facilities participated in the study. The findings revealed that health promotion in Protective Workshops was cursory and informal. Even though health education was provided whenever the need arose, it was neither individualized nor customized in accordance with reasonable accommodation of people with disabilities. There were provincial differences in terms of the levels of participation and organizational support for people with disabilities. In certain cases bureaucratic obstacles were identified during field work. Results show inconsistency regarding access to equal opportunities for people with disabilities, albeit some agreed to a lesser extent (30.5%), others moderately (21.5%) compared to only 22.6% who agreed, were exceeded by 25% of respondents who completely disagreed to the notion that equal opportunities existed for people with disabilities. The latter was confirmed by care providers. The study recommended an urgent need for the development of inclusive health promotion, the enforcement of the requirements for reasonable accommodation and adherence to policy and legal imperatives.