Inclusiveness

 
Chapter 1
Understanding Disability and Vulnerability

Instructor: Dargie Y.
Assessment mechanisms
 Quiz =10%
 Test =20%
 Individual Assignment =10%
 Group Presentation = (10%)- Chapter 5,6,7,8
 Final exam= 50%
Outlines
 Definitions of disability and vulnerability
 Causes of impairments and vulnerability
 Types of impairments and vulnerable groups
 Historical background of modalities moving towards inclusion
 Evolution of the concept of disability
 Brainstorming questions
1. What is impairment?

2. How do you understand the concept of disability?

3. Is there any difference between impairment and disability?

4. What is the concept of vulnerability?

 1.1. Definitions of disability and vulnerability
• Disability is not uncommon and it is part of human diversity.
• It is estimated that 15% of the world’s population has a
disability, a percentage that is expected to grow because of:-
poor health care
nutrition early in life,
growing elderly populations and
violent civil conflicts.
1.1. Definitions of disability and vulnerability Cont..
• Among the population of people with disabilities, approximately 80% live
in developing countries and are disproportionately represented among the
poor.
• For instance, of the total population of Ethiopia, 17.6% are estimated to
live with some sort of impairment (WHO & World Bank, 2011, p. 272).
• Understanding the concept of disability varies between cultures and
evolves with in a culture over time.
• People are using the two key terms, impairments and
disability interchangeably but there is a visible conceptual
distinction between these terms as described below:
1.1.1. Impairment
• Impairment is the “purely factual absence of or loss of
functioning in a body part.”
• Hence, the term impairment is used to notify the physical
condition of a person such as visual, physical, hearing, and
intellectual disabilities.
• It may result in activity limitation based on the degree/
severity, type and onset of the impairment.
 1.1.1. Impairment Cont..
• It refers to any loss or abnormality of a physiological, psychological, or
anatomical structure or function.
• It is the absence of a particular body part or organ.
• It could also a condition in which the body exists but doesn‘t function.
• Some children, for instance, have impairments such as eyes that do not see
well, arms and legs that are deformed, or a brain not developing in a typical
way, etc.
• If these problems are addressed, an impairment may not lead to disability.
 1.1.2. Disability
• The concept of disability is defined as “the interaction between persons
with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders
their full and effective participation in a society on an equal basis with
others” (UN CRPD, 2006).
• Disability is, therefore, a negative reaction of people towards persons with
impairments that results in “participation restriction.”
• Disability, as a concept is referred: as an umbrella term that include
impairment, activity limitation and participation restriction.
 1.1.2. Disability Cont..
• Hence, Article 1 of the CRPD describes persons with disabilities as “those
who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments
which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and
effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
• Disability means functional limitations due to physical, intellectual, or
psychic impairment, health or psychic disorders on a person (WHO, 1996).
 1.1.3. Vulnerability
• Vulnerable means being at risk or harmed.
• Everyone can be harmed, so being vulnerable is part of being human.
• In principle, everyone is vulnerable to some adverse event or
circumstance, but some people are more vulnerable than others.
• For instance, people with disabilities are more likely as a group to
experience greater vulnerability.
• They are also often more severely affected by the vulnerability they
experience.
 1.1.3. Vulnerability Cont..
• Vulnerability refers to state of being exposed to the possibility of being
attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
• Accordingly, vulnerable groups belong to the people who are physically
and emotionally hurt and attacked as a result of various forms of social
injustice and malpractices.
• Vulnerability is classified into four categories as described below:
Physical vulnerability, Economic vulnerability, Social vulnerability,
and Attitudinal vulnerability.
A.Physical Vulnerability:
• The physical vulnerability of an area also depends on its
geographic proximity to the source and origin of the disasters
e.g. if an area lies near the coast lines, fault lines, unstable
hills etc.
B. Economic Vulnerability:
• Economic vulnerability of a community can be assessed by
determining how varied its sources of income are, the ease
of access and control over means of production (e.g.
farmland, livestock, irrigation, capital etc.), adequacy of
economic fall back mechanisms and the availability of
natural resources in the area.
C. Social Vulnerability:
• A socially vulnerable community has weak family
structures, lack of leadership for decision making and conflict
resolution, unequal participation in decision making, weak or
no community organizations, and the one in which people
are discriminated on racial, ethnic, linguistic or religious
basis.
• Limited access to facilities such as transportation, schools,
libraries, or medical services;
• Lack of social support from social networks: no assistance
from family members, friends, neighbors, or colleagues
D. Attitudinal Vulnerability:
• A community which has negative attitude towards change and
lacks initiative in life resultantly become more and more
dependent on external support.
• This brings about disunity and individualism in the society.
• Thus, they become victims of conflicts, hopelessness and
pessimism which reduce their capacity of coping with a
disaster.
Brainstorming questions
1.State causes of impairment from your own previous understanding.
2.What are the contributing factors for vulnerability?
3.How children with disabilities incorporated in education with non
disabled students?
1.2. Causes of impairments and vulnerability
• The issue of disability/impairment is not yet being scientifically
understood and treated by the society particularly in the low-income
countries including Ethiopia.
• As a result, the cause of impairment is not appropriately comprehended
due to the reason that people still believe that impairment is caused by
curse, sin and wrath of God.
• However, even though some causes of impairment are unknown,
scientific research conducted on the issue confirmed that the cause of
impairment is classified into 2 major categories as described hereunder:
 1.2.1. Biological
• Under this category of the cause of impairment, genetically induced factors
are commonly known reasons.
• These include:
- Abnormalities in genes and genetic inheritance that may cause
intellectual disability, down syndrome and other multiple impairments
on children.
- Sometimes, diseases, illnesses, and over-exposure to x-rays can cause a
genetic disorder.
- Pre-term and underweight birth also may result in different forms of
impairment.
 1.2.2. Environmental
• The adverse effect of poverty and starvation such malnutrition, lack of
access to health care and treatment etc. may cause impairment to the child
during pre- and- postnatal period.
• The use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, the exposure to certain toxic
chemicals and illnesses, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, rubella and
syphilis by a pregnant mother can cause intellectual and other types of
disability to the child.
• Childhood diseases such as a whooping cough, measles, and chicken pox
may lead to meningitis and encephalitis. This can cause damage to the
brain of the child.
• Toxic material such as lead and mercury can damage the brain too.
 1.2.2. Environmental Cont..
• Unfortunate life accident such as drowning, car accidents, falls,
landmines, war, etc. can result in people losing their sight, hearing, limbs
and other vital parts of their body.
• As in the case of impairment, among several examples of causes of
vulnerability, the following are the most known contributing factors to
vulnerability:
- Poor governance;
- Poverty;
- Discrimination;
- Inequality and inadequate access to resource and livelihood.
 1.3. Types of impairments and vulnerable groups
• Regardless of the existence of a number of types of impairments, the
commonly known and major kinds of impairments are listed below.
1.3.1. Visual impairment (Generic terminology for blindness and low
vision
1.3.2. Hearing Impairment (Generic terminology for deafness and hard of
hearing)
1.3.3. Specific Learning Disability (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia)
1.3.4. Speech and Language Impairments including fluency disorder
1.3.5. Autism
1.3.6. Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
1.3.7. Intellectual Disability
1.3.8. Physical /Orthopedic Impairments
1.3.9. Health related Impairments Such as:
- Heart disease;
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS);
- Hemophilia;
- Asthma;
- Diabetes;
- Leukemia;
- Lead poisoning Disorder;
- Tuberculosis;
- Cancer;
- Epilepsy;
1.3.10. Multiple Impairment:
- Deaf blindness
• Children, pregnant women, elderly people, malnourished people, and
people who are ill or immune-compromised, are particularly vulnerable
when a disaster strikes, and take a relatively high share of the disease
burden associated with emergencies (WHO, 2020).
• Significant number of children are vulnerable and at risk for development.
• This includes illegally working children, children who are pregnant or
become mothers, children born out of marriage, children from a single-
parent, mentally ill children, migrant children, orphans, sexually exploited
children, street children, war-affected children…etc.
• In general poor and socially disadvantaged people are the most known
vulnerable groups throughout the world.
• The following features depict the common characteristics of the vulnerable
groups stated above:
- Less physically or mentally capable (infants, older adults, people
with disabilities);
- Fewer material and/or financial resources (low-income households,
homeless);
- Less knowledge or experience (children, illiterate, foreigners,
tourists);
- Restricted by society to grow and develop according to their needs
and potentials.
1.4. Historical background of modalities moving towards
inclusion
• In the postindustrial period legislations and litigations created opportunities
for children with disabilities to access education in public schools.
• The following modalities were applied to teach children with disabilities.
1.4.1. Specialized and or residential schools
• These schools were established with an intention to provide educational
services in specialized approach only for children with disabilities.
• Consequently, schools for the deaf, schools for the blind etc. came into
being as separate institutions throughout 19th and 20th century.
 1.4.2.Mainstreaming
• In the 1960 and 70s special needs education classes were established in public
schools with an intention to create least restrictive environment for children with
disabilities.
1.4.3.Integration
• The approach was introduced and applied in 1970s with an objective to integrating
students with disabilities in general class setting without the change of regular
school/education system.
• In this situation, students with disabilities are required to fit the system.
• This approach is characterized by the following realities:
- System stays the same;
- Round pegs for round holes;
- Change the child to fit the system;
- Make the square peg round;
- Child must adapt or fail.
Integration
 1.4.4.Inclusive Education
• This approach was applied as of the last quarter of 20th century focusing on
regular education system change to fit the special educational needs of
students with disabilities as discussed in the next section in detail.
• This approach is characterized by the following factors.
- Flexible system;
- Children are different;
- All children can learn: (Different abilities, Ethnic Groups, Size, Age,
Background, Gender, Persons with disabilities);
- Change the system to fit the child.
Inclusive
  1.5. Evolution of the concept of disability
• In order to understand how disability is currently viewed, it is helpful to
look at the way the concept of disability has evolved over time as described
below.
1.5.1.Traditional/Charity Model
• Historically, disability was largely understood in mythological or religious
terms, e.g. people with disabilities were considered to be possessed by
devils or spirits; disability was also often seen as a punishment for past
wrongdoing.
• These views are still present today in many traditional societies.
PWDs outside of society and society giving to
PWDs
 1.5.2.Individual/Medical Model
• In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, developments in science and
medicine helped to create an understanding that disability has a biological
or medical basis, with impairments in body function and structure being
associated with different health conditions.
• This medical model views disability as a problem of the individual and is
primarily focused on cure and the provision of medical care by
professionals.
PWDs outside of society and PWDs should adapt to
fit society
 1.5.3. Social Model/Human Rights-Based Model
• In the 1960s and 1970s, the individual and medical view of disability
was challenged and a range of social approaches were developed, e.g.
the social model of disability.
• These approaches shifted attention away from the medical aspects of
disability and instead focused on the social barriers and discrimination
that people with disabilities face.
• Disability is a highly varied and complex condition with a range of
implications for social identity and behavior.
 1.5.3. Social Model/Human Rights-Based Model Cont..
• Disability largely depends on the context and is a consequence of
discrimination, prejudice, and exclusion.
• Emphasizes the shortcomings in the environment and many organized
activities in society, for example on information, communication, and
education, which prevent persons with disabilities from participating on
equal terms.
• Disability was redefined as a societal problem rather than an individual
problem and solutions became focused on removing barriers and social
change, not just medical cure.
PWD as part of society

 
 Activities

1.Read the following short story and identify the phrase that clearly
shows the meaning of impairment and disability.

Ten-year-old Mesfin’s eyes are damaged = ________________

due to an eye disease, and he develops difficulties in seeing =
_________________________. His school refuses to take him back
as they don’t have the resources to support a child with visual
impairment =_______________. There are no other schools in his
community and therefore Mesfin cannot go to school =
______________________.
 
2. Which modality applied to teach children with disabilities isolated from
their non disabled peers? Why?
3. What factors make inclusive education as a modality to teach children
with disabilities and other vulnerable groups different from integration?
4. Who are exposed to vulnerability? Why?
5. What are the major and common characteristics of vulnerable groups?