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A university’s response to people with disabilities in Worcester, Western Cape

MÜLLER, Jana V.
NED, Lieketseng
BOSHOFF, Hananja
October 2019

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Background: The call for institutions of higher education to foster interaction with communities and ensure training is responsive to the needs of communities is well documented. In 2011, Stellenbosch University collaborated with the Worcester community to identify the needs of people with disabilities within the community. How the university was engaging with these identified needs through student training still needed to be determined.

 

Objectives: This study describes the engagement process of reciprocity and responsivity in aligning needs identified by persons with disability to four undergraduate allied health student training programmes in Worcester, Western Cape.

 

Method: A single case study using the participatory action research appraisal methods explored how undergraduate student service learning was responding to 21 needs previously identified in 2011 alongside persons with disability allowing for comprehensive feedback and a collaborative and coordinated response.

 

Results: Students’ service learning activities addressed 14 of the 21 needs. Further collaborative dialogue resulted in re-grouping the needs into six themes accompanied by a planned collaborative response by both community and student learning to address all 21 needs previously identified.

 

Conclusion: Undergraduate students’ service learning in communities has the potential to meet community identified needs especially when participatory action research strategies are implemented. Reciprocity exists when university and community co-engage to construct, reflect and adjust responsive service learning. This has the potential to create a collaborative environment and process in which trust, accountability, inclusion and communication is possible between the university and the community.

 

 

African Journal of Disability, Vol 8, 2019

Advocacy Campaign for the Rights of People with Disabilities: A Participatory Action Research within a Community-based Rehabilitation Project in Vangani, Maharashtra

JAISWAL, Atul
GUPTA, Shikha
2017

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Purpose: This paper aimed to demonstrate how participatory action research (PAR) within a Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) project facilitated community participation to advocate for the rights of people with visual impairment. An advocacy campaign, led by the local people with and without disabilities, was launched for the construction of an accessible foot over- bridge (FOB) at Vangani railway station in Maharashtra, India.

 

Methods: The PAR approach was used to explore the issues faced by the local people with visual impairment. It ensured maximum community consultation, engagement and, consequently, meaningful outcomes for the community. Advocacy tools such as video documentary, online petition, media advocacy, and signature campaign were employed to publicise the issue on a larger platform. Sources for this paper included quantitative data from the survey of Vangani community and documents such as CBR project reports, media coverage articles, minutes of the meeting and correspondence with the Central Railways during the advocacy campaign that was conducted from 2012 -  2015.

 

Results: After 12 months of consistent advocacy, the Ministry of Railways sanctioned INR 15 million for the construction of the foot over-bridge. The construction work on the foot overbridge was completed in December 2016 and now it is open for public use..

 

Conclusion and Implications: This study illustrates how PAR within a CBR project successfully used an advocacy campaign as a tool for community participation, action and change. Although geographically limited to rural pockets of Maharashtra state, the learning experiences brought out some of the elements crucial for the success of an advocacy intervention within CBR programmes for the rights of people with disability in India.

Civil society engagement for mainstreaming disability in the development process : report of an action research project initiated in Gujarat with multi-stakeholder partnership

UNNATI ORGANISATION FOR DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION (UNNATI)
Handicap International
2008

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This report describes "a three-year action research (2002-2005), in Gujarat, to understand the prevailing situation and invoking the participation of civil society groups for mainstreaming disability... The four key strategies adopted in the project have been detailed to share how civil society groups can be mobilised and invoked to take concrete action for promoting participation of persons with disabilities on local issues, creation of a barrier-free environment, developing materials for public education and social communication and influencing development organisations for mainstreaming disability"

We're too much in 'to do' mode: action research into supporting international NGOs to learn

Smit, Maaike
February 2007

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This paper has been produced by INTRAC (International Training and Research Centre) and PSO (an association of 45 development NGOs in the Netherlands). Using the experience of NGOs in the Netherlands, it is designed to support International NGOs in the process of organisational learning. The key focus is on 'self knowledge' - analysing how your organisation can reflect on its learning processes and capacities. The paper provides a practical exploration of how researchers and participants from organisations can use action research to evaluate organisational learning with a view to improving practice. This paper would be highly relevant for managers, consultants, researchers and other professionals involved with organisational learning within NGOs

Realife trust

REALIFE

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This website presents information about Realife, an action research development agency. The agency's original purpose was to work alongside up to 10 local families and to develop a range of initiatives based on their needs and preferences. Every project undertaken since then has been a result of requests from local people to set something up that they simply cannot find from their local authority or other voluntary agency. Information is oprovided about the services they offer and related news and resoruces

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