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WHO disability-inclusive health services training package: a companion to the Disability-inclusive health services toolkit. A resource for health facilities in the Western Pacific Region

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) WESTERN PACIFIC
June 2023

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The WHO Disability-Inclusive Health Services Training Package is a companion to the “WHO Disability-Inclusive Health Services Toolkit: A resource for health facilities in the Western Pacific Region” published by WHO in 2020. This package offers a range of additional training materials including presentations, workbooks and videos that will allow users to develop the foundational skills and understanding of the Toolkit for its implementation. Together the Toolkit and Training Package will help ensure equitable access to health services, best-quality outcomes and improved quality of life for all people with disabilities to achieve universal health coverage.

Disability-inclusive health services toolkit : a resource for health facilities in the Western Pacific Region

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) WESTERN PACIFIC
October 2020

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The United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities upholds the rights of people with disabilities to access health services. The Disability- inclusive Health Services Toolkit: A Resource for Health Facilities in the Western Pacific Region supports the rights of people with disabilities to have the same access to health services as people without disabilities. The Toolkit provides practical guidance to managers and staff of health-care facilities and services, health policy-makers, and nongovernmental organizations on identifying and addressing barriers to health information and services. The Toolkit supports the achievement of universal health coverage (‎UHC)‎ by ensuring everyone can access health information and can benefit equally from health services.

Understanding barriers, enablers, and long-term adherence to a health behavior intervention in people with multiple sclerosis

BARNARD, Emma
BROWN, Chelsea R
WEILAND, Tracey J
JELINEK, George A
MARCK, Claudia H
October 2018

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Background: The optimal management strategy for multiple sclerosis (MS), and many other chronic diseases, likely involves health behavior modification. Multimodal behavioral interventions may be most effective, but little is known about long-term adherence in people with MS.

 

Methods: This qualitative study assessed barriers and enablers to long-term adherence by people with MS who self-selected for a 5-day health behavior intervention 3–5 years prior. Thirteen women and five men participated in semi-structured phone interviews, which were transcribed and thematically analyzed.

 

Results: The experience was described as useful for information gathering, decision making, and practical strategies regarding health behaviors. The majority still followed supplementation and dietary recommendations most of the time, although consuming non-recommended food while eating out was common. Support at home, ability and enjoyment in food preparation, and ability to resist unhealthy foods were both barriers and enablers. Adherence to “time-consuming” exercise and meditation recommendations were less common and episodic. Many reported competing interests on time from work and family; and barriers including injuries and symptoms, weather, financial or geographical barriers, and lack of person-centred support and motivation. Increased fitness and mobility, weight loss, and a sense of accomplishment and control were advantages and motivators. Practical and attitudinal strategies employed included planning, tailoring activities to ability and preference, and self-monitoring.

 

Conclusion: While most people attempted to engage with all components of the intervention initially, only some still engaged with all components, and none to the recommended levels. These data can inform future quantitative studies and health behavior interventions.

Communication Disability in Fiji: Community Cultural Beliefs and Attitudes

HOPF, Suzanne C
MCLEOD, Sharynne
MCDONAGH, Sarah H
RAKANACE, Epenisa N
2017

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Purpose: Beliefs about communication disability vary according to the cultural context, and influence people’s attitudes and help-seeking behaviour. Little is known about Fijians with communication disability or the communities in which they live, and specialist services for people with communication disability are yet to be established in Fiji. An understanding of Fijian beliefs about the causes of communication disability and attitudes towards people with communication disability may inform future service development.

 

Method: An interpretivist qualitative research paradigm and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework informed this project’s design. Scenarios of adults and children with communication disability were presented to 144 participants, randomly sampled across multiple public spaces in two Fiji cities. Thematic analysis of responses to 15 survey questions revealed participant beliefs about the causes and attitudes towards people with communication disability.

 

Results: Three clusters describing perceived causes emerged from the analysis - internal, external, and supernatural. Major clusters across child and adult scenarios were similar; however, response categories within the scenarios differed. Community attitudes to people with communication disability were predominantly negative. These community attitudes influenced individual participants’ beliefs about educational and employment opportunities for Fijians with communication disability.

 

Conclusion: Determination and acknowledgement of individuals’ belief systems informs development of culturally appropriate intervention programmes and health promotion activities.

 

Implications: Speech-language pathologists and other professionals working with Fijian communities should acknowledge community belief systems and develop culturally-specific health promotion activities, assessments, and interventions.

Entering the SDG era: What do Fijians prioritise as indicators of disability-inclusive education?

SPRUNT, Beth
DEPPELER, Joanne
RAVULO, Kitione
TINAIVUNIVALU, Savaira
SHARMA, Umesh
2017

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Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 is to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and the targets and indicators for SDG 4 emphasise the importance of measuring outcomes for children with disabilities (United Nations, 2015b). This paper reports on findings from qualitative research investigating Fijian stakeholders’ priorities for measuring success of efforts within a contextually and culturally meaningful process of disabilityinclusive education; that is, achievement of SDG 4 for children with disabilities. The priorities are presented in light of the specific challenges in Fiji to fulfilling this goal. The research presented in this paper is one part of a much larger mixed method study funded by the Australian aid program that aimed to develop and test indicators for the education of children with disabilities in the Pacific (Sharma et al., 2016). Fijian researchers with lived experience of disability undertook key informant interviews and focus group discussions with 28 participants. The findings include the need for or role of: an implementation plan and resourcing to ensure the national inclusive education policy is activated; improved awareness and attitudes; competent, confident and compassionate teachers; disability-specific services and assistive technology; accessible buildings and transport; and the important role of special schools. Inclusive education reform requires that Fiji incorporates and builds on existing strengths in special and inclusive education to ensure that systems and people are prepared and resourced for inclusion. The paper concludes that targets within SDG 4 are compatible with priorities within Fiji, however additional indicators are required to measure locally-prioritized changes related to barriers which need to be addressed if Fiji is to make progress towards the higher-order targets of SDG 4.

 

Disability & the Global South (DGS), 2017, Vol. 4 No. 1

Caring for people with intellectual disabilities in poor rural communities in Cambodia : experience from ADD International

CORDIER, Sylvie
October 2014

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This article explores the impact of ADD International’s project in Cambodia, which aimed to support communities to learn more about persons with intellectual disabilities and support them in their daily life. The article has a particular focus on how this work affected carers, the majority of whom are women

Gender & Development, 22:3

Electoral participation of electors with disabilities : Canadian practices in a comparative context

PRINCE, Michael J
March 2012

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"This report addresses three main research questions: What barriers do people with disabilities, physical and/or mental, face when trying to vote? What reforms have countries and, in the case of Canada, provinces introduced since 2000 to reduce or eliminate barriers to voting for people with disabilities? More specifically, what services, supports and laws or standards have governments introduced to ensure better access to voting by electors with disabilities The specific focus of this report is on the right to vote, rather than on the right to freely associate as an activist or to run as a candidate and to hold elected office. Five national jurisdictions are reviewed in this report, specifically Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand. On Canada, attention is given to developments and practices at the federal, and provincial and territorial levels of government"

Community attitudes to people with disability : scoping project

THOMPSON, Denise
et al
2011

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"This report investigates current research on community attitudes towards people with disability. It was an initial step towards building an evidence base on Australian community attitudes to people with disability, on the impact of these attitudes, on outcomes for people with disability, and on effective policies for improving community attitudes towards them"
Occasional Paper #39
Note: Available in pdf and word formats

Hansen's disease recoverers as agents of change : a case study in Japan

HOSODA, Miwako
March 2010

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"This manuscript addresses the role and contribution of people affected by Hansen's disease (leprosy), especially through the efforts of Zen-Ryo-Kyo, the National Hansen's Disease Sanatoria Residents' Association, in changing laws and attitudes in Japan since the 1950's. Health social movements are discussed in the Japanese context and more broadly. An important contribution of this manuscript is the explanatory description of the activities of Zen-Ryo-Kyo in achieving change through addressing issues related to social stigma and discrimination"
Leprosy Review, Vol 81, Issue 1

Political participation of women with disabilities in Cambodia : research report 2010

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL FRANCE (HIF)
THE CAMBODIAN DISABLED PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION (CDPO)
THE COMMITTEE FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN CAMBODIA (COMFREL)
2010

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"This report examines the interests of women with disabilities, as well as the barriers to their participation. It also provides recommendations for the promotion of their electoral and political participation, while highlighting opportunities and strategies for intervention and engagement by relevant stakeholders"

Responding to children, young people and AIDS : collection of best practices under UNTG on AIDS, working group on children

June 2009

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This collection of best practices on the prevention of mother to child transmission; treatment and care for women and children with HIV; vulnerability reduction for youth; and stigma reduction, aims to contribute to experience- and expertise-sharing about tailored interventions to meet the needs of target populations. The publication was produced by the United Nations Theme Group (UNTG) on AIDS, Working Group on Children to contribute to sharing between UN agencies, NGOs and bilateral organisations and civil society. The Chinese Campaign on HIV Prevention for Children and Young People was launched by the Government of China in September, 2006 under the global campaign 'Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS'

Speaking up : Muslim views on HIV & AIDS

CHARNLEY, Simone
2007

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This publication presents the findings of research which covered over 3,500 respondents from Muslim communities across Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh and India (West Bengal). It is divided into 3 parts: the first part details the demographics of the study population and methodology of the research. The second part provides detailed information on the content and results of the research survey: highlighting the widespread prevalence of misconceptions about HIV transmission, and the poor understanding of key risk behaviours amongst Muslim communities; the views and opinions of Muslim communities about HIV & AIDS and the prevailing stigma and discrimination associated with HIV & AIDS and people living with HIV & AIDS; and various attitudes towards Islam and condom use, and notions of gendered responsibilities in preventing HIV & AIDS. The third part summarises the overall key findings, along with important findings in each surveyed country, and provides recommendations for future interventions based on this

HIV/AIDS stigma : finding solutions to strengthen HIV/AIDS programs

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN (ICRW)
2006

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This paper gives an overview of the research findings of ICRW and its partners in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia into stigma and discrimination around HIV & AIDS, which show many common causes and similar outcomes, and looks at ways to combat stigma

Common at its core : HIV-related stigma across contexts

OGDEN, Jessica
NYBLADE, Laura
2005

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The report begins by defining stigma and providing background about projects that ICRW and its partners in four countries carried out into HIV-related stigma and discrimination. It then discusses that, in spite of different contexts, the four countries where the studies took place share key features that shape the nature and forms of HIV-related stigma and it presents findings focusing on the similarities across the four different country contexts. It concludes with a discussion of the way forward and an overview of the two anti-stigma toolkits that grew out of the projects’ findings: one that is suitable to many African settings; and one, adapted from the first, which is tailored for Vietnam but suitable for adaptation elsewhere in the Asian region

AIDS discrimination in Asia

ASIA PACIFIC NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (APN+)
2004

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Study of the discrimination faced by people living with HIV/AIDS. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data. Its findings indicate that AIDS-related discrimination is prevalent in every sector of society. Age and educational background do not affect the level of discrimination faced, but sex, state of health and marital status do. Women are more likely than men to experience discrimination within the family and community because of their HIV status

Lessons from the South : making a difference

EENET
1998

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This is a report on an international seminar on Inclusive Education which brought together practitioners from Asia, Africa, Central America, the Middle East and Europe. The aim of the seminar was to share experience between programmes. The semiar discussed five main topics: policy; attitudes; school issues; practice; and monitoring and evaluation

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