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Swenson, Patricia Louise. "A theory of program evaluation practices in disability management." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/51639.
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This grounded theory study developed a theory of evaluation in disability management programs. Disability management involves managing the interactions between health condition impairments and their environments to overcome functional barriers. A sample of four sites was selected each site representing a different paradigm of disability management practices: biomedical, labour, biopsychosocial or insurance. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 9 participants, including an administrator and practitioner from each site, the Readiness for Organizational Learning and Evaluation Instrument, and documents from each site were analyzed. There were five major findings of the study. 1) Meaningful disability management program evaluation requires insight into how impairment environment interactions are being managed by the program. 2) The presence or absence of collaboration among stakeholders contributes significantly to the variability in disability management and disability management evaluation. 3) Understanding how disability management programs are adapting to contextual influences contributes significantly to an explanation of variability in disability management and disability management evaluation. 4) There are five primary disability management evaluation criteria: return to work, cost savings, timeliness of services, client satisfaction, and client functioning. 5) Disability management evaluation followed a consumer working logic approach, and was predominantly concerned with usefulness of services, and secondarily framed from perspectives of multiple stakeholders. Additionally, disability management programs and their funding organizations are increasingly using technology to develop new data management systems for future use in evaluation.Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate
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Disley, Philip Alan John. "Applying equity theory to staff in learning disability services." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.618725.
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According to Adams' (1965) equity theory. individuals determine how fairly they are being treated in relationships by comparing their ratio of inputs and rewards with those of a comparison other. A small number of studies on staff working in services for people with learning disabilities (LD) have utilised this theory, A review of these studies found a number of theoretical and methodological issues that require investigation. The aim of the current study was to address these issues. Specifically, its main aims were to (I) find out what inputs and rewards are relevant to LD service staff and who they compare themselves to (2) develop and evaluate a detailed measure of staff equity perceptions that is suitable for LD service staff - The Equity Perception Scale - Learning Disability Service (EPS-LDS) - and (3) expand on previous research by investigating whether staff equity perceptions are associated with a number of variables that have not previously been investigated within the context of LD services (i.e. performance, job satisfaction and organisational commitment). Data was collected using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods (i.e. semi-structured interviews (n=; 15), focus groups (n = 7) and postal questionnaires (n = 143)) and data analysis procedures (e.g. template analysis and non-parametric statistical tests). A wide range of inputs, outcomes and comparison others were identified. Overall, the EPS-LDS was found to possess acceptable internal consistency reliability, construct validity and criterion validity. The overall test-retest reliability of the measure, however, was found to be unsatisfactory. Staff equity perceptions were found to be associated with performance. job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Possible explanations for some of the findings are forwarded. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for research and practice. Directions for future research are proposed.
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O'Donnell, Owen. "Labour supply and consumption consequences of disability." Thesis, University of York, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.259808.
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Beckett, Angharad Elise. "The 'struggle' for citizenship : citizenship, social movement theory and disability." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.408363.
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Gilroy, John. "The Participation of Aboriginal People with Disability in Disability Services in NSW, Australia." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/9104.
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This thesis identified the factors that influence the participation of Aboriginal people in the New South Wales Government Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) funded disability services, as described from the experiences of non-government disability service providers and paid disability service workers in New South Wales, Australia. Although it is known that the rates of morbidity are much higher among Aboriginal people compared with the non-Aboriginal population, the participation rates of Aboriginal people in disability services are under-representative. Various authors have examined these phenomena from the view point of Aboriginal people who may be interested in using disability services. However, there is limited understanding on the views of non-government and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers of disability services about the factors that influence the participation of Aboriginal people in disability services. This study aimed to help fill this knowledge gap by achieving the following three research objectives: 1. Identify how and when the participation of Aboriginal people in disability services was identified in documented policy. 2. Identify and describe the factors that influence the participation of Aboriginal people in disability services as perceived by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees in two NSW Government Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care funded disability services. 3. Develop an Explanatory Framework that adequately encapsulates and represents the factors identified in this study as influencing the participation of Aboriginal people in disability services. One Aboriginal community controlled organisation and a generic disability organisation were the sites for investigation. Objective one was achieved through a critical historical analysis of policy documents developed by the governments, one Aboriginal community controlled organisation and one generic disability organisation. A rigorous electronic and manual search of publications spanning three decades from 1981 was undertaken. This analysis demonstrated that the disability services sector’s strategies to accommodate the needs of Aboriginal people with a disability have made a limited impact on the service participation rates and have been hampered by Eurocentric models of disability and research. A conceptual framework is proposed to assist disability researchers and policy analysts working with Aboriginal people with a disability. The conceptual framework brings together the strengths of both the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the Indigenous Standpoint Theory. The second objective was achieved via a situational analysis of transcripts of interviews, focus groups and field notes that were conducted with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal paid employees of the same government funded organisations. Twelve factors that influenced the participation of Aboriginal people in disability services were identified from the data. Consistent with objective three, an Explanatory Framework was developed which illustrated the relationships between these factors. This framework demonstrated that the factors that influence the participation of Aboriginal people in disability services are inter-dependent historically, culturally and institutionally. The identified factors and explanatory framework are used to guide recommendations for future research, policy development and service provision in the sector.Cerebral Palsy Alliance
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Morciano, Marcello. "Latent factor modelling of disability." Thesis, University of Essex, 2016. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/16224/.
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This PhD thesis uses survey data and involves the application of latent factor structural equation methods to the study of the economics of disability and disability policy in later life, a topic which is currently very high on the policy agenda. It comprises four studies. The first chapter investigates the presence of health-related sample attrition (the drop-out of eligible sample members over time) in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The second chapter examines whether different indic ators of disability, collected in three widely-used household surveys, are consistent with a common set of findings relating to the targeting of disability benefits. In the third chapter we estimate the additional per sonal costs experienced by disabled older people to achieve the same material standard of living as similar people living without disability. Chapter 4 assesses the presence of socio-economic disparities in birth-cohort trends in later life physical and cognitive disability and in the receipt of non-means-tested cash disability benefits.
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Harris, Patrick. "Reconceptualizing Rhetorics of Madness: A Theory of Neurodiversity." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1500394152345408.
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Jarvis, Joanne Lynne. "The development and maintenance of chronic pain and disability : A process theory." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Psychology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/6798.
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Chronic pain and associated disability are prevalent problems with considerable and widespread impact. Currently, a wealth of aetiological theories exist for these, with each focussing mainly on one small aspect of this complex area. These theories are summarised and discussed. The theories are generally cross-sectional in nature and usually focus solely on the endpoint of chronic pain and disability, rather than the ongoing processes by which chronic pain and disability are developed and maintained. Process theories are lacking in the chronic pain area.
This thesis presents a new theory examining the process involved in the development and maintenance of chronic pain and disability. The theory was derived using grounded theory methods. The participants interviewed were all currently suffering from chronic pain associated with a variety of medical diagnoses. The areas examined with respect to this research were wide-ranging, thus leading to the creation of a broad process theory. This theory encompasses much of the existing chronic pain literature in addition to identifying additional areas for examination. It proposes a data-driven micro model theory which examines the development and maintenance of chronic pain and disability at a process level.
The theory of development and maintenance of chronic pain and disability identifies background/vulnerability factors which serve to predispose the individuals to develop chronic pain. These factors are based around the core concept of attachment, and continue, in a similar form, to maintain acute and chronic pain and disability. Once individuals experience pain they enter the acute pain phase of the theory. This identifies treatment beliefs and behaviour as important factors to the development of chronic pain. This section of the theory contains a cyclical treatment process. It is influenced by the background/vulnerability factors, particularly attachment style. If acute pain persists for at least six months, the individuals enter the chronic pain section of this theory. This is again a cyclical management process, primarily driven by the individuals' implicit theories about pain management, which were found to be influenced by the core category of attachment style.
The concepts identified in this data-driven theory of the development and maintenance of chronic pain and disability are discussed in relation to the current literature. This includes chronic pain and health-related literature, existing chronic pain theories, and where applicable, general literature in the concept areas. Limitations of the study, directions for future research, and clinical implications are then presented.
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Businge, Patrick Rusoke. "Education, disability and armed conflict : a theory of Africanising education in Uganda." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/18009.
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Education in conflict settings is a new field of inquiry and there is a paucity of research about this topic as regards the education of children with disabilities. This qualitative study set out to gain insight into how children with disabilities are educated in the conflict setting of Uganda and how it could be improved. This study used a critical, constructivist and grounded research style to generate data. It was critical because its aims and questions focused on addressing the injustices experienced by children with disabilities. It was constructivist as both the participants and myself co-constructed knowledge. It also had some grounded theory features such as emergence and iteration in its methods and tools. For instance, it had three distinct but interrelated stages. The first stage involved an exploratory study which used online methods to gather data from 27 participants who had lived or worked in Uganda. The second stage was an experiential study in two sites in Uganda which used observation and interview methods to collect data from 35 participants. The third and final stage synthesised significant codes and memos constructed from the exploratory and experiential stages into a theory of education. There were four main findings in this study. First, it revealed the nature and extent of the challenges faced by all children living in conflict settings: forced displacement, dehumanisation, rampant poverty and weakened leadership. Second, it discovered that disabled people experienced rejection in their communities and invisibility in the provision of services such as education. Whilst these practices prevailed in non-conflict situations, they were intensified in conflict settings and were counter to the African beliefs on what it meant to be human and live in a community. Third, education in Uganda was likened to disabled people and considered 'creeping' or 'crippled' because of demotivated teachers, disengaged parents, ailing infrastructure and decreasing quality. Fourth and last, participants had visions of educational change which involved modifying it and transforming it into an education that develops conscience in children, reinforces hope and widens opportunities. This research made the following original contributions: generating original data, conceptualising Africanised interviews, and constructing a theory of Africanising education. According to my knowledge I could claim originality to this study in that by 2012, no other study had generated original data on the interfaces between education, disability and conflict in Northern Uganda using a critical, constructivist, and grounded research style. In addition, this research style led to the emergence of Africanised interviews: interviews embedded in the customs and practices of the African people. Importantly, this study led to the construction of a theory which contained critical knowledge on how Africanisation could be thought of and brought about in the setting. Africanisation was understood as the process of using African philosophies such as 'ubuntu' and communalism to transform the 'creeping' education system, reform the colonial curriculum, renew teacher professionalism, mend communities, and re-humanise the relationships between disabled and non-disabled people. Africanisation also entailed decolonising scholarship and this involved quoting African scholars and exposing their philosophies which had been marginalised by Western scholars.
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Kahonde, Callista Kanganwiro. "A grounded theory study of family caregivers' responses to the sexuality of young adults with intellectual disabilities." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24508.
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Globally, people with intellectual disabilities are not afforded equal opportunities to express and enjoy their sexuality on par with their peers. Although most of them remain under the lifetime custody of family caregivers for care and support, a knowledge gap exists in understanding the role of the family caregivers in the sexuality issues of people with intellectual disabilities, especially in developing countries like South Africa. The present study is the first of its kind that employed an exploratory, theory generating methodology, the constructivist grounded theory methodology, to seek understanding of how family caregivers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa respond to sexuality of young adults with intellectual disabilities. Data were gathered through in-depth and focus group interviews with 25 family caregivers and further confirmatory interviews with nine service providers of young adults with intellectual disabilities. The study generated a substantive grounded theory, the Theory of Contained Sexuality, to explain the responses of family caregivers to the sexuality of young adults with intellectual disabilities. The study found that the family caregivers' thoughts, emotions, actions and behaviour towards the sexuality of the young adults with intellectual disabilities are influenced by what the family caregivers see as implications of the young adults' sexual expression and behaviour on both of them. The family caregivers do not completely suppress or restrain the sexuality of the young adults with intellectual disabilities but they support with 'containment', that is they try to confine the sexuality within boundaries that they can control and manage within their lifelong caring role. Ultimately, what the findings of this study point towards is the impact of lifelong family care on realisation of sexual rights by people with intellectual disabilities. Hence, the study concluded that, without the appropriate forms of support and probably alternative forms of care, the human rights framework as embodied within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and local policies informed by it is insufficient as a tool for sexual emancipation of people with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, a relational moral theory - the ethics of care - is proposed as appropriate to complement the human rights framework in both research and practice around sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities living under family care. The study also highlights the imperative for further studies that investigate the impact of lifelong family care on other aspects of the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and promote theorisation of lifelong care within such studies.
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Moore, Katherine Joanne. "Disability employment practices in the Australian retail sector." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/91182/1/Katherine_Moore_Thesis.pdf.
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The persistent low employment rate of people with disability has emerged as a concern for the Australian Government and society in general. The research addressed the gap between the supply and demand sides of disability employment by exploring organisational mechanisms underlying the proactive employment of people with disability. Data was collected from a large Australian retail organisation that currently employs people with disability. The findings revealed how the organisation legitimises disability employment practices, within its internal and external operating environments. The research informs the areas of government policy and organisational practices concerning future employment opportunities for people with disability.
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Egner, Justine E. "An Intersectional Examination of Disability and LGBTQ+ Identities In Virtual Spaces." Scholar Commons, 2018. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7149.
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This dissertation is a multi-methodological project that examines the experiences of being both LGBTQ+ and disabled from an intersectional perspective through narratives constructed in virtual spaces. In this project, I address the question ‘how do individuals who identify as both disabled/chronically ill and LGBTQ+ negotiate these often contradictory identities?’ I also complexify this intersectional analysis by examining how LGBTQ+/disabled identities are constructed in relation to race, class, and gender. Additionally, by conducting virtual ethnography as the primary method of data collection, I explore questions pertaining to how members of LBGTQ+ and disability online communities engage in virtual identity construction and virtual community building. Through these projects I seek to bring disability and LGBTQ+ identities into the intersectionality literature and discourse that has frequently excluded, and at times even ignored, these positionalities.
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Moallef, Akbari Parvaneh. "Theory of mind and the nonverbal learning disability syndrome, analysis of case studies." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/MQ58683.pdf.
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Gale, Julia. "Building practice through managing change : a grounded theory study of learning disability nurses." Thesis, London South Bank University, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.271762.
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Fort, Megan. "Inclusive Recreation: The Malleability of Attitudes Toward Disability Through Peer Interaction." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2014. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5687.
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This study explored the malleability of attitudes with the goal of improving social inclusion for a stigmatized group, specifically individuals with developmental disabilities. Contact Theory was used as an intentional structure for meaningful intergroup contact to assess, understand, and improve meanings applied to individuals with disabilities at an inclusive summer day camp. Adolescent volunteers were administered quantitative questionnaires utilizing the Contact with Disabled Persons Scale (CDP) and the Multi-Dimensional Attitude Scale (MAS). Collected data were used to determine the efficacy of involvement in an inclusive recreation program on adolescent participants' attitudes toward disability. After a covariate-adjusted regression analysis, contact with individuals with disabilities was found to significantly predict change in attitudes toward disability. Dyadic interviews were held after camp participation to provide additional sources of data with potential for deeper understanding of the camp experience for the volunteers. The data suggested participants perceived camp as a setting for the development of reciprocal relationships with peers who have developmental disabilities. These relationships further framed participants' understanding of the experience as fun, difficult, and resulting in perceived personal change. Implications for future research are discussed.
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Davy, Laura Kathryn. "People with Intellectual Disability and the Relational Self: Redrawing the Moral Boundaries of Personal Autonomy." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/17577.
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Accounts of autonomy within liberal theory seek to promote individual self-determination and the dignity of all persons, but have also been used to demarcate the boundaries of personhood and exclude people with intellectual disability. Critically engaging with how theories and policies that promote autonomy position people with intellectual disability can illuminate the shortcomings of individualistic approaches to autonomy and extend the accounts of relational autonomy developed by feminist theorists. Drawing on feminist conceptions of the relational self, I show that the capacity to exercise personal autonomy is dependent upon supportive relationships and enabling environments, for people with intellectual disability and for all persons. While this dependency applies to all persons, the particular challenges faced by people with intellectual disability in exercising autonomy requires us to expand the moral boundaries of our conceptions of personal autonomy. To this end, the thesis critically revises the concepts of self-representation and moral responsibility that are central to standard models of personal autonomy, by 1) exploring ethical modes of speaking with and for marginalised persons and groups, and 2) developing a political conception of care that understands the enablement of autonomy as a collective, social responsibility. It also interrogates current disability advocacy and disability policy, which in emphasising the centrality of the personal autonomy of people with disability, face the task of translating and operationalising a highly contested and emergent concept. Woven between the chapters of this thesis are short pieces of relational narrative that explore my personal positioning and relationship with my younger sister who has intellectual disability. These narratives seek to evoke the ongoing relational negotiation and renegotiation of dependency, interdependency, and individuality through which personal agency and autonomy emerge, a dynamic that needs to be supported by wider social actors and institutions in order to enable people with intellectual disability to flourish as individuals.
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Ash, Sarah. "Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities and their Parents: A Systems Theory Approach to Functioning and Well-being." Thesis, Boston College, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:105068.
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Thesis advisor: Penny Hauser-CramThis dissertation involved secondary analysis of data from the Early Intervention Collaborative Study (EICS), a longitudinal study of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families (Hauser-Cram, Warfield, Shonkoff, & Krauss, 2001). The sample for this dissertation was comprised of 133 adolescents with DD and their parents. When the target adolescent was ages 15 and 18, mothers and fathers completed measures assessing their own functioning and that of their child, as well as aspects of the home and family environment. Regression analyses were utilized to examine factors that relate to and predict functioning and well-being of adolescents with DD and that of their parents. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What parental and child factors are related to the well-being of parents of adolescents with DD? (2) How is partner satisfaction related to the parent-child relationship and family cohesion for parents of adolescents with DD? (3) How are work characteristics related to parental satisfaction with the parent-child relationship and with parental well-being? (4) What factors predict and relate to adolescent autonomy in teens with DD? Results indicated that parenting efficacy predicted parental well-being and various types of parenting stress above and beyond adolescent behavior problems. Counter to hypotheses, parent social support and adolescent autonomy did not relate to parental well-being. Additionally, the total number of adolescent behavior problems was related to greater well-being among mothers but not fathers, though externalizing behavior problems in particular related to greater total parenting stress for fathers only. Dyadic adjustment was only related to greater satisfaction with family cohesion for fathers, as was difficulty of care. For both mothers and fathers, work flexibility and job satisfaction contributed to greater parental well-being above and beyond satisfaction with the parent-child relationship. Finally, social acceptance predicted later adolescent autonomy, and adolescent self-efficacy related to autonomy above and beyond previous social acceptance. Collectively, the findings demonstrated the influence of adolescent functioning in relation to parents’ well-being, the importance of parenting efficacy for parents and peer support and self-efficacy for adolescents with disabilities, and the potential benefits of employment for this parenting group. Implications and areas for future study are discussed
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology
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Wieseler, Christine Marie. "A Feminist Contestation of Ableist Assumptions: Implications for Biomedical Ethics, Disability Theory, and Phenomenology." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6433.
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This dissertation contributes to the development of philosophy of disability by drawing on disability studies, feminist philosophy, phenomenology, and philosophy of biology in order to contest epistemic and ontological assumptions about disability within biomedical ethics as well as within philosophical work on the body, demonstrating how philosophical inquiry is radically transformed when experiences of disability are taken seriously.
In the first two chapters, I focus on epistemological and ontological concerns surrounding disability within biomedical ethics. Although disabled people and their advocates have been quite vocal regarding their views on disability and in critiquing bioethicists’ approaches to issues that affect them, the interests, knowledge, and experiences of disabled people have had minimal impact on discussions within biomedical ethics textbooks. The risks of making problematic assumptions about disability are high within this subfield insofar as bioethicists impact practices within medical facilities, public policy, and, through student engagement with their texts in biomedical ethics courses, the views of potential health care professionals. All of these, in turn, affect the care provided to disabled people and potential/actual parents of disabled children.
Chapter three raises ontological issues related to disability theory, examining the role of the impairment/disability distinction in framing discussions of the body as well as the status of experience. I discuss two approaches to incorporating subjective experiences of the body in disability, arguing that neither is sufficient. I examine debates within feminist theory on questions related to experience. I argue that a feminist phenomenological approach that builds on Merleau-Ponty’s work offers the best way to address bodily experiences in disability theory. The assumptions that disability theorists and Merleau-Ponty make about disability are often at odds. Chapter four points out the ableism in Merleau-Ponty’s use of a case study and considers some of the oversights within Phenomenology of Perception. In spite of my critique, I argue that his approach to phenomenology—with appropriate modifications—is useful not only for theorizing the experiences of disabled people but also for addressing other types of marginalized embodiment. Chapter five applies this method to body integrity identity disorder (BIID), arguing that combining Merleau-Ponty’s insights with those of disability theory allows us to address lived experiences of BIID and to identify assumptions about disability within research on this condition.
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Nolan, Renee H. "Uncovering the Keys of Success In The Utah Medicaid Work Incentive Program: A Grounded Theory Study." DigitalCommons@USU, 2006. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6236.
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The purpose of this grounded theory research was to determine what differentiates people with disabilities who leave Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits due to increased income from those who cannot. Fifteen individuals, former and current participants in a Medicaid Buy-In program, were interviewed. Within the context of health and disability, four theoretical propositions were identified: education, opportunity to work, interpersonal support, and secure housing. Higher benefit levels were also found to be an effective barrier for many.
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Orens, David M. "an end to the 'other' in landscape architecture: poststructural theory and universal design." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/30523.
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Accessibility in the landscape has gained increased attention in recent years, and the practice of Universal Design, rather than providing ‘accessible’ accommodations as separate, distinct elements within the landscape, attempts to address social issues such as segregation by proposing an integrated accessibility and design for a diverse society. However, while proposing integration, it can be criticized as designing to the lowest common denominator and clinging to the idea of a ‘disabled’ population which must be designed down to. It frequently fails to address the complexities arising from conflicts between the needs of individuals with different disabilities and lacks a theoretical framework which would place the philosophy’s ideals within a broader social and cultural context. The poststructural project is posited as such a theoretical framework, and a means for evaluating the principles of Universal Design along with the social and cultural beliefs upon which the accessibility issue rests. Poststructuralism is used to challenge the idea of separate ‘able’ / ‘disabled’ populations on the basis that this dichotomous opposition is based on limiting conceptions of disability and fails to acknowledge the complexities which comprise the diverse fabric of society. The project is explored here as an alternative means for advancing the ideals of Universal Design within the realm of landscape architecture. Using a matrix of poststructural practices, social concepts such as normality and disability are examined and ‘deconstructed.’ Ultimately a reconstruction of the paradigm, a Critically Integrated Design, is proposed based upon the reconceptualization and resituation of accessibility and social conditions.Master of Landscape Architecture
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Stanton, Courtney. "FINDING UNIVERSALS THROUGH DIFFERENCE: DISABILITY THEORY’S POTENTIAL TO EMPOWER COMPOSITION STUDIES." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2016. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/388710.
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EnglishPh.D.
While much attention has been paid to the borders between those within and beyond the discipline of composition, the primary goal of this project is to examine the discourses which exist within composition and, subsequently, how these discourses might work to undermine pedagogy and scholarship. I take the position that even those working directly in composition do not offer clear, consistent consensus regarding concepts which are fundamental to the legitimacy of composition as a discipline. Thus, as we strive to meaningfully frame our work for our students and stakeholders, it is imperative that we confront the ambivalences in our own discussions. Throughout this project I use critical disability theory to reconcile underlying concepts of composition, such as instability and the contextual nature of language, with competing concepts that often undermine effective pedagogy. Addressing these gaps via disability theory illustrates various conceptual similarities between the two disciplines and highlights the problematic tensions found in composition. Chapters two, three, and four here confront gaps between composition theory and practice and offer ideas from disability studies as a means of exploration and potential resolution. I first examine the specific notion that writing centers are intended to foster student autonomy through a long-term focus on creating better writers, rather than better writing. By exploring the deeper theoretical implications of the writer versus writing dichotomy, I hope to expose as destructive one of its key assumptions—the possibility of writerly autonomy—and consider its effects on writing center work and composition practice more generally. From here, disability theory offers a means to decentralize autonomy as a defining term, via specific theories of representation and dependence. I then focus on what we can accomplish, given this rejection of autonomy, and how to most effectively share and build knowledge with students. I explore the relationship between knowledge transfer and narratives of overcoming disability through analysis of scholarship on first-year writing courses. I argue that a belief in easily generalizable knowledge, like a belief in autonomy, manifests in misconceptions of the successful first-year writing course and thus that knowledge transfer should be reconceptualized as agency, and offer a brief discussion of threshold concepts as one potential source for transfer-as-agency pedagogy. Building on these concepts, I then consider how to most effectively locate composition within the university structure, focusing specifically on WAC/WID programs and the disability concepts of accommodation and universal design. Theories of universal design illustrate that composition must be integrated into the curricula beyond first-year writing; this sort of comprehensive curricula is not without complication, however, so I also explore issues of authority which arise out of universal design perspectives. Finally, I offer three imagined scenarios meant to illustrate how individuals working within this disability theory-based framework might address different challenges related to writing instruction and to reinforce the enormous value of a disability studies approach to the work of composition.
Temple University--Theses
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Quibell, Ruth Grace, and rquibell@swin edu au. "Unmaking the other? : discourses in intellectual disability in contemporary society." Swinburne University of Technology. Department of Sociology, 2005. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20050830.133554.
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Unmaking the Other? is a qualitative sociological analysis of the discourses of intellectual
disability present in contemporary Australian society. It attempts to reveal the ways that people with intellectual disabilities 'are' for Australians. This is important because people with
intellectual disabilities have a long history of being seen as 'other' or 'not one of us'. For many
years they were kept 'out of sight, and out of mind� on the margins of our communities, locked
in institutions or hidden in sheltered workshops. Yet, during the last few decades there has been
a concerted effort to bring people with intellectual disabilities back into society. Institutions and sheltered workshops closed, and policies of inclusion, normalisation and community living were vigorously pursued. People with intellectual disabilities are now equal citizens in the eyes of the law.
But how readily have we accepted that people with intellectual disability are 'one of us'? Have
community living reforms overturned deep cultural dispositions that cast people with intellectual disabilities as 'lesser', 'defective', and lacking personhood? This thesis investigates recent community living reforms, especially the assumption that inclusion and education would
radically transform our conceptualisations of people with intellectual disabilities. To do this, it draws on contemporary social and political theory to explore how the meanings of disability are created and maintained, focusing on the Foucauldian concept of discourse. This Foucauldian
theorisation of discourse, power and knowledge informs a methodology devised to provide a
more detailed and sophisticated analysis of the meanings of intellectual disability than previous
investigations. Texts from three key social arenas are analysed for the way in which our society
constructs intellectual disability, and these analyses lead to a number of theoretical and practical conclusions.
Specifically, the main contributions of this thesis are: the identification and analysis of fourteen distinct discourses of intellectual disability, the theoretical explication of their relations to one another, and theoretical discussion of what their presence reveals about intellectual disability in today�s Australia. The findings of a variety of discursive constructions of intellectual disability suggest a complex picture in which discourses of inclusion and membership have emerged that are consistent with community living reforms, while at the same time there has been a continuation of discourses that view people with intellectual disabilities as defective humans.
Drawing on theory and empirical evidence, possibilities are suggested for further political and educational interventions into the discursive construction of people with intellectual disabilities.
The problems posed by our attempts at liberation through community living reforms are major;
this thesis contributes to this task by revealing the complexity, contradictions, and resistances
inherent in this task. What is more, it sees these findings not as causes for dismay, but as reasons for cautious hope.
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Campbell, Fiona Anne Kumari. "The great divide : ableism and technologies of disability production." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2003. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/15889/1/Fiona_Campbell_Thesis.pdf.
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Subjects designated by the neologism 'disability' typically experience various forms of marginality, discrimination and inequality. The response by social scientists and professionals engaged in social policy and service delivery has been to combat the 'disability problem' by way of implementing anti-discrimination protections and various other compensatory initiatives. More recently, with the development of biological and techno-sciences such as 'new genetics', nanotechnologies and cyborgs the solution to 'disability' management has been in the form of utilizing technologies of early detection, eradication or at best, technologies of mitigation. Contemporary discourses of disablement displace and disconnect discussion away from the 'heart of the problem', namely, matters ontological. Disability - based marginality is assumed to emerge from a set of pre-existing conditions (i.e. in the case of biomedicalisation, deficiency inheres in the individual, whilst in the Social Model disablement is created by a capitalist superstructure). The Great Divide takes an alternative approach to studying 'the problem of disability' by proposing that the neologism 'disability' is in fact created by and used to generate notions and epistemologies of 'ableism'. Whilst epistemologies of disablement are well researched, there is a paucity of research related to the workings of ableism.
The focal concerns of The Great Divide relate to matters of ordering, disorder and constitutional compartmentalization between the normal and pathological and the ways that discourses about wholeness, health, enhancement and perfection produce notions of impairment. A central argument of this dissertation figures the production of disability as part of the tussle over ordering, emerging from a desire to create order from an assumed disorder; resulting in a flimsy but often unconvincing attempt to shore up so-called optimal ontologies and disperse outlaw ontologies. The Great Divide examines ways 'disability' rubs up against, mingles with and provokes other seemingly unrelated concepts such as wellness, ableness, perfection, competency, causation, productivity and use value. The scaffolding of the dissertation directs the reader to selected sites that produce epistemologies of disability and ableism, namely the writing of 'history' and Judeo-Christian renderings of Disability. It explores the nuances of ableism (including a case study of wrongful life torts in law) and the phenomenon of internalized ableism as experienced by many disabled people. The study of liberalism and the government of government are explored in terms of enumeration, the science of 'counting cripples' and the battles over defining 'disability' in law and social policy. Additionally another axis of ableism is explored through the study of a number of perfecting technologies and the way in which these technologies mediate what it means to be 'human' (normalcy), morphs/simulates 'normalcy' and the leakiness of 'disability'. This analysis charts the invention of forearms transplantation (a la Clint Hallam), the Cochlear implant and transhumanism. The Great Divide concludes with an inversion of the ableist gaze(s) by proposing an ethic of affirmation, a desiring ontology of impairment.
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Campbell, Fiona Anne Kumari. "The Great Divide : Ableism And Technologies Of Disability Production." Queensland University of Technology, 2003. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15889/.
Full textAbstract:
Subjects designated by the neologism 'disability' typically experience various forms of marginality, discrimination and inequality. The response by social scientists and professionals engaged in social policy and service delivery has been to combat the 'disability problem' by way of implementing anti-discrimination protections and various other compensatory initiatives. More recently, with the development of biological and techno-sciences such as 'new genetics', nanotechnologies and cyborgs the solution to 'disability' management has been in the form of utilizing technologies of early detection, eradication or at best, technologies of mitigation. Contemporary discourses of disablement displace and disconnect discussion away from the 'heart of the problem', namely, matters ontological. Disability - based marginality is assumed to emerge from a set of pre-existing conditions (i.e. in the case of biomedicalisation, deficiency inheres in the individual, whilst in the Social Model disablement is created by a capitalist superstructure). The Great Divide takes an alternative approach to studying 'the problem of disability' by proposing that the neologism 'disability' is in fact created by and used to generate notions and epistemologies of 'ableism'. Whilst epistemologies of disablement are well researched, there is a paucity of research related to the workings of ableism. The focal concerns of The Great Divide relate to matters of ordering, disorder and constitutional compartmentalization between the normal and pathological and the ways that discourses about wholeness, health, enhancement and perfection produce notions of impairment. A central argument of this dissertation figures the production of disability as part of the tussle over ordering, emerging from a desire to create order from an assumed disorder; resulting in a flimsy but often unconvincing attempt to shore up so-called optimal ontologies and disperse outlaw ontologies. The Great Divide examines ways 'disability' rubs up against, mingles with and provokes other seemingly unrelated concepts such as wellness, ableness, perfection, competency, causation, productivity and use value. The scaffolding of the dissertation directs the reader to selected sites that produce epistemologies of disability and ableism, namely the writing of 'history' and Judeo-Christian renderings of Disability. It explores the nuances of ableism (including a case study of wrongful life torts in law) and the phenomenon of internalized ableism as experienced by many disabled people. The study of liberalism and the government of government are explored in terms of enumeration, the science of 'counting cripples' and the battles over defining 'disability' in law and social policy. Additionally another axis of ableism is explored through the study of a number of perfecting technologies and the way in which these technologies mediate what it means to be 'human' (normalcy), morphs/simulates 'normalcy' and the leakiness of 'disability'. This analysis charts the invention of forearms transplantation (a la Clint Hallam), the Cochlear implant and transhumanism. The Great Divide concludes with an inversion of the ableist gaze(s) by proposing an ethic of affirmation, a desiring ontology of impairment.
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Silveira, Drielly Teixeira Lopes [UNESP]. "Sob o signo da sereia: a feminilidade na experiência de mulheres trans deficientes." Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11449/154738.
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A experiência transexual é uma temática de especial evidência no contexto acadêmico contemporâneo, sendo descrita como um fenômeno complexo, que pressupõe uma incompatibilidade entre gênero e sexo biológico. Por interrogar o modelo binário sexo/gênero, permite que se questione os discursos científicos envoltos em pressupostos de naturalização dos corpos. A deficiência, fora dos modelos reabilitativos, representaria per si um transgressão da “ordem anatômica”, ainda que seja reconhecida pelo modelo biomédico como o resultado de uma falha, congênita ou adquirida, que afetará o funcionamento “normal” do corpo ou de algumas de suas partes. A percepção de ambos os corpos recebe novos contornos quando de encontro à leitura de Judith Butler, para a qual, o lugar de patologização e abjeção conferido a estas experiências são resultado de práticas discursivas que estabelecem relações de poder que incidem sobre os corpos. Refletindo sobre as múltiplas possibilidades de experiências compreendidas a partir do feminino e considerando a posição de subalternidade conferida a esses corpos diante das normas hegemônicas, este trabalho se propõe a oportunizar um espaço de narrativa e análise para uma experiência pouco explorada academicamente: a experiência subjetiva de mulheres trans deficientes. Focalizando em especial os disability studies e suas possíveis interlocuções com a Teoria Queer como aporte teórico, foram realizadas entrevistas com três mulheres trans deficientes, sendo elas: duas portadoras de deficiência física e uma sensorial. Utilizou-se para a coleta de dados do método de História Oral Temática (Meihy, 1996). As análises de narrativas foram organizadas conforme a metodologia de Análise Textual Discursiva, destacando as categorias que recebem destaque na fala, constituindo 3 eixos de análise: (1) O transito como transgressão: da dificuldade de locomoção ao gênero itinerante. (2) O olhar como fonte de escárnio, reconhecimento e desejo. (3) A mulher como poder. Esta pesquisa possui um caráter qualitativo e exploratório, e tem como pretensão, ampliar e fomentar novas produções e discussões relacionadas às noções de feminilidade, corpo e sexualidade a partir da subjetividade trans em interface com a deficiência.
The transsexual experience is a highlighted theme in the current academic context, being portrayed as a complex phenomenon, which presupposes an incompatibility between gender and biological sex. By questioning the binary sex/gender model, it is allowed to question the scientific speeches wrapped in body naturalization presumptions. Disability, out of rehabilitative model, would represent, per se, a transgressions of the “anatomic order”, even if recognized by the biomedical model as the result of a flaw, either congenital or acquired, that will affect the “normal” functioning of the body or of some of its parts. The perception of both bodies acquire new outlining when facing the reading of Judith Butler, for whom the place of pathologization and abjection conferred to these experiences are the result of speech practices that establish power relations that act upon the bodies. Reflecting upon the multiple possibilities of experiences, understood on the basis of feminine, and considering the subordinate position conferred to these bodies in the face of the hegemonic rules, this work aims to create a space of narrative and analysis for an experience that has been little explored academically: the subjective experience of disabled trans women. Focusing, specially, on the disability studies and its possible interlocutions with the Queer theory as theoretical basis, interviews with three disabled trans women were made, being them: two physically disabled women and a sensorial disabled one. For data collection, we made use of the Thematic Oral History method (Meihy, 1996).The analyses of the narratives were organized according to the Discursive Textual Analysis, highlighting the categories that are prominent in the speech, constituting 3 analysis axes: (1) Transit as transgression: from walking difficulties to the itinerant genre. (2) The eyes as a source of scorn, recognition, and desire. (3) The woman as power. This research has a qualitative and exploratory nature, intending to expand and foment new works and discussions regarding the notions of femininity and sexuality from the interface between transgender subjectivity and disability
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Saffer, Jessica. "Responses of people with physical health conditions to changes in disability benefits : a grounded theory study." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/19513.
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There is a dearth of literature on the experiences of people with physical health conditions who make disability benefit claims and live as a benefit claimant, particularly since the recent and ongoing changes to the benefits system in the UK. This research aimed to explore the social processes that impact on people with a physical health condition who have experienced a loss of or change in disability benefits, particularly in relation to their identity and their relationships with society. In-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen people with physical health conditions or disabilities. Data was analysed using Grounded Theory methods and a theoretical model was co-constructed. Participants experienced the benefits system as dehumanising, and felt that they lived in a judgemental society, where they were perceived as 'scroungers' and faced discrimination from others. These experiences negatively affected their mental and physical health and wellbeing. Participants often internalised the stigma surrounding disability benefit claimants and they attempted to resist this in order to maintain a preferred sense of self. The findings demonstrate the significant impact of benefit changes on wellbeing and identity. The research highlights important implications for Psychologists, as well as staff in healthcare, the benefits system, and government.
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Chrisman, Wendy L. "The Rhetorics of Recovery: An (E)merging Theory for Disability Studies, feminisms, and Mental Health Narratives." The Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1222177511.
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Volion, Ashley Maria. "Everyday Lived-Experiences and the Domain of the Sexual As Explored By Four Physically Disabled Women." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2010. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1183.
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This thesis is an exploratory study of the everyday lives of four women with various physical disabilities and how these women came to view themselves as sexual beings. Using an intersectional analysis and in-depth interviews, it examines these women's perceptions of expectations of normalcy in regard to life style, body image, and sexual practices, especially the expectations of their able-bodied family members and friends. It also explores how these disabled women deal with the stigmas they encounter in their everyday lives. Special attention is focused on how disabled people are often viewed as asexual or without sexual desires. By contrast, this thesis highlights the sexual agency of the disabled and includes policy implications that entail new ways of defining sexual practices, as well as the need for sex education for the disabled.
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Russell, Sian. "Phantom dispositions & devalued bodies : a Bourdieusian analysis of the experiences and perceptions of stroke survivors living in the community." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2014. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/760e040e-c350-4982-b53d-f2ec91155571.
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Hawkins, Robert Wayne. "Please Hold: Australia’s Communication Policy Response to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." Thesis, University of Sydney, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/24114.
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This thesis evaluates three Australian communications policy areas from a critical disability theory (CDT) framework and identifies the quality of those policies as they speak to people with disability. The research interrogates three case studies to evaluate how the United Nations Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has influenced Australian communications policy. The case studies are: (1) access to the National Relay Service; (2) access to appropriate telecommunications equipment; and (3) access to online audio-visual media. The research reveals that for many Australians with disability, there has been little in the way of increased access to digital communications since Australia’s 2008 adoption of the CRPD. The research finds that, despite an increasingly affirmative disability public discourse, along with a disability-inclusive political rhetoric, the adoption of the CRPD has done little to change the dominant ableism entrenched in Australia’s neoliberal communication policy framework. The thesis concludes by proposing that a critical approach to future communications policy is needed to ameliorate the persistent barriers to functionally equivalent communications access that Australians with disability continue to face every day.
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Abujbarah, Kinda. "Laughing Back: A Phenomenological Study of Disability Humor Using Culturally Responsive Methodologies." Chapman University Digital Commons, 2019. https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_dissertations/9.
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Historically, disabled people have not been viewed as innovators of humor because disability is associated with tragedy. My dissertation challenged the association of disability with tragedy by positioning disabled comedians as educators and ambassadors of disability rights. I reviewed the literature on disability and humor as well as disability oppression, which disability humor challenges. I used phenomenology as well as culturally responsive methodologies to examine what disabled comedians are achieving with their humor and what nondisabled audience members learned from attending their performances. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning was used to examine learning outcomes for audience members. I examined historical and contemporary Black humor, which is much older than disability humor in order to investigate what may be the future of disability humor.
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Smith, Sarah Anne. "Love, Sex, and Disability: The Ethics and Politics of Care in Intimate Relationships." The Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1246649418.
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Meyer, Rachel Heather. "COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES' MOTIVATION TO UTILIZE DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2012. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/168403.
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Educational PsychologyPh.D.
The current study investigated the motivation of college students with disabilities to disclose their disability(s) to the university and to utilize disability support services. Eleven college students with a diversity of invisible disabilities from a large university were interviewed using a narrative approach. Analysis involved a combination of inductive and deductive procedures informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Ryan & Deci, 2002; Deci & Ryan, 2000). The analysis identified six themes in the narratives within which students' experiences were analyzed as more or less supportive of their psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness: (1) Disability Construction; (2) High School Experience; (3) Significant Adults; (4) Disability Resources and Services (DRS) and other Services; (5) Interactions with Faculty; and (6) Interactions with Peers. An important conclusion of the analysis was that students' motivation and decision to disclose their disability and to utilize support services was framed by the level of acceptance of their disability--or, in self-determination theory terms, their integration of their disability to their authentic self. Students' narratives that suggested integration of the disability to the self also included indication of the students being more proactive, agentic, flexible, adaptive, and open in disclosing their disability to the university, to faculty and to peers, and in utilizing support services. In contrast, students' narratives that suggested partial or non-integration of the disability, and ambivalence towards being labeled with a disability, also included indication for hesitance, rigidity, and less adaptive patterns of disclosure and utilization of services. Different levels of integration of the disability in students' narratives were concordant with indication in the narratives of different levels of support for the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness--particularly by significant adults at home and in high-school. These general psychological-motivational patterns manifested in the narratives as individual profiles that integrated the six themes into the unique narrative of each participant. The study ends with consideration of the implications of the findings to future research and possible ways by which university disability support services may promote effective utilization of services by students with disabilities.
Temple University--Theses
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Cockburn, Lynn. "The responses of Bamenda disability organizations to HIV and AIDS: A multiple case study." ScholarWorks, 2009. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/707.
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In Cameroon, many disabled people (an estimated 10-20% of the population) have inadequate access to education and health care, and disabled people's organizations (DPOs) are advocating for social change. Yet, there is a scarcity of information regarding how African DPOs address HIV and AIDS. The purpose of this study was to assess how DPOs in Cameroon have responded to AIDS in the disabled population and to identify strategies to enable DPOs to manage AIDS issues. This study was guided by the complex adaptive systems theory as the theoretical framework. The research questions focused on what DPOs have done to develop their organizational capacities to address AIDS issues, and on the contextual factors that influence these organizational capacities. To answer the research questions, a qualitative, multiple case study was conducted. A purposeful sample of 25 people, primarily executive members of four community-based nongovernmental DPOs and key informants with experience in this field, participated in interviews and focus groups. Information was gathered from documents and participant observation. Data were coded using a priori and emergent codes and iteratively analyzed into themes. Evident themes were that capacities in these groups were limited by marginalization and poverty, a lack of connection between DPOs and the AIDS community, limited health education, and inadequate understandings of the complexity of AIDS. DPOs desired participation in AIDS-related efforts and continued to explore potential opportunities. These results could be used to enhance social change by improving AIDS practices and research programs, increasing organizational capacity and social inclusion of DPOs, and the development of policy at organizational and governmental levels.
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Pavli, Antonia. "Creative Disability Classification Systems : The case of Greece, 1990-2015." Doctoral thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för hälsovetenskaper, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-57830.
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Disability classification systems belong to the core of states’ social/disability policies through which persons with disabilities are classified as eligible or ineligible for having access to disability allowances. The study of disability classification systems has stimulated the interest of several scholars from the broader area of disability studies. Either by conducting comparative studies between different states and describing the similarities and differences of these systems around the world or by conducting studies focusing on the politics and semantics in the development of disability classification systems in specific states, all studies have shown a pluralism in the systems for assessing and certifying disability. In Greece, the development of disability classification systems for social welfare reasons emerged as a controversy that lasted for almost twenty years. One factor that strengthened the controversy was the outbreak of the economic crisis late in 2009 followed by the announcement by the governmental authorities of the enactment of a new system for assessing and certifying disability as part of the austeritydriven policies that the Greek state would enact for facing the consequences of the economic crisis. Drawing on an interdisciplinary approach, the overall aim of this study is to describe and analyze the enactment of disability classification systems in the context of Greek social policy from 1990 to 2015. For the collection of empirical material, a qualitative research method was employed, consisting of interviews, written material, and newspaper articles. The main findings of this thesis are: I) the involvement of the political parties in the development of the systems for certifying and assessing disability; II) the involvement of the disability movement in policymaking; III) the “creative” use of statistics by governmental authorities for the enactment of disability/social policies; IV) how the concept of “disability fraud” has been constructed as a “threat” to the society; and V) the vulnerability of disability classification systems in times of austerity.
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Pritchard-Jones, Laura Gwynne. "Making health and welfare decisions in old age : challenging the adequacy of mental disability law and theory." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/making-health-and-welfare-decisions-in-old-age-challenging-the-adequacy-of-mental-disability-law-and-theory(f3f29f67-6454-4013-8d6e-e5a783ca97fd).html.
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Old age – and particularly the increasing numbers of older people globally and within the United Kingdom - is becoming a social and political phenomenon. Yet despite this, very little has been written on how the law – and especially mental disability law – intersects with old age. This is notwithstanding the fact that many older people may encounter conditions that impact their mental or cognitive abilities, and proportionally, may therefore be greatly affected by this area of law. By drawing on a number of theories – sometimes termed ‘relational’ theories – which are derived predominantly from feminist theory, this thesis seeks to explore the adequacy of mental disability law for safeguarding health and welfare-related decision-making of older adults in three areas; where an older person has been subjected to ageism, where they have been the victim of interpersonal abuse, and where they have dementia and may lack mental capacity. Within this broader goal, this thesis has two specific aims. First, to explicitly critique and challenge the adequacy of the law as it is applied in these circumstances. It is suggested in particular that a deeper analysis of the law in both its previous and current forms betrays the liberal and unduly individualistic roots of the legislative framework. These are roots that are predicated on non-interference, and an idealistic paradigm of the rational, autonomous, and healthy bodied individual. This – it is contended throughout – is an unsuitable philosophy to underpin the law, particularly where the law engages with older adults. Second, this thesis aims to navigate a more suitable pathway within the law as it currently exists. While operating as a tool to critique the legislative framework and its underpinning philosophy, it is argued that the theories drawn upon throughout the thesis also have the potential to highlight how the law could be implemented in such a way so as to emphasise the importance of the realities of the lived experiences of old age, and particularly the experience of ageism, abuse, and dementia. Crucially, it is also suggested that such theories can help the law pay greater attention to the complex web of relationships – both positive and negative; personal and societal – that an older person may find themselves embedded within, and that frequently take on an added significance in old age.
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Tregaskis, C. E. "Being a chameleon : multiple identity as a means of uncovering perspectives on disability and impairment." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.370001.
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Shelton, Stephanie Michelle. "Implementing a Healthy Diet in the Intellectual Disability Residential Community." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4986.
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The problem addressed in this study was how staff working in a residential agency for individuals with an intellectual disability (IID) make decisions about how to implement a healthy diet. The purpose of this study was to identify the influences on decisions made by staff on the meals they provided to their clients with an IID. The theory of planned was used to study the influences of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control on the meals provided for IID. The key research question explored how staff members make decisions. A qualitative case study design was used. The 12 participants in the study represented 3 levels of personnel (cases) in a residential agency that served the IID population. Individual interviews were conducted, and within-case and across-case analyses were employed utilizing the theory to note similarities and differences in meal planning, preparation, and implementation. Pattern matching was used to compare results from the study with previous research findings. Results showed that clients had a greater influence over meal planning, preparation, and delivery, particularly those with higher cognitive levels. This was true across all levels in the agency and consistent with prior research. Recommendations for further study include studying similar agencies in different regions and whether providing staff with additional knowledge about meal planning makes a difference in meals provided to IID. Social change can be implemented by using the information from the study to develop a preliminary intervention plan to accommodate the needs of IID and assist staff in developing nutritious meals.
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Raymond, Matthew Derek. "Mental health status and its relationship with childhood trauma: The social cognitive theory and cognitive reserve hypothesis applied to incarcerated offenders." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/21800.
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Background – Adult offenders in custody are more likely to have a mental illness and to have experienced childhood trauma than the general population. As with non-offenders, offenders who experience childhood trauma are more likely to develop mental illness. Social cognitive theory and the cognitive reserve hypothesis are two theoretical frameworks that could provide understanding around the relationship between childhood trauma and mental illness. Locus of control (LOC) is a construct within social cognitive theory, while cognitive and/or adaptive functioning are measures of cognitive reserve. There is a high prevalence of an external LOC and cognitive and/or adaptive impairments amongst offenders. At present, it is unknown how childhood trauma, mental illness, LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive impairment relate to recidivism, other offending behaviours and each other. «br /» Aims – The thesis has three main aims: (1) to determine the role childhood trauma, mental illness, LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning may have on recidivism; (2) to explore the relationship between these variables; and, (3) to further clarify the relationship between childhood trauma and mental illness by examining the influence that LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning have on this association. «br /» Method – Seventy-nine incarcerated adult male offenders were assessed for childhood trauma, mental health status, cognitive and adaptive functioning and LOC, using well accepted and validated measures. Descriptive statistics (means and SD) were presented for all the variables assessed (childhood trauma, mental health status, cognitive/adaptive functioning and LOC) and these results were compared both within the sample and with published studies using single sample and Welch t-tests. Using general linear regression, the role between these variables and recidivism and risk of future offending was investigated. Informed by social cognitive theory and cognitive reserve hypothesis and guided by results from a ‘k’ sample cluster analysis, mediation analyses were conducted, where the independent variable was childhood trauma, the dependent variable was mental illness and the mediating variables were LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning.«br /» Results – Offenders with cognitive and/or adaptive impairment are more likely to report more severe mental health symptoms than those without impairment. Mental illness, cognitive and/or adaptive impairment and an external LOC were associated with higher risk of re-offending. Specific types of childhood trauma demonstrated a relationship with an offence type, namely sexual abuse was associated with sexual offending and physical abuse with violent offending. LOC mediated the relationships between childhood sexual abuse and physical neglect with mental illness. Cognitive and/or adaptive impairment did not mediate the same relationship. «br /» Conclusions – The results supported prior research that offenders are more likely to present with mental illness, a history of childhood trauma, cognitive and/or adaptive impairments and an external LOC than the general population. These factors were also evident in re-offending risk. The results suggest that the social cognitive theory may be an appropriate framework when investigating mental health, childhood trauma and risk of offending, and provides a unique perspective on the relationship between childhood trauma and adult mental illness. Although the current study was not able to demonstrate the same for the cognitive reserve hypothesis, this theoretical perspective did highlight the significant role cognitive and/or adaptive impairments play in mental health and offence risk. The results highlight the need for specialised psychological interventions that result in an internal LOC and that are adaptable to offenders with cognitive and/or adaptive impairments, as this could be associated with the improved mental health and reductions in offence risk. The study highlighted the value of incorporating theory into offender research, assessment and treatment
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Beight, Debra Lynn. "Medicine, Intersex, and Conceptions of Futurity: Examining the Intersections of Responsibility and Uncertainty." The Ohio State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1618592071848521.
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Cascarilla, Elizabeth A. "Chronic Pain-Related Distress & Disability: An Empirical Investigation of a Modern Behavioral Theory of Acceptance of Chronic Pain." University of Akron / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1257472306.
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Martinsson, Malin. "I ett hörn av ett hörn i en annan del av Köping : En diskursiv studie av tidskriften DramaForum." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för utbildningsvetenskap, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-22142.
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In this essay, I examine whether the journal Drama Forum constitutes presupposed perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities. The aim is to examine the discourse of intellectual disability in the Swedish drama teacher’s industry magazine DramaForum. The method I use is discourse analysis and the approach is poststructuralist. The results are analyzed on the basis of Crip Theory, and three themes based on stereotypical assumptions. My conclusion is that Drama Forum visualize intellectual disabilities mostly from one of these themes. I analyze the parent discourse relation to underlying discourses and discuss its relationship to the social practice that is its origin.I denna uppsats undersöker jag om tidskriften DramaForum konstituerar förgivet tagna uppfattningar av personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Syftet är att granska diskursen kring intellektuell funktionsnedsättning i de svenska dramapedagogernas branschtidskrift DramaForum. Den metod jag använder mig av är diskursanalys och ansatsen är poststrukturalistisk. Resultatet är analyserat med utgångspunkt i Crip Theory, och tre teman som bygger på stereotypa antaganden. Min slutsats är att DramaForum framställer intellektuell funktionsnedsättning till största del utifrån ett av dessa teman. Jag analyserarar den överordnade diskursens förhållande till underliggande diskurser samt diskuterar dess relation till den sociala praktik som är dess ursprung.
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Stewart, Kim. ""It's the people's radio": People with disability in Australian community radio." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2019. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/130755/8/Kim%20Stewart%20Thesis.pdf.
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Community radio in Australia was established to empower ordinary citizens. However, people with disability are less heard than others in community radio, as with mainstream media. Listening to experiences of community radio staff and volunteers with disability can provide the foundation for plans to increase participation, agency and voice. Using semi-structured interviews, this practice-led research asked people with disability in the sector what empowers them, and how policy change, training and awareness-raising might increase their participation. It's The People's Radio, an accompanying 4 part radio documentary, tells the stories of community radio participants with disability in their own voices.
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Mcallister, Ashley Joanne Helen. "Australian and Ontarian approaches to disability income support design and mental illness: A comparative study." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/13791.
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Mental illness is becoming the leading cause of disability in high-income countries, and the features of mental illness – early average age of onset, episodic nature and lack of diagnostic tests – pose challenges when designing eligibility criteria for disability income support (DIS) programs. Yet there is limited evidence about the process of designing these programs. The aim of this thesis is to contribute knowledge on how DIS policy is designed, especially in regard to mental illness. This thesis is a comparative case study between Australia and Ontario (Canada) applying constructivist grounded theory. 45 semi-structured interviews were conducted with five types of informants involved in the design or assessment of DIS – advocates, legal representatives, physicians, policy insiders and researchers. Analysis followed the steps of grounded theory including transcript coding, detailed memo-writing and diagraming. Findings revealed that the informants were concerned about the process of making sure only suitable people are given disability income support. A conceptual model was developed to explain this process involving two stages: i) establishing the gate and ii) gatekeeping, and explores the challenges associated with each stage. Findings show that most of the challenges are related to the gatekeeping stage due to the difficultly of interpreting DIS eligibility criteria. This thesis specifically explores three of these challenges: physicians making judgements about eligibility; expecting applicants to ‘perform’; and the notion of an ‘ideal type’ of disability. There was little variation in this process between Australia and Ontario. The thesis demonstrates the need for specific focus on mental illness in this process.
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Hobbs, Nicola. "Disability and physical activity behaviours : an application of theoretical frameworks." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2339.
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Background: The prevalence of disability increases with age; therefore with an aging population, interventions to reduce disability are crucial. This thesis adopts a behavioural conceptualisation of disability. The theoretical frameworks of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the integrated ICF/TPB model are applied to investigate disability and physical activity (PA) behaviours. The thesis aims to: (1) identify the factors involved in the prioritisation of patients for total joint replacement; (2) classify patient pre-operative expectations of total hip replacement (THR) and investigate the relationship between expectations and recovery after surgery, and; (3) test whether the TPB and theory-based interventions can predict and explain PA within individuals. Method: Five studies were conducted. In the first study, health professionals judged whether the items from two prioritisation tools measured each of the ICF constructs. In the second study, surgeons ranked patient vignettes, which differed by constructs from the integrated model, in order of priority for THR. In the third study, a large cohort of THR patients reported expectations of surgery pre-operatively. Health and functioning were also reported pre-operatively and 1-year post-operatively. The fourth and fifth studies were a series of experimental n-of-1 studies using diary methods assessing TPB cognitions and PA behaviours. Results: There is a lack of agreement between judges in relation to the content of many of the items from prioritisation tools. Behavioural and psychological factors can influence prioritisation for THR. The majority of patient expectations of THR addressed activities and social participation; however, the evidence for a relationship between expectations and recovery was limited. The TPB can predict PA within some individuals but the evidence in support of interventions to increase PA was limited. Discussion: The findings provide important clinical and theoretical implications for understanding disability and physical activity behaviours.
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Bryan, Amanda. "New Museum Theory in Practice: A Case Study of the American Visionary Art Museum and the Representation of Disability." VCU Scholars Compass, 2008. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1627.
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Since the inception of new museum theory, and the emphasis it places on the social purpose of museums within society, museum professionals and museum studies theorists have struggled to define what role museums must take in combating prejudices and fostering better understating of difference. Richard Sandell is one such theorist who writes about the importance of, and need for, greater inclusion of disabled artists and works of art containing themes of disability into exhibitions and display. This thesis examines Sandell’s scholarship, noting its foundation in new museum theory and disability studies, and then, employing a case study of the American Visionary Art Museum, illustrates the issues illuminated in Sandell’s writing. Finally, utilizing the case study, this thesis will offer aims for further research within museum studies not yet considered by Sandell, especially within educational goals and activities of the museum.
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Eva, Gail E. "Spinal cord compression secondary to cancer : disability and rehabilitation." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/245.
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Introduction This thesis describes a research study designed to examine the consequences of disability arising out of spinal cord compression secondary to cancer, and to examine the rehabilitation services available to patients. Research aims and questions The study was intended to achieve the following: 1. To ascertain what might constitute effective rehabilitation interventions for patients with metastatic spinal cord compression. 2. To identify the conditions in which these intervention might be delivered. 3. To ground proposals in spinal cord compression patients’ experience of disability. The following research questions were posed: 1. What are the consequences of disability for patients with metastatic spinal cord compression? 2. What strategies do patients themselves use to manage disability? 3. What do health care staff, particularly rehabilitation professionals, understand to be the consequences of disability for this patient group, and correspondingly, what are their views on the significance and provision of rehabilitation? 4. To what extent is rehabilitation being provided to these patients, and with what effect? 5. Where rehabilitation is not being provided, why is this the case? Study design The study had two components: • A series of nine in-depth interview-based case studies, which involved talking to patients about their experiences of living with spinal cord compression, as well as gaining the perspectives of family members and the health professionals who provided care and services. • A retrospective audit of the medical records of 73 spinal cord compression patients admitted to a radiotherapy in-patient unit (the Frank Ellis Unit at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford) over a two year period (July 2003 – June 2005), identifying disability-related problems and the measures taken to address them. This was a Phase I modelling study in terms of the Medical Research Council’s framework for evaluating complex interventions, with Pawson and Tilley’s (1997) Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration adopted as a conceptual basis for data collection. Within-case analysis was informed by George and Bennett’s (2004) account of process tracing, and between-case analysis was modelled on the constant comparative method of Glaser and Strauss (1967) with an analysis of narrative as a variation on that theme. Results Disability is a serious problem for patients with spinal cord compression, but it is one problem among many others, not the least of which are the physical and emotional consequences of life-threatening illness. In response to disability, patients ‘twin-track’ their attitudes to it, acknowledging but also resisting the idea of themselves as disabled, and adopting a series of psychological devices to manage the tension. In effect, patients recognise that something significant has changed and that, as a consequence, new self-management skills must be learned, functional boundaries must be explored, useful information must be sought. At the same time, they display a determination to hold on to an established identity, associated with a sense of normality. This identity embraces the idea of competence and resourcefulness, the events, activities and pleasures that one looks forward to, and the wish to avoid burdening others. It is not a ‘disabled’ identity. To some extent, these two attitudes are in tension, as one acknowledges disability while the other, implicitly or explicitly, resists it. Consequently, patients try to find ways of resolving this tension, by ‘revising downwards’ their expectations, by constantly deferring the anticipated pleasures, and by avoiding situations in which their abilities might be put to the test, or the sense of normality be disconfirmed. Health care professionals are likely to construe the patient’s response as indicative of a certain type of character – ‘realistic’ on one hand, and ‘unrealistic’ on the other. They do not see ‘acknowledging / not acknowledging’ as twin facets of a complex response to circumstances, or as something which every patient engages in to one degree or another. Patients are motivated not to recognise rehabilitation as something they need, a view which is confirmed by the cursory form of rehabilitation experienced in hospital, and by the marginal significance attributed to it by nursing and medical staff. On discharge, hospital staff assume that rehabilitation needs will be identified in the community, although the way in which community rehabilitation services are organised virtually guarantees that this will not happen, unless a specific referral is made (as it is in only 5% of cases). The patient, meanwhile, remains unaware of the potential value of rehabilitation, and has no incentive to request rehabilitation if no-one offers it. They are consequently unprepared for life post-discharge, and assume that they (and their families) must manage on their own. Conclusions Like the patients, health care professionals may have to ‘twin-track’ if they are to provide rehabilitation in a way that is acceptable to patients with metastatic spinal cord compression. Instead of categorising patients as ‘realistic’ or ‘unrealistic’, they should work towards sustaining patients’ ‘positive illusions’, while at the same time taking whatever opportunities arise to enhance the patient’s day-to-day ability to function in a ‘safe’ space. This entails revising some deeply entrenched ideas about working with patients who have a disability: patient-centredness, the importance of goal setting, and the need for adjustment.
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Derby, John K. "Art Education and Disability Studies Perspectives on Mental Illness Discourses." The Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1250311625.
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Bonenberger, Christina Elizabeth. "Working with the Well Sibling: The Perspective of the Marriage and Family Therapist." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/63897.
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Recent research on working with families in which one child is suffering from a developmental disability has indicated a need for more focused clinical attention on the well sibling or neurotypical sibling experience. Research has also suggested that a systemic approach to the therapeutic process would be the most beneficial to all members of the family system, including the well sibling. Although the literature supports the use of systemic interventions in supporting the well sibling, there is a gap between what the research is suggesting and the clinical application. In an effort to fill this gap, this study sought to explore how Marriage and Family therapists are working systemically with families in which one child has a disability to incorporate the needs of the well sibling. After conducting four qualitative interviews and analyzing the data, three central themes emerged: 1) stabilization; 2) involving the well sibling; and 3) methods of support. Clinical implications as well as suggestions for future research are also addressed.Master of Science
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Smyth, Catherine M. "Carers' intentions to encourage healthy diet in people with a learning disability : the application of Theory of Planned Behaviour." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25209.
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People with learning disabilities are increasingly living in community settings with support from care staff who have a large influence on their lives, including diet. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is a model that has been used to examine many health behaviours with reference to underlying beliefs. This model has only recently been applied to proxy populations, i.e. with one group about the health behaviours of another. The purpose of the current project was to determine if the TPB was a useful predictor of care staff’s intentions to encourage a healthy diet in their clients with a learning disability. Method: 112 care staff from five voluntary or charitable organisations that provide support to people with learning disabilities were involved in the study and care staff from each completed a TPB questionnaire regarding their intention to encourage healthy eating over the next year for their clients. Results: The results indicate that the Theory of Planned Behaviour is indeed applicable to this population. The variables which make up the original model of Theory of Planned Behaviour: attitudes, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control, were found to be statistically significant predictors of carers’ intentions to encourage healthy diet in their client. Additional variables (self-efficacy and self identity) were not found to improve the model. Subjective norm was found to be the most predictive variable within the model. The results are discussed with a view to how Theory of Planned Behaviour could be a useful model in guiding healthy eating interventions within this population.