Disability, Education and Poverty Project (DEPP) Kenya

Overview Why the focus on ‘young people’? Why disability in a poverty project? Research overview Research aims Elucidating the conceptual framework Research design Sample Methods Ethics

Why the focus on ‘young people’?

Why disability in a poverty project?

Research overview

Research aims

Elucidating the conceptual framework

Research design

Sample

Methods

Ethics

‘ Youth bulge ’ Why Youth?

‘ Youth bulge ’

Demographic dividend or disaster Kenya - 75% aged below 30 32% are 15-30 India (Census, 2001): of the 1 billion 51% is under 25 years Two-thirds is under 35 years

Kenya

- 75% aged below 30

32% are 15-30

India (Census, 2001): of the 1 billion

51% is under 25 years

Two-thirds is under 35 years

Impairment Disability Exclusion(s) Poverty Increased vulnerability and Exclusion(s) Cascading impact Costs Disability and poverty

Research aims To develop an understanding of the local meanings and perceptions of disability To examine the present educational arrangements available to and attended by poor people with disabilities To understand the role that education and other enabling factors play in the lives of young people with disabilities

To develop an understanding of the local meanings and perceptions of disability

To examine the present educational arrangements available to and attended by poor people with disabilities

To understand the role that education and other enabling factors play in the lives of young people with disabilities

To develop an understanding of the local meanings and perceptions of disability -and its relationship to poverty Individual level Family level Community level

To develop an understanding of the local meanings and perceptions of disability

-and its relationship to poverty

Individual level

Family level

Community level

To examine the present educational arrangements available to and attended by poor people with disabilities - what are their main characteristics and - how are these characterised by important stakeholders (PWD themselves and others)- their role and purpose

To examine the present educational arrangements available to and attended by poor people with disabilities

- what are their main characteristics and

- how are these characterised by important stakeholders (PWD themselves and others)- their role and purpose

To understand the role that education and other enabling factors play in the lives of young people with disabilities Let us not assume that education is the only enabling factor Let us focus on the enabling rather than just looking at the disabling factors

To understand the role that education and other enabling factors play in the lives of young people with disabilities

Let us not assume that education is the only enabling factor

Let us focus on the enabling rather than just looking at the disabling factors

Two central issues Disability: the “invisible” minority. Issues of identification Conceptualising educational outcomes for young people with disabilities in developing countries

Disability: the “invisible” minority. Issues of identification

Conceptualising educational outcomes for young people with disabilities in developing countries

Identifying Disability: issues in the literature Language Social stigma “ Connected body-selves” (Das, 2001)

Language

Social stigma

“ Connected body-selves” (Das, 2001)

Language Moving beyond labels “ disability” includes some impairments, excludes others

Language

Moving beyond labels

“ disability”

includes some impairments, excludes others

Survey of Disabled Adults, 1988 Can you tell me what is wrong with you? What complaint causes your difficulty in holding, gripping or turning things? Have you attended a special school because of a long term health problem or disability? Does your health problem/disability prevent you from going out as often or as far as you would like? Oliver’s alternative questions, 1990 Can you tell me what is wrong with society? What defects in the design of everyday equipment like jars, bottles and tins causes you difficulty in holding, gripping or turning them? Have you attended a special school because of your education authorities policy of sending people with your impairment to such places? What are the environmental constraints which make it difficult for you to get about in your immediate neighbourhood?

Survey of Disabled Adults, 1988

Can you tell me what is wrong with you?

What complaint causes your difficulty in holding, gripping or turning things?

Have you attended a special school because of a long term health problem or disability?

Does your health problem/disability prevent you from going out as often or as far as you would like?

Oliver’s alternative questions, 1990

Can you tell me what is wrong with society?

What defects in the design of everyday equipment like jars, bottles and tins causes you difficulty in holding, gripping or turning them?

Have you attended a special school because of your education authorities policy of sending people with your impairment to such places?

What are the environmental constraints which make it difficult for you to get about in your immediate neighbourhood?

Health Condition ( disorder ) Interaction of Concepts ICFDH, 2001 Environmental Factors Personal Factors Body function & structure (Impairment ) Activities (Limitation) Participation (Restriction)

Disability: Household survey

Identifying young people with disabilities Household census Informal/formal conversations with people in the community (school, religious, health, DPO/NGOs) Snowballing – find one, find next (move into neighbouring areas?) Tracer studies through nearby schools

Household census

Informal/formal conversations with people in the community (school, religious, health, DPO/NGOs)

Snowballing – find one, find next (move into neighbouring areas?)

Tracer studies through nearby schools

Disability is a complicated, multi-dimensional concept Disability is both a private and public experience There is no neutral language with which to discuss disability “ Disability”: developing a shared understanding

Disability is a complicated, multi-dimensional concept

Disability is both a private and public experience

There is no neutral language with which to discuss disability

Conceptualising educational outcomes for young people with disabilities in developing countries

Conceptualising educational outcomes for young people with disabilities in developing countries

Education (1) fewer than 5 percent of children with disabilities achieve the goal of primary school completion (Peters, 2003) Kenya – less than 10% enrolled in educational programs, dismal transition to higher levels, with an average less than 0.5% of those enrolled accessing higher education India: only 9 percent completed secondary and above education (NSSO, 2002) various alternative forms of education might be available to this group

fewer than 5 percent of children with disabilities achieve the goal of primary school completion (Peters, 2003)

Kenya – less than 10% enrolled in educational programs, dismal transition to higher levels, with an average less than 0.5% of those enrolled accessing higher education

India: only 9 percent completed secondary and above education (NSSO, 2002)

various alternative forms of education might be available to this group

Education (2) not to equate education with formal schooling acknowledge education occurs in a range of different contexts focus on various educational arrangements available to young people with disabilities how are these characterised their role and purpose

not to equate education with formal schooling

acknowledge education occurs in a range of different contexts

focus on various educational arrangements available to young people with disabilities

how are these characterised

their role and purpose

Outcomes common markers are knowledge, employability, earnings, and more recently, citizenship not adequate for capturing the complex and often marginalised lives the kind of lives that people with disabilities currently live and/or aspire to live the role that education plays does not play or is perceived as being capable of playing in helping them achieve the capabilities that they think will allow them to live the lives that they would like to live

common markers are knowledge, employability, earnings, and more recently, citizenship

not adequate for capturing the complex and often marginalised lives

the kind of lives that people with disabilities currently live and/or aspire to live

the role that education

plays

does not play

or is perceived as being capable of playing in helping them achieve the capabilities that they think will allow them to live the lives that they would like to live

Participation Learning self Purposeful activities Personal, physical, experienced and spiritual self Access to opportunities Availability of opportunities Focusing on the individual

Participation Family: roles, responsibilities and status Community: Friendships/ peer acceptance Social networks Civic participation (e.g., NGO) Religious participation (e,g, member of a church) Political participation (e.g., panchayat , advocacy) Mobility Learning self Individual skills: Modes of Communication Literacy and mumeracy (where relevant) Vocational skills Social skills Other life skills Knowledge: such as, about one’s rights Purposeful activities Income generating tasks Non-income generating tasks Voluntary work Leisure Personal, physical, experienced and spiritual self Personal: self confidence, self efficacy, aspirations, expectations Physical self: knowledge about body, physical care Experienced : other’s attitudes towards, expectations from, aspirations for Spiritual: how do they understand and make sense of their disability Access to opportunities Availability of opportunities

Family and the community

Some sample characteristics: Individual with disabilities 14-25/30 years of age Different types of impairments Physical; Hearing; Visual Age of onset of impairment Educational levels Completed primary level of formal schooling Completed secondary level of formal schooling Attended/attending some educational arrangement Not attended any educational arrangement or formal schooling Reasonable representation of men and women

14-25/30 years of age

Different types of impairments

Physical; Hearing; Visual

Age of onset of impairment

Educational levels

Completed primary level of formal schooling

Completed secondary level of formal schooling

Attended/attending some educational arrangement

Not attended any educational arrangement or formal schooling

Reasonable representation of men and women

Research sample : significant others significant “others”- parent/ other member of the family Stakeholders (such as, community elders, religious leader, school head, local/district education officer, NGO/DPO, health centre official )

significant “others”- parent/ other member of the family

Stakeholders (such as, community elders, religious leader, school head, local/district education officer, NGO/DPO, health centre official )

Research sample: size Rural Urban One District 5- VI + 5-sig.others 5-HI + 5- sig.others 5-PI + 5- sig.others 5-PI + 5 sig.others 5-HI + 5-sig.others 5- VI + 5-sig.others Stakeholders (10/12) People with disabilities: 30 (in-depth interviews) Total sample: 70/72

Research methods Semi-structured interviews Visual images Observations Informal discussions in the community

Semi-structured interviews

Visual images

Observations

Informal discussions in the community

Research issues Listening to “voices”- exploring creative methods of data collection (using interpreters- hearing impairment- who and how?; giving cameras?) “ Tracer studies” Researcher responses (reflexivity)- detailed field notes (the PROCESS needs to be very well documented)

Listening to “voices”- exploring creative methods of data collection (using interpreters- hearing impairment- who and how?; giving cameras?)

“ Tracer studies”

Researcher responses (reflexivity)- detailed field notes (the PROCESS needs to be very well documented)

Ethical issues Pamphlets- with information on rights, local services etc Build links with the local DPO Arrange a health mela Screen an open air movie (maybe something like- Black)

Pamphlets- with information on rights, local services etc

Build links with the local DPO

Arrange a health mela

Screen an open air movie (maybe something like- Black)