Why Disability?
It seems that disability, though present and prevalent throughout the world, often does not receive proportionate focus from research, policy, or human rights endeavors. While relatively little research has been done regarding disabilities in developing countries, the impacts of disability are alarming and cyclic. Poverty and disability often go hand in hand, especially in developing countries. Both poverty and disability reduce access to opportunities to recover from both poverty and disability (Ovadiya & Zampaglione, 2009). Access to healthcare, education, employment, and other basic needs and rights are diminished for disabled individuals. Sierra Leone, with approximately 70% of the population below the poverty line, has also suffered the effects of a civil war that left up to 3,000 newly disabled amputees (Ovadiya & Zampaglione, 2009). Environmental factors associated with poverty can also reinforce or cause disability, as shown by a Cameroon study in which 52.6% of severe hearing loss was due to environmental causes (Wonkam et al., 2012). The presence of such factors implies that the rate of disability in Sierra Leone may be much higher than the census reported 2.4% prevalence of disability (Ovadiya & Zampaglione, 2009).
My research focused on expanding the knowledge available concerning disability in Sierra Leone, especially concerning the education of children with disabilities. I am particularly interested in the way that the identities of persons with disabilities in Makeni are closely tied to the organizations and communities they have formed. These ties provide explanations for the general social perceptions of individuals with disabilities as they are related to perceptions of the assistance organizations. My results are based on semi-structured interviews that I conducted at various sites in the Makeni area. You can learn more about my field sites and key themes by navigating this website.
My research focused on expanding the knowledge available concerning disability in Sierra Leone, especially concerning the education of children with disabilities. I am particularly interested in the way that the identities of persons with disabilities in Makeni are closely tied to the organizations and communities they have formed. These ties provide explanations for the general social perceptions of individuals with disabilities as they are related to perceptions of the assistance organizations. My results are based on semi-structured interviews that I conducted at various sites in the Makeni area. You can learn more about my field sites and key themes by navigating this website.