ABSTRACT
Background:
Disability is an important aspect of human health because
every human being has the potential of being disabled at some point in life.
Because of its importance, it is necessary to make disability and its related
issues familiar to health workers to improve their understanding of the
healthcare needs of persons with disabilities so as to increase access to
health care for persons with disabilities.
Objectives:
The study evaluated the level
of knowledge and perceptions of health workers about persons with disabilities.
It also assessed attitudes that are held by health workers towards persons with
disabilities as a result of held perceptions about them.
Methodology:
The study was quantitative using questionnaires to ascertain
the level of knowledge of and attitude towards persons with disabilities. The
study targeted all categories of health workers including doctors, nurses and
pharmacists. The sample size for the study was 155 and included both males and
female health workers selected purposively.
Results:
The findings indicated that respondents‟ attitude towards
persons with disabilities was somewhat positive. However, their perception of
disability was mixed. For example attitudinal assessment of respondents across
the hospitals revealed that a little over half of the respondents (55.9%)
agreed that „persons with disabilities should be helped even when they have not
asked for help.‟ On the impossibility of preventing disability through
medication and early detection during pregnancy, majority of the respondents disagreed. Finally
on whether respondents were willing to work with persons with disabilities in
the same hospital, the responses across health professions indicated a general
agreement of their preparedness to work with persons with disabilities.
Conclusion:
Health professionals are
essential for providing health care for everyone in the country including
persons with disabilities who are considered one of the minority and
marginalized groups. The findings from the study showed that health
professionals within the study area had adequate knowledge on disability
related issues which could impart positively on their attitude towards persons
with disabilities.
Indeed, findings from the study
established that the health care workers under consideration had positive
attitudes towards persons with disabilities and this is as a result of their
experiences which should be maintained and encouraged among all other health
care providers.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY
Disability has been defined
variously by different scholars, institutions, countries, and legal documents.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (1976), disability is the
interaction between individuals with a health condition, such as cerebral palsy,
hearing loss, blindness and personal and environmental factors such as negative
attitudes and inaccessible physical environment. Under the International
Classification of Functioning Disability and Health disability is defined as an
umbrella term for impairments, activity limitation and participation
restriction (International Classification of Function (ICF) (WHO, 2001).
According to the WHO (2013), about
a billion people are living with some form of disability, which constitutes
about 15% of the world‟s population. Although disability is a complex, dynamic
and a multidimensional issue, many scholars and disability activists have
agreed that attitudinal and physical barriers in the society play a massive
role in the lives of persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Disability is an important aspect
of human health because every human being has the potential of becoming
disabled. Because of its importance, it is necessary to make disability and its
related issues familiar to health workers because healthcare access is
important for every individual both PWDs and persons without disability
(Nordhaus, 2002). With access to good health care, the health conditions of
persons with disabilities (PWDs) will improve as they will have access to
quality healthcare (Mugilwa et al., 2005, Marmot et al., 2008).
However, there are disparities in
healthcare utilization among PWDs and persons without disability across
countries and communities. In every society, PWDs lag behind other citizens in
accessing healthcare (Rimmer et al., 2004). This problem is common to the PWDs
in Africa and most developing countries (An Action on Disability and
Development [ADD], 2005).
Analysis of the World Health Survey
revealed that people with disabilities were twice as likely to find health care
provider skills and equipment inadequate to meet their needs; three times as
likely to be refused care; and four times as likely to be treated gravely by
health care providers (World Health Organization and World Bank 2011).
Many explanations have been offered
for the problems persons with disabilities encounter accessing health care. One
of the main reasons is negative perception about disability and negative
attitude towards persons with disabilities by society, including health care
workers (attitudinal barriers).
Specialists with knowledge on
disability related issues are also lacking and hence special matters relating
to the health needs of persons with disabilities are not seriously addressed
(Elwan, 1999). Thus, while throughout the world several changes take place in
the health status and treatment of persons with disabilities, they are
vulnerable to many health conditions.
Attitudes are theoretical concepts
that represent what an individual views as positive, negative, or neutral;
comprised of affective, behavioral, and cognitive responses and can be altered
by persuasion and experience. Altman (2008), explained attitude as a mental
state, belief, or a predisposition to behavior. This statement implies that
attitudes like all other psychological constructs, can be observed directly or
indirectly in human responses (Albarracin D et al, 2005).
The worth of health care services
is influenced by the attitudes of health professional towards PWDs. Thus,
attitudes of health workers play a direct role in the quality of the patient
care experience at the health care facilities attended.
However, attitudes and
misconstructions among health-care providers are major barriers to health care
for people with disabilities (Hewitt-Taylor, 1987). For example, some
health-care providers may feel uncomfortable about treating people with
disabilities and may avoid them when they seek health care (Aulagnier, 2005).
Also clinical decision-making may be influenced by negative attitudes and
assumptions about disability among health workers. Additionally, limited
knowledge and understanding of disability and the health needs of persons with
disabilities among health-care providers often prevents timely and effective
coordination of health care services for persons with disabilities (Cowling et
al. 2006).
Clearly, it is essential to
influence the attitudes of health professions to become more appreciative of
the health needs of persons with disabilities (Cowling et al. 2006; Lammers
& Happell 2003). Therefore health workers should be conscious of the roots,
consequences, and appropriate treatment of disabling conditions, and of the
incorrect assumptions about disability that result from stigmatized views they
hold.
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