CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Community based Rehabilitation (CBR) seems to be a widely accepted model to improve the delivery of rehabilitation in the community, especially in countries with low income. It includes among others the access to health care, education, labor and accessible environments. CBR often is seen as an alternative to specialized rehabilitation services and it is seen as a problem that within CBR rehabilitation services will be delivered by professionals not specialized in rehabilitation or even by non-professionals and that these services may replace specialized rehabilitation services. It is stressed that such a strategy might lead to a decrease of quality levels and thus on the long run may harm health and functioning of persons with disabilities. In order to discuss these issues and to develop solutions and concepts for CBR within the ISPRM-WHO-Liaison committee in early 2013 a subcommittee for CBR has been established. This subcommittee had its first Workshop at the occasion of the 7th World Congress of the ISPRM in June 2013. Luz Helena Lugo (Medellin, Colombia) and Peni Kusumastuti (Jakarta, Indonesia) chair the subcommittee.

In May 2013, on the 66th World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the resolution WHA. Entitled “disability”. This resolution recalls the recommendations of the World Report on Disability and among others, requests the Director-General to prepare a WHO action plan for persons with disabilities. As first step towards the development process of this global action plan, WHO wrote a first draft which made available for all people interested in improving health outcomes for people with disabilities. In addition, WHO has conducted an on line consultation process.

People with disabilities (PWD) and their families face numerous physical and attitudinal barriers to participation in their communities. The social model of disability views this exclusion as ‘disabling’ and as caused by the way in which the society is organised, making PWD more vulnerable to poverty and oppression. Current estimates for the proportion of the South African population with disabilities converge at five to six per cent of the population, equating to around 2.5 million PWD in South Africa. There is thus a need for appropriate policies and services for this sector of the population. Over the past three decades community based rehabilitation (CBR) has emerged as an effective strategy to implement services to PWD and their families.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is widely reported that people with disabilities are excluded from education, health, employment and other aspects of society and that this can potentially lead to or exacerbate poverty (WHO, 2011). This to a large extent makes most special needs persons more often than not become parasite on their family and the community by begging for alms or depending on others for their livelihood, making life a miserable experience. This exclusion is contrary to the essence of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is an international human rights instrument of the UN intended to protect the rights and dignities of people with disabilities (UN 2008). Studies show that when resources available in the community are tapped into and used for the integration of the persons with disability into the community it is beneficial to them, regardless of the degree of handicap condition. Comprehensive rehabilitation services may be preferred to isolated interventions, given the recommendations of the UN convention and the wide range of needs of people with disabilities to enable participation in the UN stated stipulated comprehensive rehabilitation services which includes health, employment, education and social services which are needed to enable people with disabilities to attain and maintain maximum independence, full physical, mental, social and vocational ability, and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life’ (UN, 2008). A range of interventions can be made available to people with disabilities, extending from purely medical (e.g. hospital treatments) to exclusively social (e.g. inclusion in family events).

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the research work is to determine the effect of community based rehabilitation on the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State. The specific objectives of the study are:

1. to determine the relationship between community based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State
2. to examine whether community based rehabilitation will improve the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State
3. to investigate the factors affecting community based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State
4. to ascertain the challenges of community based rehabilitation in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State
5. to recommend ways to resolve the challenges of community based rehabilitation and improve the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the above stated objectives of the study. The following research questions guide the objectives of the study:

1. What is the relationship between community-based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State?
2. Will community based rehabilitation improve the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State?
3. What are the factors affecting community based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State?
4. What are the challenges of community based rehabilitation in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State?
5. What are the ways to resolve the challenges of community based rehabilitation and improve the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State?

1.5 STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

H0: there is no significant relationship between community-based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State

H1: there is significant relationship between community-based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study on the effect of community based rehabilitation on the socio economic development of persons with special needs will help improve the socio economic development of people with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State. The study will explore community based rehabilitation and how they influence the socio economic development of people with special needs. The findings of the study will determine the level of correlation between community-based rehabilitation and the socio economic development of persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State. The study will serve as a repository of information to other researchers and students that desire to carry out similar research on the above topic. Finally the study will contribute to the body of the existing literature on the study on the effect of community based rehabilitation on the socio economic development of persons with special needs.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

  The study will cover on the effect of community based rehabilitation on the socio economic development of persons with special needs with focus on persons with special needs in Bokkos L.G.A of Plateau State.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Community based rehabilitation: Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) is a community development strategy that aims at enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities (PWDs) within their community