Inclusion Extended: Educators With Disabilities

Although low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is prevalent among older adults and is associated with poor physical function, longitudinal studies examining vitamin D status and physical function are lacking. We examined the association between 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and the onset of mobility limitation and disability over 6 years of follow-up in community-dwelling, initially well-functioning older adults participating in the Health, Aging and Body Composition study (n = 2,099). Serum 25(OH)D and PTH were measured at the 12-month follow-up visit (1998-1999). Mobility limitation and disability (any/severe difficulty walking 1/4 mile or climbing 10 steps) was assessed semiannually over 6 years of follow-up. The association between 25(OH)D, PTH, and mobility limitation and disability was examined using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for demographics, season, behavioral characteristics, and chronic conditions. At baseline, 28.9% of the participants had 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L and 36.1% had 25(OH)D of 50 to <75 nmol/L. Participants with 25(OH)D <50 and 50 to <75 nmol/L were at greater risk of developing mobility limitation (HR (95% CI): 1.29 (1.04-1.61) and 1.27 (1.05-1.53), respectively) and mobility disability (HR (95% CI): 1.93 (1.32-2.81) and 1.30 (0.92-1.83), respectively) over 6 years of follow-up compared with participants with 25(OH)D ≥75 nmol/L. Elevated PTH, however, was not significantly associated with developing mobility limitation or disability. Low 25(OH)D was associated with an increased risk of mobility limitation and disability in community-dwelling, initially well-functioning black and white older adults. Prevention or treatment of low 25(OH)D may provide a pathway for reducing the burden of mobility disability in older adults.

Societies in our global community are at different points on the timeline towards meaningful inclusion for disabled children and young people. During the 20th century, disabled children in the United Kingdom were viewed as vulnerable, helpless, and to be pitied. Medical letters about them included words such as ‘crippled’, ‘handicapped’, and ‘this unfortunate child’. It was less than 50 years ago in the UK that the classification of disabled children as uneducable was outlawed;1 only 15 years ago that UK legislation prohibited discrimination against disabled children in education;2 and 10 years ago when legislation actively promoted the removal of barriers that could prevent disabled children from participating in mainstream education.3 The UK Equality Act has brought together all discrimination legislation, including disability, as one of nine protected characteristics that must not be used as a reason to treat some people worse than others in our society.4 So where are we now? There is still much to be done. In 2011, television journalists exposed the horrific abuse of people with learning disabilities and autism at a care home in southern England. The Confidential Inquiry into the premature deaths of people with learning disabilities (CIPOLD) revealed ongoing inequalities in access to health care and worse outcomes.5 Our everyday clinical practice in the UK bears witness that disabled children and young people continue to be pitied, patronized, undervalued, and abused in our society. Those in different countries and settings will know how their societies compare to this. In the UK there is light on the horizon. The Children and Families Act 2014 encourages person-centered planning, placing the child or young person's view and that of their parents as central to decision-making about what should be done to achieve the outcomes that matter to them.6 In 2013, the Department of Health (England) funded ‘Disability Matters’. Led by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in partnership with a range of colleges, voluntary organizations, the British Academy of Childhood Disability, and the British Paediatric Neurology Association, this is an initiative that challenges and aspires to positively change the attitudes of those who may work or volunteer with disabled children and young people in health, education, social care, criminal justice, leisure, tourism, transport, and community and faith groups. A suite of 57 e-learning sessions on subjects carefully chosen after extensive consultation (including consultation with disabled children and young people), from ‘What is Disability?’, ‘Feelings Matter’, ‘Advocacy Matters’, ‘Environmental Challenges Matter’ to ‘Transition Matters’ are being co-produced with disabled young people, parent carers, and key stakeholders across statutory and voluntary agencies. The e-learning programme (including suggested learning packages and pathways for different workforce sectors) is freely available to everyone, across all sectors of society, internationally. Supporting resources encouraging facilitated group learning in local areas, in partnership with disabled children and young people and parent carers, are included. The resources have much relevance regardless of country or setting. Attitudes transcend geography, culture, and language. Our societies are made up of the sum of the attitudes of the individuals who live in them. Let us aspire to be a global community where everyone proactively includes, values, and warmly welcomes disabled people of all ages as the default position. May we think ahead about any challenges or barriers that might prevent disabled people from being able to choose to join in with everyday activities or access services the same as anyone else, creatively and imaginatively problem-solving with them about how challenges and barriers might best be overcome in a way that is acceptable to them. Check out ‘Disability Matters’ at www.disabilitymatters.org.uk. Be inspired by the lived experiences and stories of disabled children, young people, and their families. See what else you can do to make a positive difference and let others know about it. Together we can make the world of difference. Positive, ‘can do’ attitudes cost nothing.

People with disabilities (PWD) have the same rights as everyone else in the community. Most people with disabilities have limited access to education and skills training due to a combination of factors including: the lack of a coherent national policy and technical support system to address their particular learning/education/ employment/empowerment needs. Particular needs and issues affecting people with disabilities generally are ignored in the national development agenda and their well-being is often treated as a matter of welfare rather than as a fundamental human right. On the other hand, people with disabilities lack the means to advocate for and claim their rights as citizens. As such, little formal effort has been made to effectively address their basic needs with regards to access to basic social services including education, skills training and sustainable livelihood opportunities. In light of this and recognising that education is a fundamental human right for all, as well as a key instrument of development and social empowerment, The Breaking Barriers For Inclusion Of People With Disability In National Development aims to assist people with disabilities to gain access to quality education, government services, natural resources and to raise people with disabilities’ consciousness about their fundamental human rights. In order to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities and in particular, to enable and include them in national development, there is the need to empower them by removing socioeconomic and cultural barriers to their development as well as by creating an environment supportive of inclusive social progress.

Purpose Housing adaptation enables the elderly and disabled people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives by making it easier to carry out everyday tasks in a safer environment. Assistive technology enables them to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve independence. Therefore, the new guidance for local authorities in England on Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) recommends assistive and smart technology as part of a DFG award package to maximise the benefits of home adaptations. Through a baseline study, this paper examines the disabled and elderly peoples’ level of digital engagement, the challenges and the impact of smart devices on their daily living and well-being. Design/methodology/approach A baseline study approach was used through the co-production of knowledge. The study relies on a questionnaire survey and the Most Significant Change (MSC) research technique through structured interviews. A percentage of the total approach is used in analysing the quantitative data by comparing the pre- and post-baseline results. Findings The major challenges the clients face are Wi-Fi connectivity, system compatibility issues, and skills in navigating different applications and operating systems. The pilot study demonstrates that assistive technology supports independent and healthy living and promotes a secure and safe environment. It also promotes social inclusion and improves the elderly and disabled people’s comfort and engagement. However, the results show that the overall impact is minimal; therefore, a longitudinal study is needed to understand the impacts over a long period. Practical implications The findings will help policymakers to understand the impacts of assistive technology on improving the elderly and disabled people’s quality of life. Originality/value A comparable baseline study was carried out to serve as a reference point for other similar future studies. The paper also highlights the challenges faced by the elderly and disabled people, their digital skill level and the impact of smart devices on their daily living and well-being.

Simple SummaryCompounding pre-existing diverse vulnerabilities, pet owners living with (dis)abilities are expected to confront more challenges than their peers without (dis)abilities. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating COVID-19-specific impacts on access to veterinary medical and behavioral services from the lens of persons with (dis)abilities (PWDs). Through semi-structured in-depth interviews, this study highlights PWDs’ difficulties, three-fold: (1) COVID-19 has worsened PWDs’ already precarious financial capacity to pay for veterinary services, (2) existing assistance and support programs do not effectively address PWDs’ unique requirements to support their companion animals’ health needs, and (3) public health protocols triggered public transportation challenges for PWDs who must now also adapt to complicated curbside services. Building PWD-driven social assistance and support programs would help reduce these challenges and promote health and well-being for both PWDs and their companion animals.The research aims to explore COVID-19 health and safety protocol impacts on companion animal guardians living with (dis)abilities relating to veterinary medical and behavioral service access. The COVID-19 global public health crisis has impacted almost all international communities; however, vulnerable and marginalized groups have been disproportionately affected. Within the human–companion animal domain, COVID-19-driven societal impacts (e.g., social, health, and economic) not only boomed with new companion animal guardians, but also negatively influenced guardians’ access to veterinary services. Although studies have examined guardian-related COVID-19-specific challenges, there is a paucity of concentration on vulnerable populations, such as persons with disabilities (PWDs). Responding to this research deficit, this study recruited twelve companion animal guardians to participate in semi-structured in-depth interviews, and eight (67%) of the twelve participants self-identified as PWDs. From a PWD perspective, this research reveals three pandemic-triggered primary barriers, preventing PWDs from pursuing veterinary services: (1) service affordability, (2) assistance program feasibility, and (3) veterinary service accessibility. This article argues that PWD-driven approaches could improve existing assistance and support programs to address PWDs’ unique requirements, promoting a healthy human–animal bond.

PurposeIn light of the emphasis on “inclusion” in the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the notion of social inclusion encompasses the goal of granting opportunities for disabled people, integrate them and make them participate in the new environment. Referring to the capability theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the social inclusion of disabled young people in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a qualitative approach based on a series of focused semi-structured interviews with 11 participants occupying key positions in aid associations for disabled people.FindingsThe findings suggest that smart technologies can enhance social inclusion through three key factors: the nature of impairment and other personal characteristics of disabled people, the resources available to them and the environmental aspects provided by government policies and society’s cultural practices. In the contemporary society characterized by an increasing role of ICTs, the findings of this research could contribute to lead the developing countries to a sustainable and inclusive world through social inclusion of their youth.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations that should be mentioned. First, it was conducted only on a small sample size (with 11 interviewees). Further empirical research must be conducted on larger sample to build and elaborate on the findings. Second, the results are mainly based on the points of view of people working in aid associations for disabled people. In future research, semi-structured interviews can be carried out with the disabled people themselves or with members of their family to ask them about their personal experience with smart technologies and the impact of this on their social inclusion. It was also suggested that the future research should explore the challenges of inclusion for different categories of disabled people separately because they are not all facing the same issues and the same challenges. Furthermore, as this paper focuses on the role of smart technologies in the development of social inclusion of disabled people, future research could take place with other groups, for example, Palestinian and Syrian refugees, to identify whether these groups are experiencing similar challenges and barriers when trying to use smart technologies as a way to enhance their social inclusion.Practical implicationsRelated to a larger and broader approach, social inclusion of disabled or marginalized people or refugees in developing countries could be a way to commit to a sustainable and inclusive world, in alignment with the eight goals of the Millennium Development Goals.Originality/valueRelated to a larger and broader approach, social inclusion of disabled or marginalized people or refugees in developing countries could be a way to commit to a sustainable and inclusive world, in alignment with the eight goals of the Millennium Development Goals.

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) often face societal exclusion, particularly during disasters when communities become more vulnerable and reliant on external assistance. PWDs, who are already at higher risk, experience heightened challenges. They usually rely on caregivers, such as family, neighbours, or government support, for daily assistance. However, even these support networks become vulnerable when disasters strike, increasing dependence on government and external relief. During times of disasters, the process of evacuating individuals to relief camps establishes reciprocal relationships between PWDs and relief providers. In the realm of disaster management, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) go beyond being passive recipients; they actively contribute to rescue missions alongside their families. Particularly in Sri Lanka, where advanced tools for those with mobility impairments are scarce, PWDs take on a hands-on role. They guide support providers lacking specific rescue training, offering instructions on how to assist and meet their support expectations. This active participation exemplifies what we term ‘reciprocal relationships between PWDs and relief providers.’ This mutual support is of paramount importance since the entire population is deemed at risk, and collaborative efforts significantly boost the efficiency of evacuation endeavours and the provision of support services. However, it is essential to acknowledge the distinctive vulnerabilities and interdependencies present within the disability community. This recognition emphasises the critical necessity for inclusive disaster preparedness measures. While prior studies have addressed the vulnerabilities of PWDs during and after disasters, a critical knowledge gap exists in understanding these issues in Sri Lanka. This chapter investigates the challenges of PWDs during and after disasters, explores the difficulties of service providers in assisting PWDs, and emphasises the need for inclusive disaster preparedness, highlighting the significance and role of social workers in emergencies in Sri Lanka. The study utilised a qualitative research design, conducting twenty in-depth interviews in two disaster-prone districts in Sri Lanka, Kandy, and Kegalle. The findings reveal that PWDs face a range of challenges, such as limited access to information, inaccessible shelters, transportation barriers, loss of assistive devices, and insufficient healthcare access. The Framework for Integrating Rights and Equality (FIRE) offers crucial recommendations to comprehensively address these issues. Service providers, confronted with resource constraints, accessibility problems, communication barriers, inadequate training, low trust levels, and policy gaps, must integrate these principles for improved disaster preparedness and response. This involves prioritising resource allocation, enhancing accessibility, improving communication, investing in training, fostering trust, and addressing policy gaps, aiming to create a more inclusive and resilient system that better serves the needs of PWDs during emergencies and identifies the importance and role of social workers in emergencies in Sri Lanka.

People with disabilities (PWD) struggle with prejudices, narrow-mindedness, and maltreatment. This situation has brought many questions on how the public serves them. Concerning PWDs' employment, the source of income and the wellbeing of this community frequently be neglected and depreciated. The research issues a call to this agenda and suggests action to empower employment among PWD. Descriptive quantitative research was employed to 136 employers from various industries. This article reports three variables: readiness, commitment, and disposition of industrial players on hiring PWD. The results of the study describe that employers are more likely to hire PWD in their organization based on their readiness and commitment, however, the disposition was discouraging. The types of disabilities, industries and ethnicities of the PWD contribute to a major decision when hiring PWD. Employment of PWDs is afflicted by skeptical and dubious perspectives due to their capabilities and capacities to fulfill job responsibilities. With encouragement and empowerment of skilled development programs, PWD is supposed to be allowed to join the workforce, performing a job that suits their impairment. Ongoing support must be advocated among the grassroots of the nations that ultimately flourish the life of PWD.

BackgroundPeople with mobility disability (MD) or obesity often have more health problems and are less able to participate in work than individuals without these conditions. This study investigated whether people burdened with MD and obesity have a greater risk of unemployment than people with either one (MD only or obesity only) or none of these conditions.MethodsThe study included two Swedish population-based cohorts, a national cohort (n = 39,947) and a regional cohort (n = 40,088). Six exposure groups were created using baseline self-reported data on MD and body mass index from participants aged 19 to 64 years. The MD definition differed between the cohorts. Various sources of socio-demographic factors were used to address confounding. Participants’ risks of unemployment were assessed longitudinally in a nationwide register with objective data and with almost no loss of follow-up (< 1%). Cox regression was used to analyse associations of MD and/or obesity (BMI ≥ 30) with risk of any (≥1 day) and long-term unemployment (≥90 days during two consecutive years). Quantile regression was used to estimate participants’ unemployment risks as average days of unemployment. Normal-weight people without MD were used as a reference group. The Wald test was applied for specific group comparisons other than to the reference group.ResultsIn summary, the groups with MD and the obese group without MD had a higher risk of becoming unemployed than the reference group (regional survey adjusted hazard ratio range: 1.30–1.59; 95% CI range: 1.06–1.90, national survey adjusted hazard ratio range: 1.11–1.34; 95% CI range: 0.88–1.81). The obese group with MD did not differ from the groups with MD only or obesity only in terms of unemployment risk.ConclusionsPeople with MD and/or obesity are vulnerable groups at risk of prolonged unemployment during their working life in a country with a highly developed welfare system.

&lt;p&gt;Religious rights of the Indonesian people have been regulated in the 1945 Constitution, Law No. 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights. The Fulfillment of the Religious Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PD) has been regulated in article 14 of Law No. 8 of 2016 concerning Person with Disability. Protection and fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities is regulated in the Bali Regulation No. 9 of 2015 (Perda 9/2015).This study uses descriptive qualitative methods with a socio-normative approach related to the implementation of Perda 9/2015, identifying the challenges and opportunities of PD in Bali in obtaining their religious and customary rights. Identification is important to encourage the social inclusion and harmonization in life. Informants were selected by using purposive sampling involving disability organizations: Pertuni, Kube Darma Bakti, RwaBineda, Gerkatin, Bali Deaf Community, YBSH Foundation and Puspadi Bali. Data collection methods were observation, interview and literature study.The existence of Persons with Disability (PD) is the largest minority in the world and part of the diversity of Indonesian social and cultural structures. PD often experiences social exclusion, including in carrying out religious practices and beliefs. This discourse is often over looked because the stereotype of PD is identical with the socio-economic problems handled by the social service. Some obstacles in fulfilling the religious and belief rights of persons with disabilities: places of worship are not accessible, scarcity of religious teaching materials and lack of service facilities for PD, especially in various religious celebrations.&lt;/p&gt;

The existing literature on diversity, disability and employability points out towards social inequality and highlight the gaps that exist in the hospitality job market for people with disabilities. The nature of tasks and job roles in the hospitality sector has created unrealistic and problematic expectations for people with disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges faced by people with disabilities as far as employment in the Indian hospitality sector is concerned. In-depth interviews with ten managers belonging to ten different five-star hotels were conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. The responses were analyzed, transcribed, and common themes were identified. One of the significant findings of the study is that most of the hotels consider employing people with disabilities as a corporate social responsibility. Professional and social factors emerged as important challenges in the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the Indian hospitality industry.

PurposeIn the project “Working the way I want” (AWIEW), people with and without disabilities are co-creating a needs assessment tool (NAT) to support participation in the labour market. This tool will include a technological solution at its core and a set of tested new social practices for its successful application in Germany.Design/methodology/approachThe AWIEW project combines several methods and a participatory approach from different disciplines in a transdisciplinary project design. At the micro level, the participatory design approach is used to jointly develop the digital tool with people with disabilities (PWD). At the meso level, semi-structured interviews are used to gather data from different stakeholders in the PWD’ social ecosystem to uncover factors facilitating or hindering the successful transition of PWD to the labour market.FindingsThis paper discusses how transdisciplinary results can be incorporated into the development of a tool that supports PWD in navigating their occupational orientation processes. Some preliminary findings are: (a) Vocational orientation for PWD often starts with difficulties in imagining a future job; participative designs need to start from this premise. (b) PWD’ knowledge about the labour market depends on information provided by their social ecosystem; thus, research and design must take this ecosystem into account. (c) Welfare organisations instil a feeling of security and competence within their structures that has to be considered in needs assessment – both as a hindering and an empowering factor.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the importance of combining a digital solution and new practices for a promising approach towards enhancing the participation of PWD in the labour market.

The various stigmas surrounding People with Disabilities (PWDs) make it difficult for them to find employment. Therefore, entrepreneurship is a way for PWDs to carry out economic activities. This study aims to analyze the employment conditions, the importance of entrepreneurship, and the entrepreneurial conditions carried out by PWDs in Indonesia. The source of data for this study is the 2018 Indonesian National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS). The analysis techniques for this study include cross-tabulation, Pearson’s chi-square, and Likelihood Ratio (LR) for statistical tests. The results show that PWDs face major obstacles with participating in employment, with Women with Disabilities (WWDs) facing even more significant obstacles than Men with Disabilities (MWDs). Most PWDs, both men and women, have equal chances of becoming entrepreneurs. The vital role of entrepreneurship is also shown by the nature of entrepreneurship, as an independent effort that unnecessarily depends much on other parties so that PWDs have extra opportunities. The majority of PWDs who become entrepreneurs, with low education levels, live in rural areas and work in the agricultural sector, indicating that their businesses are small scale. Small companies tend to be vulnerable to competition, so that at any time, PWDs have the risk of losing their businesses.

Mobility disability is predictive of further functional decline and can itself compromise older people's capacity (and preference) to live independently. The world's population is also ageing, and multimorbidity is the norm in those aged ≥85. What is unclear in this age group, is the influence of multimorbidity on (a) transitions in mobility disability and (b) mobility disability-free life expectancy (mobDFLE). Using multistate modelling in an inception cohort of 714 85-year-olds followed over a 10-year period (aged 85 in 2006 to 95 in 2016), we investigated the association between increasing numbers of long-term conditions and (1) mobility disability incidence, (2) recovery from mobility disability and (3) death, and then explored how this shaped the remaining life expectancy free from mobility disability at age 85. Models were adjusted for age, sex, disease group count, BMI and education. We defined mobility disability based on participants' self-reported ability to get around the house, go up and down stairs/steps, and walk at least 400 yards; participants were defined as having mobility disability if, for one or more these activities, they had any difficulty with them or could not perform them. Data were drawn from the Newcastle 85+ Study: a longitudinal population-based cohort study that recruited community-dwelling and institutionalised individuals from Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside general practices. We observed that each additional disease was associated with a 16% increased risk of incident mobility disability (hazard ratio (HR) 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07 to 1.25, p < 0.001), a 26% decrease in the chance of recovery from this state (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63 to 0.86, p < 0.001), and a 12% increased risk of death with mobility disability (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07- to .17, p < 0.001). This translated to reductions in mobDFLE with increasing numbers of long-term conditions. However, residual and unmeasured confounding cannot be excluded from these analyses, and there may have been unobserved transitions to/from mobility disability between interviews and prior to death. We suggest 2 implications from this work. (1) Our findings support calls for a greater focus on the prevention of multimorbidity as populations age. (2) As more time spent with mobility disability could potentially lead to greater care needs, maintaining independence with increasing age should also be a key focus for health/social care and reablement services.

To explore the prevalence rates of disabilities among the ethnic minority people in China. Utilizing stratified, multiphase, and cluster probability sampling design, 2 526 145 persons were investigated and screened by trained interviewers, including 297 761 persons with ethnic minority backgrounds. Respondents scoring positive for potential problems were referred to physician for further diagnosis on disability and on scale measurement. The overall prevalence rate of disability for both ethnic minority and Han population were 6.24% (95%CI: 6.16% - 6.51%) and 6.41% (95%CI: 6.38% - 6.51%) respectively. The total aggregate age-adjusted prevalence rate of disability was 7.31% for persons with ethnic minority. The prevalence rate of disabilities in male was significantly higher than that in females (7.31% vs. 6.75%). The ranking of prevalence rates on different type of disabilities were: physical disability 1.90% (95%CI: 1.89% - 1.91%), hearing disability 1.34% (95%CI: 1.33% - 1.35%), multiple disability 1.14% (95%CI: 1.13% - 1.15%), vision disability 0.99% (95%CI: 0.97% - 1.01%), psychiatric disability 0.38% (95%CI: 0.37% - 0.40%), intellectual disability 0.38% (0.37% - 0.39%) and speech disability 0.12% (0.11% - 0.13%). Cerebral Palsy, genetic diseases, tympanitis, cerebral disease and mental retardation (not including unknown items) were the major causes for disabled children with ethnicity background. Degenerated diseases, including osteoarthropathy, cerebrovascular disease, elderly-related deafness or cataract were most important causes for ethnic minority persons aged 60 or over. Injury, including traffic accident was important disabled-related factor for persons with minority ethnicity aged 15 - 59. The main causes and ranking of causes for ethnical minority were similar with that for Han population. The prevalence rate of disability for ethnic minority persons was significantly higher than that for Han population in China. Prevention for different types of disability should be provided accordingly to persons with ethnic minority, in different age groups.