A community-based evaluation of disability resources and inclusion practices in rural Botswana

Violence in rural areas against disabled people from the perspective of their families

“…In this direction, it appears that DP residing in rural areas have a particularly high risk of experiencing a decrease in social participation and an increase in isolation ( 15 , 31 ) . Unfortunately, this population daily experiences negative social attitudes based on stereotypes associated with disability, significantly impacting their life experiences and opportunities and ( 32 ) contributing to the invisibility of this population in the community social life ( 12 ) .…”

“…The family’s adaptations to the disability of their relative are common, because, due to the limitations of DP, they are usually dependent on their family for care ( 34 ) . A study reveals that strong family ties and compassion have encouraged family caregivers to change their ways of life to adapt to DP’s needs ( 12 ) . Families have their own ways of living, being perceived as a system that faces crises and difficulties and, in this context, family members tend to assume the role of caregivers ( 37 ) .…”

“…Research has indicated that the restricted opportunities for access to education and skills development for children with disabilities occurred due to lack of access to schools, lack of transportation and limited family income, which prevented many parents from taking their children to school ( 12 ) . It is identified that, despite several political guidelines worldwide mentioning the relevance of inclusive education for DP, in practice, the right to it is not fully effective, especially when particularizing rural areas.…”

“…Study points out that the rural area has more unfavorable indicators in relation to access and accessibility to health services by DP ( 43 ) , which is also pointed out by the present investigation. One of the impediments to this access and accessibility to health services is due to the distance of rural communities in relation to these services ( 10 , 12 - 13 , 39 ) . From this perspective, a study developed in China revealed that being a DP resident in a rural area was associated with a 13 to 40% increase in unmet needs by health services, explained, in part, by difficulties in accessing these services ( 44 ) .…”

“…The combination of disability with poverty and contextual deprivation, for example, makes them vulnerable to various forms of discrimination, impacting their ability to access basic services (11) . In this sense, social, environmental and physical barriers are reported that prevent the full implementation of policies that defend the rights of DP in rural areas (12) , since this population suffers from unemployment (10,(13)(14)(15) , restricted access to health services, which are limited in these areas (13) , having inaccessible facilities and inadequate equipment (14) .…”