Culture and poverty: a case study of a girl with special educational needs from a poor community in South India

Abstract

Girls with disabilities from lower economic homes are disadvantaged (in terms of gender, disability and poverty) in India, and are often regarded as useless by their communities. There is a need to improve and provide a chance for self-sufficiency among women with disabilities in India.The purpose of this study was to examine the life-chances (i.e. the likelihood of living a self-sufficient life) of girls with disabilities in rural India and subsequently suggest ways through which one can improve these life chances. The study was a single-case study that used data from semistructured interviews carried out in rural Bangalore.It was found, based on the interviews and available literature on the issue, that women with disabilities are at a disadvantage, especially those in rural settings. The most significant factors that seem to affect the life chances of the subject in the study were parental hesitation, a lack of opportunities and low self-esteem and confidence. The study suggests awareness programmes, counselling and the implementation of home-based education services as some ways through which the life-chances of girls with disabilities are likely to improve. bs_bs_banner

Nonmedical Barriers and Needs of Rural Children with Disabilities and Their Families in Asia: A Scoping Review

“…Don et al (2015) found that girls with disabilities in rural Iran were not expected to work, so parents believed that it was unnecessary to send them to schools. Similarly, another case study conducted in rural India found that parents played down the importance of education for daughters with disabilities and viewed the ideal future in marrying them out (Philip, 2015). Thus, girls with disabilities were more likely to be out of school compared with boys with disabilities and girls without disabilities (Malik et al, 2022).…”

“…showing that it greatly affected the mental health of both the children and their caregivers-generating distress and low self-esteem, leading to their social exclusion and isolation (Ngo et al, 2013;Philip, 2015;Shang & Fisher, 2014;Sukmak & Sangsuk, 2018). Family members, particularly caregivers, most of whom are mothers, also experienced discrimination daily within the community.…”

“…Another barrier identified in two studies was the difficulty with regard to transportation. Compared with their urban counterparts, the access to education and health care by rural residents, including children with disabilities, was greatly limited by inaccessible roads and long distances to service organizations such as schools, hospitals, and training centres (Maridal et al, 2021;Philip, 2015).…”

The Application of Inclusive Principles and Practice in Schools in South India: Successes and Challenges

“…A number of teachers who have undertaken the course in Bangalore have been successful in having papers based upon their work accepted for publication (Philip 2015;Haridarshan 2015;Vellal 2015). Such a step requires considerable confidence on the part of teachers who have not previously ventured into the domain of academic publication.…”

Gender and water management in Mexico

“…Poverty alone creates issues of education access, and a lack of hygiene facilities exacerbates this (Grinberg, 2010; Philip, 2015). While men may relieve themselves out in the open, in many cultures, modesty dictates that women and girls use filthy, uncleaned pit latrines, which can have detrimental health consequences (Hannan and Andersson, 2002).…”