Restricted participation: Drivers, experiences and implications of disability stigma in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Community-based inclusive development (CBID) acknowledges society’s critical role in supporting the active participation of persons with disabilities. However, research on how this approach relates to the context-sensitive socially situated barriers of disability stigma is underexplored.Objectives: This study aimed to understand the drivers and experiences of disability stigma in Ethiopia, from the perspective of persons with disabilities engaged in CBID programmes, and to establish how disability stigma acts as a barrier to participation.Methods: An inductive methodological approach guided the research design. Mixed methods were used including a narrative review of disabilities studies literature, 16 semi-structured interviews with persons with disabilities, and a quantitative survey of 970 persons with disabilities across three communities in Ethiopia.Results: Informed by theories of epistemic justice, this study identified specific indicators of meaningful participation and examined how these relate to experiences of disability stigma. The study found that the participation of adults with disabilities in society is restricted across different areas of life. Misconceptions about the causes of disability and social perceptions regarding the capacities of persons with disabilities are found to exacerbate stigma and act as a barrier to participation.Conclusion: Targeted efforts to challenge internalised norms and harmful beliefs within CBID approaches are required to address disadvantages arising from embedded disability stigma.Contribution: This study makes conceptual, empirical and practical contributions that advance insights into the relationship between disability stigma and participation in Ethiopia and the dimensions of epistemic justice relevant to understanding the nature and drivers of disability stigma.

A caregivers' perspective on social reintegration and stigma of childhood cancer survivors in Kenya

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“…Survivors who were limited in daily life performance also reported higher levels of stigma. Both phenomena may be related with disability stigma 32 . Survivors who completed treatment a shorter time ago reported higher stigma scores, which may indicate that it requires time to develop the character strength needed to overcome the trauma of a life‐threatening event 33 .…”

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“…Мерфи и Б.Б. Цегау иллюстрирует дискриминационное положение людей с инвалидностью в различных сферах общественной жизни, в основе которого лежат стереотипные представления нормотипичных людей о причинах возникновения инвалидности, о более низких когнитивных и физических способностях инвалидов [Breffka et al, 2023], что в свою очередь, провоцирует возникновение их социальной стигматизации и служит препятствием для инклюзии.…”

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“…Недавнее исследование Э. Брефка, К. Джагоу, С. П. Мерфи и Б. Б. Цегау иллюстрирует дискриминационное положение людей с инвалидностью в различных сферах общественной жизни, в основе которого лежат стереотипные представления нормотипичных людей о причинах возникновения инвалидности, о более низких когнитивных и физических способностях инвалидов [8], что, в свою очередь, провоцирует возникновение их социальной стигматизации и служит препятствием для инклюзии.…”