Success in Africa: People with disabilities share their stories

Abstract

Background: Whereas most narratives of disability in sub-Saharan Africa stress barriers and exclusion, Africans with disabilities appear to show resilience and some appear to achieve success. In order to promote inclusion in development efforts, there is a need to challenge narratives of failure.Objectives: To gather life histories of people with disabilities in three sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Uganda and Sierra Leone) who have achieved economic success in their lives and to analyse factors that explain how this success has been achieved.Methods: Qualitative research study of economic success involving life history interviews with 105 participants with disabilities from both urban and rural settings recruited through disabled people’s organisations and non-governmental organisation partners, framework analysis of transcripts to chart success and success factors.Results: Participants had faced barriers in education, employment and family life. They had largely surmounted these barriers to achieve success on an equal basis with others. They were working in private and public sectors and were self-employed farmers, shopkeepers and craftspeople.Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that, given the right support, disabled people can achieve economic success, with the implication being that investment in education or training of disabled people can be productive and should be part of overall development efforts for economic reasons, not solely to achieve social justice goals.

Identity integration in people with acquired disabilities: A qualitative study

“…She is planning for a career in computer science, one where she intends to use her skills to help blind people in Kenya connect with each other and to advocate for more inclusive policies. Indeed, African master narratives of disability are even more extremely focused on dependency than American master narratives (Shakespeare, Mugeere, Nyariki, & Simbaya, 2019). Layla expressed gratitude for her blindness, saying,

I think my blindness is the best thing that ever happened to me.

…”

Disabled Children and Work: An Overview of a Neglected Topic with a Specific Focus on Ghana

“…Disability is about difference. However, the way that it is understood has gone through fundamental conceptual shifts over the past 30-40 years (Shakespeare 2013). Humans have always noticed and responded to sameness and difference in others.…”

“…They may be forced to do work that is difficult for them or be bullied and maltreated (Mizunoya and Mitra 2012). However, those who have been successful by their own definition often mention the specific support of an individual or community resource that enabled them to access education and then work (Shakespeare et al 2019).…”

Expanding Global Rehabilitation Services through International Academic-Community Partnerships

“…In a comparative study of people with disabilities in Cameroon and India, researchers found that interviewees prioritized family members' medical needs over their own impairments, which they grew to accept or treat with traditional remedies [14]. Even in cases such as people with disabilities in Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone who succeeded in achieving economic independence, strategies revolved around self-advocacy and self-employment rather than community support [15].…”