ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A qualitative study was utilised as it was appropriate for the study of attitudes of non-disabled people of Sakhisizwe towards people with disabilities (PWDs). This case study set out to: investigate the perceptions of people with disabilities with regard to attitudes towards them; examine the nature of attitudes toward people with disabilities; determine the impact and influence of attitudes on the integration of people with disabilities; and determine facilitators and barriers with regard to the integration of people with disabilities.
This instrumental case study explored the attitudes of non-disabled people towards disabled people of Sakhisizwe Local Service Area in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The researcher used convenience sampling to select a group of disabled participants from a meeting of the disabled structure held at one of the clinics of Sakhisizwe, to form a focus group. In the focus group of disabled people, two participants were identified as information-rich and were selected using purposive sampling for further interrogation. A convenience sample was used to select mostly three diverse groups of non-disabled participants from youth (seven participants), clergy (seven participants), community members (10participants) and one group of disabled people consisting of six participants making a total of four groups to conduct focus groups interviews. Furthermore, three key informants (traditional healer, social worker and local councilor) from the community at large were also purposively selected.
Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews guided by interview schedules for focus groups, disabled individuals‘ interviews, as well as for the three key informants‘ interviews. To supplement the data, observation was done to study the behaviours of people with disabilities in the service centre towards non-disabled people, and vice versa.
Data was analysed by the process of inductive thematic analysis in which four themes emerged. These were: attitudes of non-disabled people towards people with disabilities; determinants of different disabilities; challenges facing young people with disabilities; and confidence and self-esteem of people with disabilities.
In conclusion, it is recommended that the community identify the general public education and awareness in order to change the negative attitudes that lead to social exclusion and marginalisation
of people with disabilities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die houdings van nie-gestremde persone teenoor persone met gestremdhede in Sakhisizwe is deur middel van ʼn kwalitatiewe studie ondersoek. Hierdie gevalstudie het ook nagevors hoe persone met gestremdhede hierdie houdings ervaar; die aard van die hierdie houdings; asook die impak en gevolg hiervan op die integrasie van persone met gestremdhede in die samelewing met spesifieke verwysing na fasilitators ('facilitators') of hindernisse.
Hierdie waardevolle gevalstudie is in die Sakhisizwe Plaaslike Dienste Area in die Oos Kaap provinsie van Suid Afrika gedoen. 'n Fokusgroep is gekies deur middel van 'n gerieflikheidsteekproef ('convenience sample') uit ʼn groep persone met gestremdhede wat 'n vergadering oor gestremde bestuurstrukture by een van die plaaslike klinieke in Sakhisizwe bygewoon het. Uit die fokusgroep is twee deelnemers met ryk ervarings geïdentifiseer as doelbewuste streekproef ('purposive sampling') vir verdere onderhoude.
Benewens die fokusgroep van 10 persone met gestremdhede, is drie verdere fokusgroepe vanuit die geledere van nie-gestremde persone gekies. Die groeperings was uiteenlopend en het deelnemers vanuit die volgende groepe ingesluit, naamlik: die jeug (sewe deelnemers), geestelike leiers (sewe deelnemers), en gemeenskapslede (10 deelnemers). 'n Verdere drie persone is doelbewus ('purposive sampling') as sleutel informante van die groter gemeenskap gekies (tradisionele geneser, maatskaplike werker en plaaslike raadslid). Data was deur middel van semi gestruktureerde onderhoude vir elk van die vier fokus groepe ingesamel. Hierdie data is aangevul deur die wedersydse gedrag van persone met gestremdhede en nie – gestremde persone waar te neem en te bestudeer.
Deur middel van induktiewe tematiese ontleding ('inductive thematic analysis') van die data is vier temas geidientifiseer. Houdings van nie – gestremde persone teenoor persone met gestremdhede; bepalende faktore van verskillende tipes gestremdheid; uitdagings wat alle persone met gestremdhede in die gesig staar; asook selfvertroue en self-beeld van persone met gestremdhede.
Ten slotte word aanbeveel dat die gemeenskap self die algemene opvoeding en bewusmaking ten opsigte van gestremde persone aanspreek sodat die negatiewe houdings wat lei tot sosiale uitsluiting en gemarginaliseerdheid ('marginalization') aangespreek kan word.
