Living with Disability

Introduction:

Approximately 10% of the South African population is disabled, with over 300,000 people being blind. This task explores the life experience of a young blind South African, and reflects on my thoughts and feelings about his story. Four models of disability will be discussed, using examples from his life experience. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| The Blind Society placed Silomo in a hostel at a Blind School since his family could not afford daily transport. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| They lacked compassion, and some even hit the learners. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| Silomo graduated in 2015 and is now employed as a researcher at an organization that seeks to achieve equality and social justice in South Africa. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| Additionally, I considered how other disabled persons cope with various daily activities, such as quadriplegics who use public transport. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| The Traditional Model explains disability as a result of a society's customs, attitudes, and ideas that prevent a particular group from functioning (Duncan et al, 2009). |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| This model places the difficulties of disability on disabled people and expects them to make extra efforts to cope in their environments (Leicester University, 2012).

On the other hand, the Social Model views disability as societal barriers that "dis"-able people, rather than what a person "has" (IMD, 2015). These barriers include attitudes and restrictive environments (Handicap Handbook, 2004). |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| This Integrated Model encompasses medical, rehabilitative, social, and legal aspects of disability. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| When his sight deteriorated, the solution according to this model was to place him in a special school for the blind, separating him from the mainstream environment. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| However, he was taught Braille and cooking skills to help him cope. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| I discovered that UCT has a Disability Service Computer Lab for visually impaired students to access academic material. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE |||||||

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