BLACK COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE DISABLED­ EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS by BUSISIWE HELEN BALOYI Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the subject PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION atthe UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA Promotor: PROF A C LESSING 31 January 1997 DECLARATION Student number: 849-871-7 I declare that BLACK COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE DISABLED - EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS is my own work and that. all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. 31 Ja11ua"j /tf'f1 SIGNATURE DATE (MISS) B H BALOYI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN ALL THAT YOU DO GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD "I give thanks to Him (Jesus Christ) who has granted me permission. He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy appointing me to do this work" (1Timothy1:12). • I am dedicating this thesis to my dear children, Sipho (Bournny) and Nomsa (Jacqueline), for their encouragement became pillars of strength in my work. * My dear parents, Efric and Alinah, for their interest and encouragement in my work. In particular I wish to express my sincere gratitude to: 1. Professor A.C. Lessing, to whom I am indebted for her expert guidance. A hard worker, working in a most challenging way. I have attained more knowledge through her. 2. Professor M.W. de Witt, for her knowledge and interest in assisting me to complete this work. 3. Dr J.P. Sammons for her good typing of this thesis. She was always zealous to assist. Blessed are people with patience without complaints. 4. Mrs M. Everett for her interest and willingness to edit my work. 5. Mrs M Pieterse for helping with the typing and correcting some technical errors. 6. Interviewees who found time to give their opinions. 7. My relatives and friends who were interested in my work by giving courage to proceed during though times. 8. Mrs B. Nel of DmSA and her family for always being willing to accommodate me in her house whenever I came to UNISA, for hospitality, genuine love and respect I have received. May the good Lord bless them. ii 9. My two year old grandson, Ebenhezer (meaning Thank you Lord, thus far) for being a stimilus around my arms when I became exhausted during by course of study for this degree. Grow so that you can overcome the challenges of life to reach mountain tops not forgetting to serve God through service to disabled people. 10. My colleagues at Tivumbeni College of Education for the inspiration generated by their disciplined and sustained hard work and commitment to their educational task as well as to ALL colleagues in general who challenged me through their virtues of education. 11. All people in South Africa who are interested and involved in the life of the disabled. " ... so my dear brothers, be strong in the Lord's work. For you know that nothing you do for the Lord is in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58). 12. To God, my heavenly Father/Elohim/El Shadai, who gave me life and strength to write this thesis. iii SUMMARY This study, BLACK COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE DISABLED - EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS, set out to investigate the attitude of the black community towards the disabled. Literature was consulted to provide a backdrop against which the empirical surveys could be measured. The study used systematic observation interviews for data collection. Appointments were made to conduct the interviews. The study obtained responses from 70 interviewees from four African cultures namely the Vend~ Pedi, Tsonga and Ndebele, who were divided into seven groups, ten per group, i.e. parents of the disabled, the disabled themselves, siblings of the disabled, parents of non-disabled, youth, old people and professional workers. Findings indicated that disabilities such as cerebral palsy, orthopaedic disabilities, blindness and deafness are undesirable and constitute problems in the life of a disabled, their families in general perspective and the community at large. Disabilities constituted different attitudes and were identified as varying from total rejection to acceptance which are brought about by the components of the TRIPARTITE MODEL I A B C MODEL being cognitive. affective and behavioural. Education of the whole black community concerning the issue of disabled people seems to be the only answer to bring about a change of attitude towards the disabled. Therefore a number of recommendations were included to serve as guidance and counselling so that myth and witchcraft ideologies and negative attitudes can be uprooted. The researcher hopes that the effort that went into this· study will be beneficial in the process of educating the black community about the disabled with the ultimate goal of changing existing negative attitudes towards the disabled into positive attitudes of acceptance and support. KEY TERMS: Affective, Attitude, Behaviour, Black community, Cognitive, Disabilities/handicaps, Feelings, Neo-natal, Pre-natal, Para/peri-natal, Post-natal, Tripartite Model I A B C Model lV TABLE OF CONl'ENTS CHAPTER 1 ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM, AIM, DELIMITATION, METHOD, ELUCIDATION OF TERMS, AND PLAN OF THE STUDY PAGE 1.1 Introductory Orientation . 1 1.2 Analysis of the problem ........................................... 6 1.2.1 Awareness of the problem . 6 1.2.2 ··Investigation of the problem . 7 1.2.2.1 Parents of the disabled . 10 1.2.2.2 Siblings of the disabled . 11 1.2.2.3 The disabled themselves . 11 1.2.2.4 Attitudes of the black community . 12 1.2.2.5 Parents of the non-disabled . 13 1.2.2.6 Youth in the community ............................... 13 1.2.2.7 Old people . 13 1.2.2.8 Professional workers in the community . 14 \ 1.2.3 Statement of the problem . 15 1.3 Aim of the study ............................................... 16 1.4 Delimitation of the study . 17 1.5 Method of the study . 18 v 1.6 Elucidation of terms . 18 1.6.1 Blacks .................................................. 18 1.6.2 Community . 20 1.6.3 Tradition . 22 1.6.4 Attitude ................................................. 23 1.6.5 Handicapped or disabled ................................... 25 1. 7 Plan of the study . 27 1.8 Conclusion ................................................... 28 CHAPTER2 THE PHENOMENON DISABLED PERSON "'\. ~ \ ')._. q, \).. '1-. /2.1 Introduction . 29 2.2 The physically disabled . 31 2.2.1 Cerebral palsy . 32 2.2.1.1 Occurrence and causes of cerebral palsy . 32 2.2.1.2 Types of cerebral palsy . 44 2.2.1.3 Manifestation of cerebral palsy . 45 2.2.2 Orthopaedic disability ..................................... 51 2.2.2.1 Occurrence and causes of orthopaedic disability .......... 51 2.2.2.2 Types of orthopaedic disability and its manifestation ........ 53 2.3 The deaf disability . 58 vi 2.3.1 Occurrence and causes of deafness .......................... 59 2.3.1.1 Pre-natal stage . 59 2.3.1.2 Para-natal stage . 59 2.3.1.3 Neo-natal stage . 59 2.3.1.4 Post-natal stage . 60 2.3.2 Manifestation of deafness .................................. 60 'f-2.4 The blind disability . 61 2.4.1 Occurence and causes of blindness . 61 2.4.1.1 Pre-natal stage ..................................... 61 2.4.1.2 Para-natal stage . 62 2.4.1.3 Neo-natal stage . 62 2.4.1.4 Post-natal stage . 62 2.4.2 Manifestation of blindness ................ '. 62 v 2.5 The disabled person in the black community . 64 2.5.1 Causes of disability according to members of the black community . 64 2.5.2 The perception of disability by the black community . 65 2.5.3 The problems of a disabled person in the black community ........ 66 2.5.3.1 The black community destroyed the disabled in the past . 66 2.5.3.2 Problem of poor self-concept . 67 2.5.3.3 Rejection problem . 67 2.5.3.4 Social problem . 67 2.5.3 5 Mobility problem . 68 2.5.3.6 Transport problem . 69 vii 2.5.3.7 Recreational problem . 69 2.5.3.8 Socio-economic problem . 69 2.5.3.9 Residential problem . 70 2.5.3.10 Unemployment problem .............................. 70 2.5.3.11 Security problem . .. 71 2.5.3.12 Educational problem . 72 2.5.3.13 Rehabilitation problem . 72 2.5.3.14 Home visiting problem . 73 2.5.3.15 Problems of lack of guidance and counselling . 73 2.5.3.16 Communication problem . 73 2.5.3.17 Abuse of the disabled . 74 2.6 Conclusion ................................................... 74 CHAPTER3 THE ATTITUDE OF PEOPLE TOWARDS THE DISABLED PERSON ACCORDING TO LITERATURE 3.1 Introduction . 75 3.2 Discussion of the phenomenon attitude . 75 3.2.1 The concept attitude . 76 3.2.2 ~~~g ................................ 78 3.2.2.1 Feelings .......................................... 78 3.2.2.2 Affective .......................................... 80 3.2.2.3 Behaviour 80 3.2.2.4 Cognitive ........................................ 81 Vlll 3.2.3 Forming of an attitude ..................................... 83 3.2.3.1 Forming of an attitude by social learning ................. 84 3.2.3.2 Forming of an attitude by experience . 88 3.2.3.3 Fune tions of attitudes . 88 3.2.3.4 Measurement of attitude . 89 3.3 Attitudes and feelings of people living with the disabled ................ 90 3.3.1 Family life .............................................. 90 3.3.2 Attitudes and feelings of the father towards the disabled . 93 3.3.3 Attitudes and feelings of the mother towards the disabled . 94 3.3.4 Attitudes and feelings of siblings towards the disabled ............ 96 3.3.5 Attitudes and feelings of the grandparents towards the disabled ..... 99 3.3.6 Attitudes and feelings of relatives towards the disabled ........... 99 3.3. 7 Attitudes and feelings of the community towards the disabled . 100 3.3.8 Attitudes and feelings of the community towards the disabled as influenced by religion.