The Global South to North Disability Research Network E-Newsletter: 6th Edition (October, 2010) Welcome to the 6th Edition of the Global South to North Disability Research Network E-newsletter. This e-newsletter is in association with the Research Institute of Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University, Breakthrough UK Ltd, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies, Stellenbosch University [South Africa]) and Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Disabled People International and African Network on Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD). 20 to 26 September 2010 was the International Week of the Deaf, which was celebrated throughout the world by individuals and national associations of the Deaf. I (Tsitsi) was privileged to attend the closing ceremony of the week-long celebration in Sierra Leone, where the event was attended by various stakeholders on the 30th September 2010. This year, World Federation for the Deaf encouraged its national members to focus on Deaf Education, which continues to be one of the most contested issues in the history of Deaf people. We would like to thank all the countries that celebrated this important event, and we hope that Deaf education becomes a priority, which is in line with the UNCRPD Article 24. We also encourage you to share your Masters, PhD, or ongoing research work by sending us the abstracts so that we can publish them in the newsletter as we intend to make this a permanent feature. For theses, please indicate if you are willing to share with readers the whole thesis or just the abstract. Include the name of the university and year the study was completed. You will also see that we have included a section on new publications. Therefore, if you have any latest publication(s), we will be glad to include your hard earned product(s) in our newsletter for wider readership. As we always say, the aims of our e-newsletter are to provide informal, off the press and informative monthly details of global south and global north disability research activities, which might be of interest to audiences including disability activists, organisations of disabled people, students, researchers, policy makers, families, practitioners and local authorities. This sharing and networking links into the aims of the Disability Studies Association (http://www.disabilitystudies.net/), African Network on Evidence-to-Action on Disability (www.afrinead.org) and Disabled People International (www.dpi.org). We look forward to your contributions for the 7th Edition (November/December) by latest 15 November, 2010 so that we have time to put together the e-newsletter. We would appreciate to have contributions from all the continents so that we establish stronger links between the global south and global north. Please note that we will not have a December edition so that we do not overwhelm you will a lot reading material during the festive season. You will get the 8th Edition in January, 2011. When contributing, please include the following: *  Funding priorities which readers might be able to link into for funding bids. The details of your institution and one contact person and their email address * Monthly commitment to provide us with BRIEF information (including related web links) about disability research activities you and your colleagues are involved with. This could be no more than a few lines. Please ensure that you do not send attachments as we want to keep it workable, informal and relatively easy to read. * To provide details on such things as news on forthcoming publications; conferences/seminars you are attending or hosting; funding opportunities of interest to disability researchers; news from local and national government; international disability issues; stories from research; ideas for research that you would like to explore with interested others; disability studies teaching materials and resources; links to new policy and user consultation, theses, etc? * To provide in your email information categorised in terms of your institution e.g. News from the Research Institute of Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University or Activities of the Disability Studies team at University of Cape Town, etc. * To make the email simple text without loads of formatting for ease of putting together the online e-newsletter. * To posit other ideas for developing the e-newsletter. When submitting, please remember to use simple text version for easy accessibility. Once again, thank you for your support, and please submit your contributions to Tsitsi at: tchataika@sun.ac.za   We hope that you will find this newsletter informative. Feel free to distribute it to your colleagues. Very best wishes Editors: Tsitsi Chataika (Stellenbosch University, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies & Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin); Dan Goodley (Manchester Metropolitan University) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. News from Manchester Metropolitan University, RIHSC Contact: Shaun Grech - shaungrech@gmail.com (a) Conference Report: Disability and the Majority World: Challenging Dominant Epistemologies Conference Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), UK The one day conference held at the Gaskell campus at MMU, Manchester, successfully brought together academics, disability activists, researchers, NGOs and other stakeholders, to discuss and contribute to the often partial and fragmented debate around disability in the global South. More specifically, it sought to provide an open space for dialogue, and for: * The articulation and questioning of dominant epistemologies, to instead explore themes often bypassed, ignored or rejected by these dominant intellectual fields such as the Western disability studies * Engaging alternative approaches to knowledge and its generation * Challenging dominant epistemologies and exploring the possibilities of developing a disability studies that is both critical and global. The first presentation by Shaun Grech (MMU), Intersections in Disability, Poverty and Development: a global disability studies?, problematised some of the complexities in articulating a debate around disability, development, and poverty, highlighting how various gaps remain, bound to a Western disability studies and its epistemologies such as the social model, unequipped and even unwilling to engage with contextual, historical, economic and many other critical aspects that differentiate the global South in its complex heterogeneity. Grech extended the call for a critical global disability studies, which cuts across disciplines and is open, questioning and willing to learn, and to challenge its own ideas at the core. Susan Buell from the University of East Anglia, in her presentation ‘Social, medical or ch’alla? The poisoned chalice of the disability professional’, focused on people with communication impairment in Bolivia to explore the experiences of families and the spaces where they find representation, support and information. Buell among other things, argued that the concept of the ‘disability professional’ within the western social model context, continues to be enmeshed with that of the medical model in the exportation of knowledge. Overall, within dominant models of disability, ‘specialist knowledge’, she argued is viewed as a poisoned chalice, which is only made such in practice by ignoring the value that skilled knowledge can contribute to breaking down barriers for families by providing support at the micro level, especially when professionals are willing to gain and share knowledge and to work along with traditional systems. Alison Sheldon from the University of Leeds, in her presentation ‘Locating disability in the majority world: geography or poverty?’, adopted a materialist social model approach, and argued around/against the notion of a majority world as a separate space and a poverty within, as something different or separate from that in the West, drawing instead similarities between poverty in the global South and homeless people in the UK, stating that experiences of deprivation among other things are shared and operate on similar dynamics, and which in turn even opens the spaces for relevance of Western theories. The next presentation entitled ‘Rising to the challenge of inclusive networking:Balancing insider and outsider perspectives’ by Susie Miles from the University of Manchester, introduced the Enabling Education Network (EENET), while reflecting on the meaning of inclusive education, highlighting the culturally determined nature of this concept. Drawing from practice in various African countries, Miles argued that some of the most interesting and pioneering practice in making education accessible for all is happening in countries of the South, often with very few resources. Miles then addressed inclusive networking and themes in doing contextually relevant research, while considering some of the dangers of the inappropriate exportation of Northern concepts. Dan Goodley and Rebecca Lawthom from MMU, in their presentation ‘Hardt and Negri and the sociological imagination: Empire, Multitude and Critical Disability Studies’, took off from the notion that critical disability studies should be aware of the inequities of globalisation, and the need to place an analysis of disability at the epicentre of a geo-political imagination. They argued that the analyses of Hardt and Negri provides a necessary productive sociological imagination often missing from disability studies, concluding that this work can be usefully employed to theorise ‘disablism in Empire’, whilst articulating the activism of the ‘disabled multitude’ in ways that speak across South/North divides. The final presentation by academic and advocate Anita Ghai from Jesus and Mary College (Teen Murti Fellow) in India,‘Engaging with Disability: An Indian Perspective’, provided an in-depth view of disability within a very specific Indian context, arguing that while discourses have shifted and changed elsewhere, disabled people continue to face a very different reality in a very specific Indian context and culture, highlighting at various points key aspects of daily struggle for survival of disabled people, meanings of disability. Ghai also raised various questions about globalisation and the impact of international NGOs, again within the Indian context. The conference, provided the initial platform for what will become the first international conference around disability and the majority world, and which will be hosted by the Research Institute for Health at Social Change (RIHSC), MMU, in Manchester, UK. The first is entitled Disability and the Majority World: Open Debates and will be held on the 7th- 8h July, 2011(subject to final confirmation). The official call for abstracts will soon be released and all details will be posted at: http://disabilityworld.wordpress.com/. For all information about this and the previous conference, please contact Shaun Grech: shaungrech@gmail.com. 2. News from Sheffield Hallam University Contact: Rebecca Mallett - r.mallett@shu.ac.uk (a) Disability Research Forum (DRF) launches web space Since 2005, the Disability Research Forum (DRF) has been busy fostering informal networks of disability scholars and providing researchers with opportunities to present their work in a friendly and encouraging environment.  It recently launched its own web space as a way of disseminating the details of DRF seminars and keeping DRF members up-to-date with the research activity and publications in Disability Studies. The web space can be found at: http://disabilityresearchforum.wordpress.com/, and we invite everyone to get involved. 3. News from Zimbabwe Deaf Media Trust Contact: Lovemore Chidemo - chidemol@regatta.co.zw (a) International Week of Deaf Awareness – 20 to 26 Sept, 2010 By Agness Chindimba & Lovemore Chidemo Introduction Deaf Awareness Week is a weeklong annual event held during the month of September and it has been in existence since 1951. This international event is meant to commemorate the first meeting of the World Congress of the Deaf (WCD) initiated bythe World Federation of the Deaf (WFD). During this week, both the WFD and the national associations of the Deaf in various countries encourage schools, businesses, and communities to educate the public about Deafness and the issues facing Deaf people. The recent Deaf Awareness Week was commemorated from 20th to 26th September 2010. It is a pity that the week passed without drawing much attention in Zimbabwe, although in other countries, organizations of the Deaf organized events and road shows to commemorate this week long event. This year’s theme focused on the promotion of the right to education for the Deaf community.Although the week has already passed, it is still important to educate and raise awareness in the community about issues affecting the deaf community in Zimbabwe. Basic Factors of human rights for the Deaf According to the World Federation of the Deaf, the four basic factors of human rights for Deaf people are as follows: * Recognition and use of sign languages, including recognition and respect for Deaf culture and identity; * Bilingual education in sign languages and national languages; * Accessibility to all areas of society and life, including legislation to secure equal citizenship for all and prevent discrimination; and * Sign language interpretation. The implementation of these four basic ingredients ensures that the rights of Deaf people are upheld. Sign Language is at the core of these factors and the recognition and use of sign languages in various jurisdictions has a far reaching effect on the status of the Deaf people in these communities. It has been observed that in countries where where sign language has been constitutionally recognized, the quality of life of Deaf people is much better than in countries where sign language is still suppressed. Deaf Culture Contrary to popular belief, Deaf people are not simply a group of similarly disabled people with “diseased ears”. The Deaf community view Deafness as part of their unique culture, a culture rooted in their collective history and language. Culture is a set of learned behaviours of a group of people who have their own language, rules of behavior, norms and traditions. By far, the most critical aspect of the Deaf culture is Sign Language. Deaf people are very proud of their unique language as it gives them a sense of belonging and identity. Deaf people belong to a community and a culture. In this sense, deafness is unique among various disability categories. Deafness is more than the inability to hear; it is far more than that, it is a way of life. Sign Language Sign Language is a beautiful language, and it also is a source of pride for many Deaf people. There has been some debate among linguists on whether or not sign language should be regarded as a fully fledged language. If language is understood to be primarily a form of interpersonal communication, there are no grounds for doubting the validity of Sign Language when compared with conventional languages. Sign Language is not a pictorial rendition for the words of spoken language, or a short cut. On the contrary, Sign Languages have complex rules of grammar and expansive vocabularies, and are comfortably capable as vehicles of everyday conversation, intellectual discourse, rhetoric, wit, and poetry. Sign Languages translate everyday concepts into a visual framework with uncontrived elegance and utilize space in an amazingly beautiful manner. Sign Language Rights and the Deaf Community Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the only statute that makes direct reference to language. It reads in part: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) compels States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to, among others, information and communications including ICT. Further, Article 8 compels States Parties to take measures to raise awareness on matters regarding disability. Zimbabwe, however, is not yet a signatory to the UNCRPD, and as such disabled people in the country are not able to fully enjoy the rights as enshrined in this very important international statute. Professor Miti of OSISA argues that although the word language is not cited in the other articles in the Universal Declaration of Rights, language rights can be inferred in other Articles because it is one attribute that distinguishes humans from other animals. Moreover, humans cannot survive in this world without any form of language use. He further argues that people whose language rights are violated may not be in a position to enjoy other rights, simply because language rights impact on other rights. This argument makes language rights a fundamental issue that should be placed on the forefront of global human rights debate. Language rights are crucial to the Deaf community due to the uniqueness of their language - Sign Language. There has been wide-ranging debate as to whether Sign Language is a language and as such should be recognized by national governments. The major argument for the recognition of Sign Language is that using visual signs rather than oral signs as a means of communication does not make a language less of a language. As such, the Deaf community and other users of Sign Language should be accorded these rights accordingly. However in the majority of countries, more so in the developing world, Deaf people’s language rights are in many cases, not recognized. As already stated, the denial of language rights to Deaf people affects their enjoyment other rights enshrined in the declaration of the human rights and the various national constitutions. Lack of information in Sign Language means that Deaf people are not aware of their rights; hence they cannot demand these rights. Furthermore, lack of the health personnel to community with the Deaf community, impact on their ability to access healthcare services. Most governments have been insisting on mainstreaming Deaf education and this should also be the case in Zimbabwe. The declaration of rights guarantees every individual the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Furthermore, it guarantees individual rights to access to information. However for one to hold opinions, one has to be informed. Information has to be made available to an individual in a manner that he/she understands in order for these rights to be enjoyed. Unfortunately, information is hardly made available to the Deaf community in the manner that is most appropriate to them. Due to the spatial and visual nature of Sign Languages, it follows that information dissemination to the Deaf community should utilise physical contact or television. This however is not the case in many countries including Zimbabwe. Consequently, it is almost impossible for the Deaf community to access information for personal development. Under such circumstances, Deaf people cannot fully exercise their rights. Bilingual Education Bilingualism in Deaf education is an acceptance of the fact that Sign Languages and spoken languages are indeed different languages. It is therefore accepted that Sign Language is the Deaf child’s primary and natural language of instruction. In this case, the Deaf child is encouraged to acquire sign language first before learning the spoken languages. Sign Language stimulation from parents, other Deaf children and Deaf adults is therefore very important. The learning of sign language for the Deaf learner will be combined with reading and writing of the language used in the country or society in which they live and this will give the Deaf learner a good basis for direct and independent communication in all surroundings. Challenges faced by Deaf people Deaf people face many challenges in their day to day lives in Zimbabwe. They still face discrimination on the workplaces and getting employment is very difficult. This situation is worsened by the challenging economic environment that has been experienced in the country Many qualified Deaf people are not able to get employment that is consistent with their level of education. Most of the times, employers do not even give an opportunity to Deaf people. Consequently, many are turned away from interviews. Deaf people have however demonstrated that they are capable of performing well and compete with their hearing counterparts. All that they need is to be given an opportunity so that they can demonstrate what they are capable of doing.. The problem seems to be that employers are afraid of the unknown since in most of cases, they have not had any experience with Deaf people. However there is no risk in employing Deaf people for the work that they are qualified to do. All that is needed is support for the Deaf person and understanding from his/her colleagues. There are a few Deaf people working in government and other public enterprises as discrimination is less than in the private sector although much needs to be done uphold the employment rights of Deaf people. Due to communication barriers arising from lack of understanding of sign language in government and in civic society organizations, Deaf people are being left out from most of the programmes run by these organizations. For example the Deaf community has been serious hard hit by the HIV and AIDS pandemic due to lack of access to information. Such information is usually provided through spoken languages or their written form. However, Deaf people have limited comprehension of these languages so they hardly benefit from such information sources. Only when such information is provided via the medium of sign language will it have impact on the Deaf community. It has also been noted that health care workers lack the understanding of sign language, which severely impacts the ability of Deaf people to access healthcare services. As a result of the breakdown in communication, many Deaf people have been misdiagnosed as they fail to clearly articulate their health problems and the health workers fail to fully understand the Deaf person’s complaint. Only when health workers can also communicate in sign language will Deaf people be able to fully access public health care. Deaf Advocacy The status of Deaf people in Zimbabwe still leaves a lot to be desired as discrimination is still very rampant.. Deaf people are excluded from many aspects of life because of lack of understanding of their way of life by the wider community. A lot of advocacy is required in order to correct the misleading perceptions that many people have about Deaf people. For a long time, Deaf people’s voice has been muted and advocacy has been fragmented, hence its impact has been minimal. However, this situation has changed with the revival of the National Council of the Deaf and also the Zimbabwe National Association of the Deaf being capacitated. It is hoped that these and other organization will bring to the fore the situation of the Deaf people in the country. On the other hand, Civic Society Organizations have not included Deaf people in their programmes due to lack of understanding of the Deaf people’s needs. Conclusion We have highlighted that the challenges faced by Deaf people stem from a lack of understanding by the communities in which they live. There is need for a paradigm shift regarding how disability and Deafness is viewed by society. There is need for society to understand issues surrounding disability and for them to embrace disability. A lot still needs to be done before Deaf people can fully participate in the community as equal citizens. The government needs to come up with a disability policy that recognizes the unique characteristic of Deafness. In particular, the recognition of Zimbabwe Sign Language should be part of such a framework. The policy should also provide for training and accessibility to sign language interpreters funded by the government at public offices. Public workers and other field workers (especially frontline workers) in Civic Society Organizations should be taught sign language so that Deaf people can easily access welfare services. Deaf people’s struggle centers around Sign Language and its recognition and this will go a long way towards improving the situation of Deaf people in the Zimbabwe. 4. Theses, Dissertations and Research Reports Abstracts (a) Master’s Thesis (Congratulations to Mr Thomas O. Ong’olo for this great accomplishment) Author: Mr Thomas O. Ong’olo (ongolo@africandecade.co.za) Title: The Role of Disability Grant in the Lives of Visually Disabled Adults in the Cape Flats University: University of Cape Town Date: 2009 Address: Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD), P.O. Box 587, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. Abstract Broad spectrums of studies have been conducted around social assistance, producing a range of evidence that shows how it impacts on the beneficiaries. However, these studies have not addressed the effectiveness of cash transfers such as the disability grant in minimising poverty for the disabled adults and their families. There is therefore a great interest in understanding what determines the different ways of grant usage amongst beneficiaries and how it contributes to claiming their social rights. This study explores the role of the disability grant; poverty and disability-related costs; disability grant expenditure as well as household decision-making on expenses. The study uses a qualitative descriptive research design, which explores and documents the lived experiences of visually disabled adults in the Cape Flats who are the recipients of disability grants. Methods of data gathering were individual interviews and focus group sessions. Data analysis looked at themes, concepts and ideas linked to research questions, but allowing the analysis to generate emerging codes as well. The study was able to determine the role of the disability grant in the lives of visually disabled beneficiaries in the Cape Flats. The research found that most participants were knowledgeable and aware of what the grant is to be used for and whom it targets. There was also evidence of what determines the choices made for expenditure by beneficiaries and how these are prioritised. There was understanding of how household decision-making dynamics on expenditure influences autonomy or authority and how this impacts on household power relationships. Lastly, the study looked at how the disability grant has the potential to unlock opportunity especially when it facilitates access to broader social assistance services. The results of the study indicated that greater access of the disability grant is highly dependent on sensitisation, poverty level and individual literacy. Reference Ong’olo T.O. (2009). The role of the disability grant in the lives of visually disabled adults in the Cape Flats. Inpublication M.Phil Thesis, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 5. News from the Editors’ Desk (a) Conferences and other Events (i) 26 - 29 October 2010: 4th Community-based Rehabilitation Conference in Africa The Conference will be held under the theme “Linking CBR with Disability and Rehabilitation” in Abuja, Nigeria. It aims to promote better CBR practices in Africa and provides an opportunity for people to share information, knowledge, and experience on how disability concepts and CBR programmes can link together to help improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families. More information: Joan Okune (joan@afri-can.org) or Sally Hartley (sally@afri-can.org) (ii) 30 October - 3 November 2010: International Conference for Universal Design The International Association for Universal Design will organize the conference in Hamamatsu City, Japan. The theme of the third conference will be “For the People and the Earth of Tomorrow - Towards a Sustainable Co-existence”. The conference organizers invites educators, product planning and developers, administrators, consultants, civic activists and students to submit research papers, as well as reports and editorial articles. More information: http://www.ud2010.net/index.en.html (iii) 3 December: International Day of Persons with Disabilities The theme of the 2010 commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is "Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond". The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every aspect of life. More information: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1540 . (iv) Announcement: 1st South Asian Interdisciplinary Critical Disability Studies Conference A 1st South Asian Interdisciplinary Critical Disability Studies Conference is proposed for 19 – 21 April 2011 for your diaries. More details to follow. (v) July 3 - 8, 2011: Access Africa – 5th IDP Africa Forum The IDP-Institutional Development Forum will focus on how the power of technology can advance equality and rights of persons who are blind and partially sighted. Participants will include parents, persons who are blind and partially sighted, representatives from organizations of and for the blind, universities and Government ministries, international organizations, vendors, and sponsors of assistive technology. More information: http://www.perkins.org/internationalprograms/localexpertise/idp.html#Access_Africa_The_5th_IDP_Africa_Forum (vi) 18-24 July 2011: XVI World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) This first ever WFD Congress in Africa will be held in Durban, South Africa. The Congress will bring together activists, professionals, interest groups to share their experiences, knowledge and expertise to be used for welfare and improving human rights of Deaf people in Africa and around the world. It will also be a time to review achievements through the implementation of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. More information: http://www.wfd2011.com/information/letter.html (b) United Nations on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Update (i) Status of the UNCRPD as at 30 September 2010 147 signatories to the Convention; 95 ratifications of the Convention; 90 signatories to the Optional Protocol; 58 ratifications of the Optional Protocol * Ethiopia ratified the Convention on 7 July 2010 * Grenada signed the Convention on 12 July 2010 * Malaysia ratified the Convention on 19 July 2010 * Honduras ratified the Optional Protocol on 16 August 2010 * Lithuania ratified the Convention on 18 August 2010 * Lithuania ratified the Optional Protocol on 18 August 2010 * Latvia ratified the Optional Protocol on 31 August 2010 * Senegal ratified the Convention on 7 September 2010 * Bhutan signed the Convention on 21 September 2010 * Moldova ratified the Convention on 21 September 2010 * Nigeria ratified the Convention on 24 September 2010 * Nigeria ratified the Optional Protocol on 24 September 2010 * Armenia ratified the Convention on 22 September 2010 * Greece signed the Optional Protocol on 27 September 2010 * Greece signed the Optional Protocol on 27 September 2010 * Sierra Leone signed the Convention and Optional Protocol on 30 March 2007 and ratified the Convention on 4 October 2010 You can view the full list of countries that have signed and ratified the UNCRPD at: http://www.un.org/disabilities/countries.asp?navid=12&pid=166 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For any further contributions and information, please contact email Tsitsi Chataika at tchataika@sun.ac.za Physical Address Dr Tsitsi Chataika - Postdoctoral Research Fellow Stellenbosch University, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies; Research Associate – Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin; Honorary Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University, RIHSC Tel: +27 219 389 816 Fax: +27 219 146 875 Email: tchataika@sun.ac.za Website: www.a-podd.org NB: A copy of this Newsletter and previous editions are available at: http://www.breakthrough-uk.co.uk/Resources/drn End of Newsletter Page 1 of 12