Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Children with Disabilities in South Africa: Policies for Early Identification and Education

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Social Justice and Education in the 21st Century

Part of the book series: Diversity and Inclusion Research ((DIRE))

Abstract

The majority of people with disabilities reside in developing countries, which have a high number of people living in poverty. Disability exacerbates poverty due to reduced employment and increased medical costs, while poverty exacerbates the incidence and effect of disability due to lack of access to care. Studies have shown that disability results in a reduced chance of attaining appropriate levels of education, higher rates of unemployment, limited/no access to health facilities, or services and schools with no resources. Although equality and educational rights for disabled students are documented under the South African Constitution (1994), catering for the needs of students with disability in a developing country is challenging. In South Africa literature on the incidence of disability, availability of health services, schooling provision and outcomes, and impact of interventions is scarce.

This chapter focuses on childhood disability and the importance of early identification and intervention, from a human rights and social justice perspective, for providing quality education for disabled children. South African policies pertaining to education are discussed, with a focus on policy related specifically to children with disabilities.

South Africa has a number of comprehensive policies with reference to the education and rights of children with disabilities. However, the implementation of policies is weak. For the evaluation and adequate implementation of policies standardised measures for early disability screening and intervention are needed. National statistics will increase awareness of disability and feed into the cycle of screening, early identification and early intervention.

The establishment of a common non-medical definition of disability, including accurate and consistent categorisation of the different components of disability, will improve the awareness and allow for increased advocacy for the rights of children with disabilities. Acknowledging the role of parent advocacy and community involvement in the equitable education of children with disabilities is essential.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Deaf with a capital “D” refers to the cultural recognition of deafness, with Deaf people embracing Deaf culture and generally using Sign Language as a communication modality. Deaf with a small “d” (deaf) refers to individuals who consider themselves to have a hearing loss and choose to be part of the hearing world through the use of amplification technology (hearing aids/cochlear implants), and use spoken language to communicate.

References

  • Abbay, F. (2015). Evaluation of disability human rights under the African Regional Human Rights System. African Journal of International and Comparative Law, 23(3), 476–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anastasiou, D., & Kauffman, J. M. (2012). Disability as cultural difference: Implications for special education. Remedial and Special Education, 33(3), 139–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anastasiou, D., Kauffman, J. M., & Michail, D. (2016). Disability in multicultural theory: Conceptual and social justice issues. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 27(1), 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beal, A. C., Patrick, T. J., Dougherty, D., Jorsling, T., Kam, J., & Palmer, R. H. (2004). Quality measures for children’s health care. Pediatrics, 113(Supplement 1), 199–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, L. A. (2007). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In Teaching for diversity and social justice (pp. 25–38). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bequele, A., & Mekonen, Y. (2018). Accountability to Africa’s children: How far have we come and what can we do about it? Child Indicators Research, 11(2), 355–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, D. R., & de Matos-Ala, J. (2016). Building a more inclusive South Africa: progress and pitfalls in disability rights and inclusion. Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal, 1(3), 335–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brittain, I. (2004). Perceptions of disability and their impact upon involvement in sport for people with disabilities at all levels. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 28, 429–452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723504268729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brock, D. W. (2001). Children’s rights to health care. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 26(2), 163–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Andrade, V. M. (2015). “We do not understand each other”: The experience of caregivers of deaf children in a rural South African setting (Doctoral dissertation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education. (2001). White Paper 6 Special Needs Education. Building an inclusive education and training system. Pretoria, South Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Higher Education and Training. (2018). Strategic policy framework on disability for the post-school education and training system. South Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Social Development. (2015). Draft national disability rights policy. Pretoria, South Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donohue, D., & Bornman, J. (2014). The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 34(2), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez, E. L., Rutka, L., & Aldersey, H. (2017). Exploring disability policy in Africa: An online search for national disability policies and UNCRPD ratification.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, S., & McGregor, C. (2017). Disabled children and child protection: Learning from literature through a non-tragedy lens. Child Care in Practice, 23(3), 258–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N. (2000). Rethinking recognition. New Left Review, 3, 107–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, N. (2001). Recognition without ethics? Theory, Culture and Society, 18(2–3), 21–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibberd, J. (2007). South Africa’s school infrastructure performance indicator system. In PEB exchange, programme on educational building, 2007/06. Cape Town: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godfrey, E. B., Gordon, N. D., Knight, L. C., Aber, J. L., Allen, L., Richter, L., & SIZE Research Group. (2016). Which eligible households get grants? Demographic correlates of receipt in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 33(6), 774–789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, L., Moodley, J., & Selipsky, L. (2013). The disability–poverty nexus and the case for a capabilities approach: evidence from Johannesburg, South Africa. Disability & Society, 28(3), 324–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2012.710011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haegele, J. A., & Hodge, S. (2016). Disability discourse: Overview and critiques of the medical and social models. Quest, 68(2), 193–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanass-Hancock, J., Nene, S., Deghaye, N., & Pillay, S. (2017). “These are not luxuries, it is essential for access to life”: Disability related out-of-pocket costs as a driver of economic vulnerability in South Africa. African Journal of Disability, 6, a280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaramillo, A., & Mingat, A. (2008). Early childhood care and education in sub-Saharan Africa: What would it take to meet the millennium development goals? Africa’s Future, Africa’s Challenge, 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keddie, A. (2012). Schooling and social justice through the lenses of Nancy Fraser. Critical Studies in Education, 53(3), 263–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, S., Wapling, L., Bailey-Athias, D., & Tran, A. (2018). Social protection and disability in South Africa. Development Pathways Working Paper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiru, E., & Cooc, N. (2018). A Comparative analysis of access to education for students with disabilities in Brazil, Canada, and South Africa. Journal of International Special Needs Education, 21(2), 34–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNeilly, P., Macdonald, G., & Kelly, B. (2015). The participation of disabled children and young people: a social justice perspective. Child Care in Practice, 21(3), 266–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melton, G. B. (2008). Beyond balancing: Toward an integrated approach to children’s rights. Journal of Social Issues, 64(4), 903–920.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitra, S. (2006). The capability approach and disability. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 16(4), 236–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moodley, J. (2017). Education on an equal basis: A comparison of persons with and without disabilities in South Africa. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 64(3), 283–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2016.1202404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moodley, J., & Ross, E. (2015). Inequities in health outcomes and access to health care in South Africa: a comparison between persons with and without disabilities. Disability & Society, 30(4), 630–644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgans, R., Glaser, M., & Magongwa, L. (2016). Constructing and rolling out the New South African Sign Language curriculum—Reflexive critique. Per Linguam, 32(2), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.5785/32-2-648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, C., Cutrell, E., Dhareshwar, A., Doherty, K., Thieme, A., & Taylor, A. (2017). Imagining artificial intelligence applications with people with visual disabilitiesusing tactile ideation. In Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 81–90).

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Muthukrishna, N., & Schoeman, M. (2000). From ‘special needs to ‘quality education for all’: A participatory, problem centred approach to policy development in South Africa. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(4), 315–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110050168203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Planning Commission. (2012). National Development Plan 2030: Our future-make it work.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyaro, L. O. (2015). Africa at crossroads: The United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. American University International Law. Review, 30(2), 347–377.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, J. (2016). Time for justice: Safeguarding the rights of disabled children. Disability & Society, 31(8), 997–1012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Republic of South Africa (RSA). (2012). National plan of action for children in South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities.

    Google Scholar 

  • Republic of South Africa (RSA). (2015). National integrated early childhood development policy. Pretoria: Government Printers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruger, P. R., & Mitra, S. (2015). Health, disability and the capability approach: An introduction. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 16(4), 473–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, M., Eide, A. H., Amin, M., MacLachlan, M., & Mannan, H. (2013). Inclusion of vulnerable groups in health policies: Regional policies on health on health priorities in Africa. African Journal of Disability, 2(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v2i1.40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shakespeare, T. W. (2013). The social model of disability. In L. J. Davis (Ed.), The disability studies reader (pp. 214–221). New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. B. (2016). Achieving social justice for children: How can children’s rights thinking make a difference? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86(5), 500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Storbeck, C., & Calvert-Evers, J. (2008). Towards integrated practices in early detection of and intervention for deaf and hard of hearing children. American Annals of the Deaf, 153(3), 314–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Storbeck, C., & Moodley, S. (2010). ECD policies in South Africa—What about children with disabilities? Journal of African Studies and Development, 3(1), 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Storbeck, C., & Pittman, P. (2008). Early intervention in South Africa: Moving beyond hearing screening. International Journal of Audiology, 47(S1), S36–S43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (UN). (2010). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Jahrbuch ffh Wissenschaft und Ethik, 14(1), 203–226. Retrieved February 16, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110208856.203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Rooy, G., Amadhila, E. M., Mufune, P., Swartz, L., Mannan, H., & MacLachlan, M. (2012). Perceived barriers to accessing health services among people with disabilities in rural northern Namibia. Disability & Society, 27(6), 761–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughan, K. P., & Super, G. (2019). Theory, practice, and perspectives: Disability studies and parenting children with disabilities. Disability & Society, 34(7–8), 1102–1124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vorster, C., Mayet, A., & Taylor, S. (2013). Creating effective schools chap. The language of teaching and learning in South African schools. Cape Town: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation (WHO). (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation (WHO). (2017). Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Selvarani Moodley

Authors
  1. Selvarani Moodley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Selvarani Moodley .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of History and Sociology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Willie Pearson Jr.

  2. Human Sciences Research Council, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    Vijay Reddy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Moodley, S. (2021). Children with Disabilities in South Africa: Policies for Early Identification and Education. In: Pearson Jr., W., Reddy, V. (eds) Social Justice and Education in the 21st Century. Diversity and Inclusion Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65417-7_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation