Inclusion: theory and practice : Children, Disability and Development - Achievement and Challenge. Contents

Children, Disability and Development: Achievement and Challenge

A Save the Children Fund global seminar to learn from experience and maximise impact - Extract from Conference Report - April 13th - 22nd 1994

Session 5 - Disability and Health

Facilitators: Peter Poore and David Werner

Aim of session:
For participants to share and learn from experiences.

Objectives:
1. To learn something new
2. To feel more confident about what SCF wants to do and why
3. To feel part of an organisation which has a clear view of its collective experience

Summary:
Mamonyane Mohale gave a ten minute presentation on the relationship between CBR and PHC, describing the advantages of a community-participation approach to health rather than a top-down one. Peter Poore and David Werner devised 5 pertinent questions which were allocated to different groups. Issues which arose included the following:

• Both PHC and CBR are intended to be liberating, but when confined to a single sector (health), neither are.
• Empowerment involves access to information and taking risks and responsibility. Empowerment helps to identify real needs, and ensures sustainability and personal development. Positive role models can be empowering. People with power are often reluctant to give it up.
• There are advantages and disadvantages to home-based, community-based and institution-based care. Home-based and community-based care are often confused.
• The group gave examples of links between the health system and disabled peoples' initiatives. These varied considerably according to country.
• Meeting the health needs of disabled children in learning environments requires a focus on awareness-raising, good communication and referral systems, allocated responsibility and the use of child-to-child approaches.

All these issues/questions deserved more time and further examination in follow-up meetings.

Inclusion: theory and practice : Children, Disability and Development - Achievement and Challenge. Contents

19/11/1997