SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Persons with Disabilities”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A global perspective on disability: a review of efforts to increase access and advance social integration for disabled persons.

Disability has emerged as a major public health problem worldwide, common to nations presenting disparate levels of socioeconomic development. Failure to integrate social welfare programmes within national development planning exacerbates difficulties arising from limited resources, with a disproportionate impact on disabled persons and other vulnerable groups. Such policy failure allows flagrant inequalities and social injustice to persist. Strategies are emerging, however, that are useful for solving common international problems. Community-based disability prevention and rehabilitation is one emerging solution that has attracted considerable attention worldwide, including in the United States. Following a review of global estimates of disability, which reveal the magnitude of the problem and provide background information for this report, I will summarize major international initiatives designed to prevent disability and ensure comprehensive rehabilitation for disabled persons. I will also analyse the relationships between health, socioeconomic development, and disability. Finally, I will describe community-based rehabilitation, an innovative approach evolving from the World Health Organization's Global Strategy for Health for All by the Year 2000, an approach with potential to eliminate barriers to equal opportunities and social integration for disabled persons.

Community Health Services↗

PubMed1991

Assessment of daily physical activity levels of severely disabled persons using heart rate series.

Daily physical activity levels of severely disabled persons were assessed by means of a statistical analysis of their heart rate during a 24-h period. A non-Gaussian probability density function of the heart rate was calculated and separated into two levels of heart rate distributions, i.e. a relatively lower heart rate for basic daily activity and a relatively higher heart rate relating to vigorous activity. Disabled persons with low ambulatory ability showed daily activity levels similar to normal subjects in the length of time and the level of the heart rate. Their daily activity satisfied their needs for maintaining good health. However, more prolonged vigorous activity in daily living was necessary to improve cardiovascular fitness. For severely disabled persons without ambulatory ability, almost all of the heart rates during daily activity were categorized into the lower heart rate distribution. Their low level of physical activity may lead to a serious decrease in cardiovascular function with its attendant risk of cardiopulmonary disease.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1978

[Studies on thermoregulative performance of disabled persons with congenital maldevelopment of the limbs and acquired loss of limbs during defined physical work and passive heat load (author's transl)].

Comparative studies were conducted in 20 persons without hands (amputated a long time ago) and in fifteen juveniles (12--15 years) with dysemlia (phocomelia or ectromelia), tested in each case against groups of non-disabled persons of corresponding age. All persons under examination had to perform the same, graded treadmill work under thermoconstant condition (30 degrees C, 45% rel. humidity). These tests pointed towards the existence of a particularly economic mode of thermoregulation in persons with dysmelia obviously involving adaptive processes of energy metabolism as well, whereas such adaptation does not take place--not even in the course of many years--in disabled persons with acquired loss of limbs. The persons with congenital dysmelia showed lower temperatures of the interior of the body, less sweat loss, and on the average a lower uptake of oxygen than non-disabled persons of the same age, whereas higher temperatures of the interior of the body, greater sweat loss, and a higher oxygen uptake were measured in the persons whose arms had been amputated a long time ago (ie persons without hands). Under passive heat load (40 degrees C, 30 min.) the amputated persons showed a corresponding thermoregulative performance as during physical work, in comparison to the non-disabled persons.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1990

The disabled person in the community: social and cultural aspects.

This article deals with the situation of disabled persons and their families in the local community, with special reference to developing countries. The article reviews various 'myths' about the situation of disabled people in Europe in the old days and in developing countries of today. Cultural and social factors influencing the situation of disabled persons in developing countries are then considered in the light of this review. Finally, case material from Botswana is presented in order to demonstrate how parents' attitudes may easily be misinterpreted as negative if not seen in their proper socio-cultural context.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed1989

The incompetent developmentally disabled person's right of self-determination: right-to-die, sterilization and institutionalization.

The developmentally disabled, specifically those mentally incompetent from birth, are entitled to a full panoply of constitutional rights and protections. These rights include the right to terminate life-sustaining treatment, the right of procreative integrity and the right not to be involuntarily institutionalized. However, the mentally incompetent developmentally disabled are generally unable to exercise these rights. This Note asserts first that proper procedural safeguards are necessary to guarantee the exercise of these constitutional rights by the incompetent disabled individual. Second, the Note focuses upon how best to preserve the disabled person's autonomy. The Note subsequently rejects the substituted judgment standard as a legal fiction, and endorses the best interest test which necessarily comports with the evidence, and properly accounts for the disabled person's incompetency.

Humans↗

PubMed1979

The "fakeability" of the attitudes toward disabled persons scale: form B.

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for or against the "fakeability" of the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale: Form B. Form B of the Scale was administered to 25 women, between the ages of 19 and 24, studying at a midwestern university. Seven days later, the subjects retook the test and were instructed to fake their answers so that they would receive a higher score. The difference between the true scores and the fake scores were not found to be significant, and it was concluded that the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale: Form B is not "fakeable."

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Attitudes of college students toward sexual behavior of disabled persons.

Empirical data on attitudes toward sexual behavior of disabled persons were gathered from a written, sentence-completion task in which 110 college students engaged. The task consisted of 36 sentence stubs, 18 of which probed attitudes toward sex. To facilitate expression of attitudes rather than values, respondents were instructed to respond rapidly with the first thoughts that came to mind. Responses were scored as positive or negative. Negative responders took significantly less time to complete the sentences than did positive responders. The X2 comparisons of negative responses to 5 pairs of parallel sentence stubs concerned with aspects of sex in general and the same aspects of sex in disabled women yielded statistically significant differences. Four of those differences showed more disapproval of sex for the disabled than for the able-bodied. The 5th difference indicated greater tolerance of homosexual play among disabled girls. On 9 of the 13 sentence stubs concerned with sex and disability, at least 43% of all participants gave negative responses. Similarly, order analysis disclosed that 9 of 10 aspects of sex viewed most negatively were related to sexual behavior by the disabled. It was concluded that attitudes in the sexual revolution have not as yet embraced the disabled even among college students.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Evaluation of multiple component relaxation training with developmentally disabled persons.

Prior studies evaluating the response of developmentally disabled persons to relaxation training procedures are largely limited to case study reports. Most often relaxation training procedures are vaguely described in these studies, and limited outcome measures are employed. In the present comparative group outcome study a specific progressive muscle relaxation training procedure was combined with auditory electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback, modeling, and reinforcement procedures in an attempt to teach relaxation skills to mentally retarded persons (N = 32) who functioned in the profound to mild range. The procedure was effective in reducing experimental group subjects' EMG levels, F (1,28) = 6.39, p less than .05, and activity level as measured with an interval recording behavior rating procedure, F (1,28) = 58.05, p less than .05. No effect was found on peripheral skin temperature. Additionally, no significant difference between the response of low functioning and high functioning subjects was seen indicating that intellectual level and adaptive behavior level failed to predict success in treatment. Scoring on a simple behavioral assessment designed to measure receptive language skills and modeling abilities thought to relate to relaxation training success also failed to correlate with outcome measures. The need to develop other predictors of relaxation training success with a mentally retarded population is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Quality of the residential environment in board-and-care homes for mentally and developmentally disabled persons.

Data from a multistate survey of board-and-care homes were used to compare the quality of the residential environment in homes for mentally disabled and developmentally disabled persons. Staffing levels, services, quality of the physical structure, rapport between residents and staff, number of residents, staff training, and fire and safety precautions were analyzed. The global quality of the residential environment was found to be appreciably better in homes serving the developmentally disabled. Implications of the findings for public policy are discussed, with specific reference to advocacy strategies used in behalf of developmentally and mentally disabled persons.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Input modes: their importance in the clinical application of electronic aids for disabled persons.

In this study of techniques for the operation of environmental control aids for disabled persons, 12 programmed input modes were investigated in a uniform typing task. A microprocessor-based electronic aid (MECON) developed for this project was operated in 1 mode at a time by the disabled subject using a joystick and/or switch. Fourteen severely handicapped subjects with a wide variety of disabling conditions participated in the investigation. In the results, various input modes were ranked in order of speed. The fit and stability of the transducer were found to be important to the subjects' performance, and there were a number of indications that the availability of multiple input modes for an aid is highly desirable.

Achievement↗

PubMed1986

Factors related to adaptive behavior changes among profoundly mentally retarded, physically disabled persons.

Changes in adaptive competence over a 1-year period of profoundly mentally retarded, physically disabled persons living in a moderately sized residential facility or in small community programs were examined. No evidence was found to indicate that habilitative growth was greater for residents in the small community programs. Indeed, residents of the moderately sized facility showed evidence of skill acquisition whereas community residents declined slightly in adaptive skill. Within community programs, presence of a relevant goal was positively related to change in independent living skills, and clients with musculoskeletal impairments tended to regress in motor and eating skills. These data suggest that client characteristics and habilitative program content are significant predictors of client growth, and size of the residence is probably not as important for delivery of effective services.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1985

Computer vocations for severely physically disabled persons: survey results.

Clients with physical disabilities were assessed for their computer skills and other characteristics related to computer vocations. Then a series of surveys were undertaken to determine availability of computer programming jobs for properly trained students, the best training program to suit these jobs, the equipment to train persons with disabilities, and the numbers of qualified applicants to warrant establishment of such a program. Results indicated that while programming is not a good job prospect, terminal operations appear promising, and occupations related to microcomputers warranted further study. The IBM Personal Computer was recommended, and a sufficient interest was demonstrated to establish the program for one year. Training programs in the United States provided a basis for establishment of the training course for trainees with disabilities.

Canada↗

PubMed1985

Medical needs of severely developmentally disabled persons residing in the community.

Data on the health needs and utilization of medical services were collected on 27 severely developmentally disabled persons residing in the community in order to make recommendations regarding the development of a network of generic services to meet those needs. A surprisingly low incidence of acute illness and emergencies was found, contradicting previous authors' assertions that such a population has excessive medical needs and therefore cannot be served in the community. On the contrary, community placement proved to be advantageous to this group, as they gained access to specialty medical services that were previously unavailable to them as residents of a large public facility.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Independent travel for developmentally disabled persons: a comprehensive model of instruction.

Independence and self-determination are long established goals for developmentally disabled persons. Some aspects of independence depend upon the ability to to gain access to resources in the local community. As a result, the acquisition of independent travel skills has received much attention over the years. However, most attempts to teach travel skills to this population have been limited in scope. This paper advocates a more comprehensive approach based upon the principles used to teach orientation and mobility to blind and visually impaired people.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1985

Public awareness of physically disabled persons.

Promoting public awareness that disabled people can function independently within society is seen by many as a necessary precursor to widespread changes in accessibility, housing, and social and economic opportunities for physically disabled people. The goal of the present investigation was to empirically assess the effectiveness of a major Canadian publicity campaign which was designed to sensitize people to the needs and concerns of physically disabled people and to promote favorable attitude change. Results indicate that while the visibility of the publicity campaign can be considered a modest success, the campaign was ineffective in promoting positive attitude change. The implications of the findings for the integration of disabled people into the larger community are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978

Measuring attitudes toward the physically disabled: testing the 'Attitude Towards Disabled Persons' scale (A.T.D.P. Form O) on social work and non-social work students.

The aim of the study was to test the U.S.A. Validated 'Attitude Towards Disabled Persons' Inventory (A.T.D.P. Form O) on a British student population to establish norms. The objectives were to test specific hypotheses related to the sex of the respondent, contact with physically disabled people and whether social work students had different attitude scores than non social work students. In addition, a comparison was made between the British and U.S.A. 'norms'. The student population of four specific British Universities comprised the sampling frame. The sample was a non probability accidental sample of social work and non social work students. Standardised A.T.D.P. Form Os were administered in group situations. Each form was accompanied by a letter explaining the study, together with a short questionnaire eliciting the sex of respondent and type and extent of any contact with disabled people. The findings demonstrated that there are probably differences between U.S.A. and British norms but that there are general similarities between the two countries. In both countries females, scored higher than males, which by interpretation indicates possibly a more favourable attitude. Contact with the disabled is also a contributing factor in higher scores. Social work students also tended to score more highly than non social work students. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to the possible development of professional attitudes for those who work with the disabled. It is postulated that 'idealisation' may be reflected in attitudes of students who intend to work with the disabled which, after general and professional life experience gives way to less favourable attitudes. Closeness of contact of respondents to disabled people is a factor which needs further exploration in connection with changing attitude scores.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

[The right work for every disabled person: the ERTOMIS ability and requirement profiles for the appropriate determination of a workplace].

In close accordance with the "International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps" issued by the World Health Organisation in 1980, and in cooperation with medical doctors, psychologists, and vocational teachers a reintegration of disabled adults. Instead of only attesting to the rehabilitated person his disabilities this system allows qualified persons to assess by means of a set of 64 evaluation criteria in an "Ability Profile" the abilities available to the disabled after rehabilitation; likewise, using the same 64 criteria it allows one to determine in a "Requirement Profile" those requirements a particular job poses to the corresponding person. The two profiles can be compared, thus providing an easy match between the person's abilities and the abilities necessary to perform the job. The various criteria reflect "elementary abilities" or correspondingly "elementary requirements". By comparison of the two profiles it is possible--in a first rough approach based on correspondingly developed judging abilities of the evaluator--to determine rather accurately whether a certain kind of work, to which a "Requirement Profile" is available, is adequate for a certain disabled person--for whom an "Ability Profile" has also been developed. The question whether the chosen work is fully adequate can thereby be answered with maximum accuracy only at the corresponding workplace by an occupational physician and the other professionals responsible for the employment of the disabled. The ERTOMIS system thus facilitates the job placement of disabled people; it can also help decide on eventual complementary rehabilitation measures directed towards the better adjustment of the disabled to a certain work, or the improved adjustment of that work to the abilities of the disabled. Each disability is unique to each individual; by means of this system system--completed with the personal dossier from which data on the vocational training and experience of the disabled can be taken--it can also be assessed in a way that reflects this important individuality. The criteria describe only abilities and requirements relevant to work performance. If one so chooses, for data protection reasons the "Ability Profile" can be handed out to the disabled person only. No copies of documents may be kept except for the purpose of medical records.

Aptitude↗

PubMed1991

Personality, disability and acne in college students.

The relationship between acne, personality and disability was examined in a sample of 101 junior college students in Singapore. The clinical severity of their acne was assessed using a Acne Severity Grading Scale. The disability as perceived by the individual, was evaluated using the Acne Disability Index. Our data showed that there was no difference in personality, assessed by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, between students with mild acne (Grades 0 and 2) and those with severe acne (Grades 4, 6 and 8). Personality influences the individual's perception of disability. Students with acne who were concerned about their facial appearance were more emotional and less tough-minded than those who were not. Otherwise, there was little disability resulting from the disease.

Acne Vulgaris↗