Disability and poverty in Kenya
Developing a methodology for a qualitative study of the relationship between functional impairments and poverty. Pilot testing in Kenya.
| According to estimates by WHO, approximately ten percent of the population has a disability, and this is probably a conservative estimate. Within developing countries, this population numbers at least 400 million, and they are among the poorest of the poor. The effects of “disability” go beyond those with functional impairments themselves. Family members must often absorb extra responsibilities that inhibit their participation in the economic and social life of their communities. And of course, the less productive any citizen is, the less economic growth is possible. Even for those people not classified as “disabled,” different levels of human functioning can have an impact on their access to the economy and the community. | 
Group interview in Gittumu, Kenya.
|
| |
Unfortunately, due to limited data collection in this area we do not have good data on the relationship between poverty and disability. At present, there is a growing effort to obtain quantitative data that can provide prevalence estimates and general links between poverty and disability. However, there is scant information on the dynamics of how the presence of impairments affects the economic and social life of people in developing countries.
Project
SINTEF Health Research in collaboration with the Department of General Practise and Community Medicine, University of Oslo is engaged by the World Bank to present a methodology for a qualitative study of the relationship between impairments and poverty. The purpose of the methodological approach will be to uncover the mechanisms by which various types of impairments interact with barriers in the environment, to limit or influence the economic and social life of disabled people and members of their households. This methodology will be a template that can be adapted to various contexts.
The project objectives are:
- Prepare a methodological paper containing
a. Recommended goals and scope of such a survey.
b. An approach to defining disability and capturing how barriers impact upon social and economic activity.
c. A specific methodology for achieving the aforementioned goals, possibly including focus groups, structured interviews, or any other qualitative approach. - Prepare a qualitative data collection instrument
- Field test that instrument in a developing country and report back on preliminary results of that field test.
The project is funded by the World Bank.
Report
Using qualitative methods in studying the link between disability and poverty.
Developing a methodology and pilot testing in Kenya.
Order the report by e-mail from SINTEF Health Research Library.
Contact persons:
Benedicte Ingstad, Professor at University of Oslo, Dep. of General Practise and Community Medicine
Phone: +47 22 85 05 94
Lisbet Grut
, Senior scientist at SINTEF Health Research, Dep. of Living Conditions and Service Delivery
Phone: +47 99 36 81 51
