Disability Case Study

It was pointed out that the term disability was conceptually `slippery' and difficult to pin down (Topliss, 1979), and involved complex interactions between the individual and the social environment. According to Bury (1996), the definition of disability was not alike diseases and it instead is more ‘relational’. Health, in general, was defined in the WHO Constitution as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. Disability is not being able to perform an activity in a way that is considered normal for any human being due to an impairment (WHO, 2001). Barbotte et al.. (2011) goes on to add that impairment is associated with the physical aspect of a human’s health while disability

People with disabilities are often ostracized, and deprived of facilities and rights as compared to people living without disabilities (WHO, 2010). People living with disabilities are less likely to get and afford medical care. According to WHO, “32-33% of non-disabled people are unable to afford health care compared to 51-53% of people with disabilities.” Disabled/ special needs people are more vulnerable to deficiencies in various aspects. According to the WHO report on Disability, as cited in the World Bank, 2011, people with disabilities are more likely to fall short of proper health care and support. “Data from four Southern African countries found that only 26–55% of people received the medical rehabilitation they needed; 17–37% received the assistive devices they needed; 5–23% received the vocational training they needed; and 5–24% received the welfare services they needed” (WHO,2011). The report further states that many people with disabilities are not included in decision making process, which affects their lives. The world report from the WHO, 2013 reads, “70 million people need a wheelchair. Only 5-15% have access to one. 360 million people globally have moderate to profound hearing loss. Production of hearing aids only meets 10% of global need and 3% of developing countries’ needs.” Bardan (2001) states that since employers are unaware of the capabilities of the people with special needs, it hinders the job opportunities of those with special needs, and to overcome this, awareness needs to be raised to let the employers know of the capabilities of the physically challenged people. In Bhutan, according to the WHO-AIMS report (2006) there is a shortage of mental hospitals and an absence of provision of facilities for the people with special