Background: Persons with disabilities experience significant economic exclusion in South Africa. While vocational training has often been viewed through a narrow economic lens, its broader social contributions remained under-researched. Objectives: This study examined the social contributions of skills training for persons with disabilities, with specific attention to empowerment, inclusion and well-being. Method: A qualitative multiple-case study design was employed. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, photovoice, document analysis and field notes with eight participants across three South African provinces. Results: Training contributed to psychological empowerment, increased independence and improved quality of life. Participants reported enhanced self-worth and a stronger sense of purpose. However, persistent structural and attitudinal barriers continued to constrain full social and economic participation. Conclusion: Skills training functioned as a catalyst for personal transformation and social belonging. Nevertheless, translating acquired skills into sustained participation required addressing broader environmental constraints and gaps in policy implementation. Contribution: This study extended disability scholarship by foregrounding the holistic, non-economic value of training interventions in fostering dignity, agency and social inclusion among persons with disabilities.
Background: People with disabilities remain under-represented in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), despite global and regional policies promoting their inclusion. Objectives: This study examined the barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of youth with disabilities in Zimbabwe’s TVET programmes. Methods: Situated in a critical qualitative paradigm, we utilised an institutional ethnographic (IE) design to explore how youth with disabilities experienced inclusive TVET. Data were generated through observations and semi-structured interviews with 11 youth with disabilities and two principals at inclusive centres. We used IE and the Listening Guide to map how institutional policies, practices and social norms coordinate learners’ participation and lived experiences. Results: Participation in TVET was influenced by intersecting institutional and social factors. Facilitators encompassed positive instructor conduct, inclusive pedagogy, robust family and community support, favourable societal attitudes and accessible infrastructure. Conversely, participation was hindered by limited government support, caregiver fatigue, families’ low socioeconomic status, disability type, literacy requirements, inaccessible infrastructure, long distances and conflicts between social norms and institutional rules. Conclusion: Achieving inclusive TVET in Zimbabwe requires aligning instructor capacity, accessible foundational education and sustainable government funding to mitigate families’ weak socioeconomic status. Contribution: Beyond identifying barriers and facilitators, this study offers a novel methodological contribution, unravelling the invisible, text-mediated forces that coordinate learners with disabilities’ experiences across pre-enrolment, training and post-training work transitions. It provides practitioners and policymakers in low-resource settings with a user-focused mapping of how institutional mechanisms can be reconfigured to foster authentic inclusion.
Background: Stroke frequently results in reduced work participation or permanent withdrawal from work. In low- and middle-income countries like Mozambique, return to work is influenced by limited rehabilitation services, socioeconomic challenges and workplace factors. Little is known about stroke survivors’ experiences of these barriers and enablers in Mozambique. Objectives: To explore stroke survivors’ perceptions of barriers and enablers influencing return to work in Maputo, Mozambique. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 18 purposively selected stroke survivors attending outpatient rehabilitation services at Maputo Central Hospital. Interviews explored participants’ experiences of returning to work after stroke and were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings were interpreted using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results: Findings were organised according to the ICF framework. Barriers to return to work included impairments in body functions and structures (motor deficits, fatigue and cognitive difficulties), limitations in activities, restrictions in work participation and environmental factors such as limited vocational rehabilitation, inaccessible transport, workplace discrimination and inadequate employer support. Key enablers included functional gains through rehabilitation, family and social support, workplace accommodations and strong personal motivation to resume employment. Conclusion: Return to work after stroke is a multidimensional process shaped by interaction between body functions and structures, activities and participation, environmental and personal factors. Addressing these factors through comprehensive rehabilitation, vocational support, workplace accommodations and coordinated health and employment policies may improve sustainable work reintegration for stroke survivors in Mozambique. Contribution: This study highlights context-specific barriers and enablers to return to work after stroke in Mozambique, informing rehabilitation practice and disability-inclusive employment strategies.
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought significant disruptions to people’s lives and livelihoods. These disruptions led to changes in people’s mobility, leisure choices and preferences. The need to understand the shifts and emerging trends in leisure programmes for people with disabilities is particularly important in South Africa, where lockdown measures were considered among the strictest and most restrictive. Objectives: The current study aimed to explore and describe the trends and shifts in leisure programmes for people with disabilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the Western Cape. Method: The study adopted a descriptive qualitative research approach and utilised semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 12 adults with disabilities. Data were collected until saturation was achieved, and thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. In accordance with ethics standards, approval was obtained from the University of the Western Cape’s Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Results: The key findings revealed five main themes that highlight the disparities experienced by people with disabilities. There was a clear indication that people with disabilities long for leisure participation; however, major barriers need to be broken to ensure smooth participation. People with disabilities still have a strong desire to be involved in leisure programmes, despite being excluded from mainstream activities in their communities. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is a need for united efforts to ensure that resources are allocated properly, especially during pandemics, given the unique circumstances of people with disabilities. Contribution: The present study contributes to the literature by emphasising the importance of advocacy for people with disabilities, especially in unprecedented times.
Background: In Ethiopia, 17.6% of the population has disabilities. Research has largely overlooked students with disabilities (SWDs), focusing instead on caregivers, teachers and officials. Objectives: The current study sought to include SWD voices by examining their experiences and identifying barriers and enablers to education in Ethiopia. Method: A participatory action research approach with a critical theory lens, engaging SWDs in two phases was carried out. In phase one, student researchers received training through collaboratively developed modules on research concepts, questions, tools and data analysis. Student researchers identified, co-created, refined and finalised the study methods. In phase two, student researchers conducted 18 interviews and two focus group discussions. Results: Results indicated that physical, sensory and financial inaccessibility negatively influenced the social lives of SWDs, reinforced stigmatising societal perspectives and disadvantaged them compared to their peers without disabilities. Stigma led to feelings of hopelessness and social exclusion. However, having a supportive (‘threshold’) person or organisation, individual grit, love and trust in education and a desire to defy critics (i.e. positive revenge) contributed to student success. Conclusion: Early interventions are vital for supporting SWDs in engaging with education. A dedicated advocate can significantly impact their success. Contribution: This study contributes to disability studies and inclusive policy by centring the voices of SWDs in Ethiopia, highlighting their lived experiences. It offers practical insights into how systemic stigma, inadequate infrastructure and limited psychosocial support hinder inclusion, while support systems, personal resilience and early interventions enhance educational success.
Background: Employment of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in South Africa’s public sector remains persistently low despite progressive legislative frameworks. This reflects enduring structural, organisational and attitudinal barriers that limit meaningful inclusion, particularly at a provincial level. Compliance-driven approaches have proven insufficient in addressing the organisational dynamics shaping inclusion. This study is grounded in the social model of disability and applies social exchange theory (SET) to examine how perceptions of costs, benefits and reciprocity influence employment decisions. Objectives: This study applied SET to: (1) understand perceived costs/benefits of employing PWDs; (2) explore the role of social structures/actors; (3) propose SET-informed strategies to enhance equity. Method: A qualitative study, situated within the transformative paradigm and using a case study design, was conducted in the Western Cape provincial public service. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 senior officials and analysed thematically using key SET principles. Results: Three interrelated themes emerged: the importance of enabling structures and actors, the role of reinforcement in sustaining inclusive practices, and the significance of reciprocal professional relationships. Findings indicate that inclusion is constrained by perceived costs and limited institutional support, but can be strengthened through structural investment, incentive mechanisms and relational engagement. Conclusion: Social exchange theory provides a robust framework for reconceptualising PWD employment as a mutually beneficial social exchange, guiding more sustainable, relational inclusion strategies. Contribution: The study advances SET as a practical lens for designing interventions that address both structural and relational barriers to disability inclusion.
Background: Speech-language therapy in Kenya is an emerging profession, yet its workforce practices are not well-understood, and the needs of professionals have yet to be determined. While similar gaps have been reported in sub-Saharan Africa, the Kenyan context remains unknown. Objectives: To describe current characteristics, practices and needs of speech-language therapists (SLTs) rendering services in Kenya. Method: An electronic survey was completed by 46 SLTs across Kenya. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively. Results: Most Kenyan SLTs in this sample (78.4%) were located in the urban counties, multilingual and worked across multiple settings. Participants had varied qualifications and backgrounds. The sample included SLTs with overlapping caseloads of client ages – 67.0% served paediatric clients and 53.0% served adults, with many participants reporting that they worked across both groups. Challenges included limited resources (69.6%), high caseloads (52.0%) and a limited workforce. Participants expressed the need for peer support and improved guidelines for practice. Conclusion: Despite the notable growth of the profession in Kenya, persistent challenges remain within the SLT workforce and structure of service provision. Addressing these requires strengthened collaboration, improved regulation and guidelines and targeted capacity-building to support equitable access to services. Contribution: This study aimed to outline what the speech-language therapy profession in Kenya looks like, to contribute towards advocating for the profession and planning that can ultimately enhance the impact of SLTs in Kenya.
Background: Visual impairment is the third most prevalent impairment worldwide. Persons with visual impairment may have to navigate complex societal barriers and marginalisation daily. Thus, making them hard to reach. Objectives: To explore mobilisation strategies for hard-to-reach persons with visual impairment among community health workers and low-vision clinicians in the Free State province, South Africa. Method: An exploratory qualitative approach was used to explore mobilisation strategies for hard-to-reach persons with visual impairment in the Free State province. Results: Two main themes were identified: (1) challenges of accessing eye care services and (2) social and community support. Affordability and accessibility of spectacles and low-vision devices remain significant challenges, serving as barriers to accessing eye care services, particularly in rural areas. Poor social and community support by local government structures of resources, such as funding of eye care and transport costs, may be available to support persons with visual impairment, but are not utilised effectively by the local government. Lack of physical infrastructure that is accessible to persons with visual impairment and the poor inclusion of persons with visual impairment in community programmes and decision-making processes to improve social interaction and foster independence are prevalent. Conclusion: The challenges limit the capacity to deliver appropriate interventions to persons with visual impairment, further exacerbating the gap in care for the hard-to-reach. This emphasises a need for a more equitable distribution of resources, increased funding for eye care services, and the employment of more specialised professionals in underserved areas. Contribution: Findings informed a set of recommendations for the benefit of hard-to-reach persons with visual impairment in the development of inclusive eye care policies and empowered both the hard-to-reach and community health care workers.
Background:Accessibility to healthcare is a fundamental human right aimed at facilitating better health outcomes for people with disabilities. However, the persistent gap between policy intents and actual implementation results in poorer health outcomes for people with disabilities, which is against universal health coverage. Objectives:This study explored policymakers' perspectives on barriers to accessibility to healthcare services for people with disabilities. Method:Through purposive sampling, qualitative, descriptive, exploratory research was conducted among five policymakers in a rural constituency. Each participant signed an informed consent form. The face-to-face interview lasted 50-60 min and used validated semi-structured questions, audio recordings, and memos to capture data. Manual coding, employing an inductive approach and categorisation, was conducted, resulting in the formulation of themes. Results:Two main themes emerged: Systemic and structural challenges to inclusive healthcare, and training and attitudinal barriers to inclusive healthcare, highlighting transport and infrastructure barriers, as well as insufficient budget because of ineffective health policy implementation. A lack of training and discrimination were key issues reported. Conclusion:This study highlighted key obstacles related to weak policy enforcement, inadequate infrastructure, stigma, and funding issues, which impede accessibility to health services for people with disabilities in Namibia. Contribution:Understanding how policies are translated into practice is crucial for closing implementation gaps and enhancing healthcare access for people with disabilities.
Background: Lower-limb amputees (LLAs) are highly susceptible to low back pain (LBP) because of postural instability and core muscle weakness, leading to reduced quality of life (QoL). Tailored mobile health (mHealth) interventions may offer a scalable strategy to support functional improvement. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary impact of mHealth applications on QoL and to identify behavioural and physical parameters observed on LLAs. Method: A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test longitudinal study was conducted with 22 unilateral LLAs (transtibial or transfemoral). Nineteen participants used a prosthesis, while three participants used a wheelchair. Participants engaged with a structured 3-month intervention delivered through an mHealth application. The programme consists of: (1) educational modules; (2) core-strengthening exercises; (3) automated reminders; and (4) hybrid delivery. Quality of Life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, variables examined in the bivariate analyses and changes in outcomes were analysed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: The Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed significant improvements in positive attitude (p = 0.007) and good core muscle strength (p = 0.020), both with large effect sizes. Descriptive analysis indicated significant overall changes in QoL. Bivariate analyses suggested that positive attitude and good core muscle strength were associated with higher QoL. Conclusion: The use of the mHealth application was associated with improvements in QoL, and positive behavioural and physical changes among LLAs. Contribution: This research contributes to disability rehabilitation in Southeast Asia by introducing an mHealth approach that may improve functional improvement among LLAs.
Background: Across practice and policy, assistive technologies (ATs) are positioned as a pathway to economic inclusion for graduates with sensory disabilities in South Africa. Still, systemic barriers persist. Developing workable interventions requires in-depth attention to the lived experiences of graduates, which include knowledge on the way devices, systems and attitudes interact in everyday employment seeking and enterprise activities. Objectives: The study endeavoured to examine how unemployed tertiary-level graduates with sensory disabilities in Gauteng use AT in seeking employment and practising entrepreneurship. Specific enablers and challenges were identified to provide an explanation of variation in economic participation. Method: Interpretive methods guided the study within a qualitative design. Sixteen participants took part in semi-structured interviews: 10 unemployed graduates (with visual or hearing impairments), three human resources professionals and three helping professionals. Coding and analytic development followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic approach. Results: Overall patterns were organised into six themes: (1) discrimination and stigma, (2) accessibility, (3) use and effectiveness of AT, (4) training and support, (5) institutional and government support, and (6) self-initiated strategies and adaptation. Conclusion: Device access proved insufficient. Most constraints operated at the system level, consistent with the social model of disability, as stigma, accessibility failures, limited training and weak enforcement shaped outcomes. Sustained change had to address stigma, accessibility, training and support and accountable policy implementation through coordinated multi-stakeholder action. Contribution: By centring graduate voices, this article contributed evidence on adaptability and multi-stakeholder lenses relevant to inclusive policy and practice in resource-constrained settings.
Background: Persons with disabilities are often disproportionately placed in part-time roles, confined to low occupational levels and face a heightened risk of job loss perpetuating a cycle of underemployment, leaving many to earn below the official poverty line. Despite progressive South African employment legislations, many companies still do not meet employment targets for employees with disabilities. Objectives: The scoping review aimed to summarise the literature and synthesise strategies used to employ and retain persons with disabilities in South African open labour market. Method: Systematic and manual searches of six databases identified relevant primary sources. The first two authors conducted blinded reviews of 2402 titles and abstracts, followed by 482 full-text reviews. Following conflict resolution, 92 sources were included. A content analysis of charted data followed, and the findings were summarised into two categories and 12 codes. Results: Programmes shown to improve the representation of persons with disabilities were demand-side employment, inclusive recruitment, disability disclosure, reasonable accommodation, employee referral, internships and apprenticeships, return-to-work, supported employment, wage subsidy and partnering with disability organisations. Stakeholder support enhanced implementation and reduced barriers. Conclusion: Various programmes were adopted to improve the inclusion of employees with disabilities, but their implementation varied across employers, yielding mixed results. Contribution: The review highlighted the need for policymakers to strengthen enforcement, for employers to foster inclusive workplace practices and for researchers to expand the scope of inquiry to capture broader dimensions of disability employment. Future research could be conducted under different settings to explore the employment of persons with disabilities.
Stroke is one of the major contributors to long-term disability in the world, with significant emotional and psychological implications for survivors. While physical rehabilitation is often prioritised in post-stroke recovery, the emotional impact, such as grief, anxiety, depression, and identity disruption, remains under-addressed, particularly in a developing country such as South Africa. This article argues for a more ethical, grounded and holistic approach to stroke recovery that prioritises emotional support alongside physical treatment. Drawing on the disciplines of counselling psychology and rehabilitation science, the article explores how interdisciplinary approaches can enhance the emotional needs of stroke patients. Through a conceptual methodology, this article critiques the limitations of biomedical ethics when applied to stroke rehabilitation and proposes a complementary ethical model, such as care and narrative ethics. These frameworks emphasise empathy, relationship-building and meaning-making as central components of ethical care. Through theoretical analysis, the article demonstrates how patients’ emotional narratives can inform ethical patient-centred rehabilitation interventions. The article also deliberates the implications for healthcare providers, offers practical recommendations and outlines policy integration strategies for embedding emotional care within rehabilitation programmes. By highlighting the ethical significance of emotional support, the study offers a more compassionate, culturally sensitive and inclusive model of stroke care in line with medical humanities and the future of healthcare delivery.
Background: Infection associated with spina bifida is a common risk that often interferes with regular school attendance. Objective: This study aimed to conduct a situational analysis of infection control in South African special schools catering to learners with spina bifida, and to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of infection control among the school staff. Method: This was a cross-sectional study using semi-structured and structured questionnaires administered to the school principals and staff, respectively. A total of nine schools participated in the study, with 121 staff completing the questionnaire. Results: All nine schools reported a higher number of educators than allied health professionals, health professionals and house mothers. Low levels of knowledge about infection control were reported across all staff. A large proportion of educators ( 60%) were unaware of infection control practices. A small proportion across staff categories reported having a bowel management programme. Staff reported poor attitudes toward infection control; only 14.3% of educators, 15.0% of allied health staff, 13.3% of health staff and 6.3% of house mothers reported being trained to work with learners with spina bifida. Conclusion: The findings reveal important gaps in schools with regard to infection control for learners with spina bifida, and there is a need for training on infection control for all staff working in these settings. Contribution: The research contributes to the development of training and policy recommendations aimed at improving infection control for learners with spina bifida.
Background: When children under 18 years old, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autistic children are admitted to the hospital, they often have distressing experiences attributed mainly to overstimulation and communication issues. The quality of nursing care can be improved by effectively involving the child’s parents in their care. Currently, there is no framework to encourage parental participation in the hospital care of autistic children in South Africa. Objectives: The study explored professional nurses and parent perceptions on promoting effective parent participation in the hospital care of autistic children and to develop a framework for the improvement of parental participation in the hospital care of autistic children. Method: This study utilised the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) research design, and data were collected using individual, virtual, semi-structured interviews. Employing the purposive sampling method, data saturation was reached with ten nurses and ten parents. Data were analysed using the IPA method of data analysis, and the framework was developed, utilising the Gray and Grove framework development process. Results: The study revealed 12 themes that were incorporated in a newly developed framework, under the following sub-concepts: Information sharing, proximity, attitude and garnering resources. Conclusion: This article presents a newly developed framework for the effective parent participation in the hospital care of autistic children. Contribution: The framework developed in this study can contribute to improving nursing practice for paediatric ward nurses and may improve the inpatient experience and health outcomes of autistic children and their parents.
Background: Despite the existence of South African frameworks guiding the inclusion and accessibility of persons with disabilities in the workplace, there is no tool available to guide how healthcare facilities meet the inclusion and accessibility standards set out in the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and national frameworks. Objectives: This study sought to achieve consensus among experts regarding the tool that can be utilised to guide the implementation of the CRPD-aligned standards of universal design and reasonable accommodation in the public healthcare sector. Method: A panel of experts (27) in the field of disability across South Africa participated in a two-round modified Delphi technique. The 80% agreement threshold was set to determine the level of agreement among experts. Results: Consensus was reached on all seven domains (with various disability indicators) as outlined by the CRPD to be included in the development of a tool. These domains are, namely, the prohibition of discrimination, protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, labour and trade union participation, access to technical and vocational training, employment opportunities and career advancement, reasonable accommodation and professional and vocational rehabilitation training programmes for persons with disabilities. Conclusion: The panellists agreed that the developed tool can be utilised to evaluate and guide the implementation of universal design and reasonable accommodation in the public healthcare sector. Contribution: This study provides a consensus-based, CRPD-aligned assessment tool that enables healthcare facilities to systematically evaluate and improve disability inclusion and accessibility in the workplace.
Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing condition resulting in disability, with motor and sensory impairments that impact multiple areas of life and reduce quality of life. Physical rehabilitation can address these limitations, but there is a need to evaluate which interventions are most effective and the outcomes they produce. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation interventions for individuals with complete and incomplete SCI at levels C5–T12, and to inform clinical practice. Method: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus and EBSCOhost identified peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2024. Results: Sixteen studies (n = 327) were included. Effective interventions included functional electrical stimulation, robotic and exoskeleton-assisted training, gait training, upper extremity exercise, balance training, and corporal suspension and pendulum exercises. Reported outcomes included improvements in aerobic capacity, muscle adaptations, gait parameters, cardiopulmonary function, functional capacity and secondary complications. Conclusion: Physical rehabilitation plays a key role in improving functional outcomes in individuals with SCI. However, no single intervention addresses all aspects of recovery, highlighting the need for an individualised approach. Contribution: This review demonstrates that a range of exercise-based rehabilitation strategies can enhance functional outcomes in individuals with SCI.
Background: Hip and knee joint arthroplasty in many low- and middle-income countries has lengthy waiting lists as trauma-related procedures are prioritised. A comprehensive care pathway that includes prehabilitation can enhance patient outcomes. Prior to designing an impactful service, a contextually grounded study with an understanding of current knowledge, relationship between felt and expressed needs in the specific socio-cultural setup is critical. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate patients’ knowledge and perceptions of physiotherapy and prehabilitation before undergoing total hip or knee replacement operations in a South African public healthcare setting. Method: A mixed-methods approach utilising semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and questionnaires was employed. Patients in the orthopaedic outpatient queue who consented to participate were recruited. Forty-nine participants answered the questionnaires, and seven patients were interviewed. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively, including estimates of means and percentages and qualitative data by content analysis. Results: A significant (p 0.001) 77.6% (38) of patients indicated that they were unsure of the role of a physiotherapist, and 67.3% (33) of respondents were unsure of the necessity for pre-operative exercises (p 0.001). Three main themes emerged from the interviews, which were patients’ preconceptions of physiotherapy, the perceived value of prehabilitation and patients’ recommendations regarding physiotherapy and prehabilitation. Conclusion: This study identified a lack of knowledge and understanding regarding physiotherapy and prehabilitation among these patients. Contribution: The findings of this study may inform the design of a prehabilitation programme tailored to this context and highlighted a need for the education of medical personnel.
Background: This study utilises the cinematic work ‘Can You See Us’ as a prism to elucidate contemporary discourse surrounding the intricate tribulations confronted by children with albinism and their mothers. Despite increasing academic research on the connection between albinism and motherhood experiences, meaningful critical discussions on this topic remain inadequately addressed within both scholarly frameworks and African policy and human rights paradigms. Objectives: Utilising a human rights-based approach, the inquiry elucidates how systemic sufferings besiege a child with albinism and his mother. It also reveals that the challenges endured by children with albinism and their mothers are not merely individual forays but are intricately interwoven within expansive socio-political matrices that perpetuate inequity and discrimination. Method: A mixed qualitative methodology was employed, incorporating film observation and document-based analysis. Results: The findings of this study illuminate profound adversities confronted by individuals afflicted with albinism, encompassing destitution, experiences of corporeal and psychological maltreatment, incapacity to participate in normative social interactions, bullying, abuse and violent assaults, which can, in the most grievous of circumstances, culminate in dire outcomes. Conclusion: We conclude that the predicaments depicted in the film are pervasive across the African expanse. These challenges ought to be recognised as transgressions against intrinsic human rights. Importantly, the extant regional action plan addressing albinism in Africa neglects the integration of a thorough gender-sensitive paradigm, especially concerning the nuances of motherhood and its confluence with albinism. Contribution: This cinematic analysis offers a transformative paradigm for apprehending the experiences of mothers nurturing children with albinism within the African milieu.
Background:The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 (TGMD-3 2019) evaluates fundamental gross motor skills across two domains: locomotor and ball skills. Objectives:The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the TGMD-3 in children with Down syndrome. Method:Twenty-four children with Down syndrome, aged 9-15 years, from five special needs schools in the North West province of South Africa participated in this study. Results:Excellent and good intraclass correlation coefficient values were reported for locomotor (0.91), ball (0.84) and overall gross motor performance (0.91). Standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change at the 95% and Bland-Altman plots showed acceptable precision levels, low variability, a small discrepancy between scores for the two assessments and no systematic bias in the analyses. The test and retest values for locomotor (p = 0.587), ball (p = 0.403) and overall gross motor scores (p = 0.321) were not significant. Conclusion:The TGMD-3 instrument showed good to excellent test-retest reliability for assessing gross motor skills in children with Down syndrome. Contribution:This study provides an initial reliability analysis of the TGMD-3 instrument amongst selected children with Down syndrome in five districts of the North West province of South Africa.
