Accessibility For People With Disability Case Study

The World Health Organisation defines accessibility according to three subgroups: physical accessibility, economic accessibility and information accessibility. Physical accessibility is defined as: “ the availability of good health services within reasonable reach of those who need them and of opening hours, appointment systems and other aspects of service organization and delivery that allow people to obtain the services when they need them” (WHO, 2013).
The physical, social and attitudinal environments influence accessibility for people with disabilities (Banda-Chalwe, Nits & de Jonge, 2012). It is important in order to evoke change to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, one has to acknowledge the role of the built environment
i.e. “To improve accessibility of rehabilitation services for people suffering from conditions that can lead to disability as well as those living with disabilities and to ensure participation of persons with disabilities in planning, implementation and monitoring of rehabilitation programmes”.
The situational analysis conducted showed that the rehabilitation services in South Africa are largely underdeveloped and services are largely concentrated at tertiary institutions. There is also a shortage of rehabilitation professionals, budget and intersectoral collaboration (NDoH, 2000).
The relevant principles of rehabilitation outlined in the policy include: equality - providing an environment which acceptances and considers the populations differences, social justice and equity - this involves equal access to all levels of services and in all contexts for people with disabilities and integration and participation - integration of people with disabilities and encourage people with disabilities to participate in mainstream community life (NDoH,
The necessity for service delivery for people with disabilities that is inclusive, integrated, barrier-free and comprehensive. The respect for diversity of needs and circumstances among people with disabilities as individuals as well as among people with different disabilities is a prerequisite for the inclusion of all people with disabilities. It is imperative to the mainstreaming of all services to include people with disabilities. This means that all our policies, programmes, practices and services are formulated and implemented in a way that creates equity and equality between those who are able-bodied and those with disabilities”. (NDoH,