VOICES FROM AFRICA: Disability and Employment in South Africa - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

VOICES FROM AFRICA:

Disability and Employment in South Africa

Tammy Merrill

SOUTH AFRICA

• Democratic republic in

1994

• Africa‟s largest economy
• 11 official languages
• 1.2M square miles
• 49 million population:

79.0% African 8.9% Coloured 9.6% White 2.5% Indian 5-10% Disabled

• 25% unemployment rate
• 1.3M receive disability

grant

Disability Rights Movement

1970’s-1990’s 1990’s and Post Apartheid

• Community advocacy

groups emerge late 1970‟s

• Influence of the Black

Consciousness Movement

• Disabled People South

Africa (DPSA)forms 1984

• DPSA engages govern-

ment throughout the 1980‟s

• 1990 DPSA begins

dialogue with African National Congress (ANC)

• Disability Rights Charter

Campaign in 1992

• Disability as a human-

rights and developmental issue

• Constitution and policy

framework for inclusion

Policy Context

South African Constitution (1996)

• Protection against discrimination
• Ensures access

Skills Development Act (1997)

• Require accessible education and training
• Promote inclusion in the workforce

Employment Equity Act (1997)

• Barriers to employment be ID and eliminated
• Reasonable accommodation
• Firms must be diverse at all levels

Employment and Disability

Despite progressive legislation…

• Less than 1% of the workforce
• The most under-represented group targeted by

legislation

• No gains shown in nearly a decade

YEAR 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 EMPLOYMENT RATE 0.90% 1.00% 1.80% 0.50% 0.90%

Disability, Race and Gender

• White men and women
• ver 2X higher for

employed persons with disability

• Women significantly

under- represented

• African women with

disability are most disadvantaged

Research Design

Theory Methodology

• Disability Theory

▫ Social Model

• Critical Theory
• Qualitative Research

▫ Longitudinal Case Study ▫ Demographics

• Data Collection

▫ Written Questionnaire ▫ Interviews ▫ Document Review

Learnerships

• 70/30 Workplace-

classroom ratio

• Integrated curriculum
• Content designed by

industry

• Partnership between

learner, training provider and employer

Research Sample

Main Players Data Sample

• Learners

▫ 17 learners in total

• Training Provider

▫ Further Education & Training Institution

• Employers

▫ 3 employers (large financial institutions)

• Learners

▫ 7 learners interviewed

• Training Provider

▫ 4 Further Education & Training staff

• Employers

▫ 1 employer representative

Research Findings

Four Themes

1. Learnership Design and Implementation

• 2. Community and Society
• 3. Systems and Power

Relations

• 4. Overall Efficacy

Learnership

• Opportunity and

independence was motivation

• “Soft” skills were noted

by 5 or 7 learners as the most valuable skills learned

• Disconnect between

classroom and worksite curriculum

• Support received was

important factor to 5 learners

• Learning program design

not significant factor

Community and Society

• Perception

▫ View of disability ▫ Exposure of skills and abilities ▫ Challenge orthodox perspectives

• Institutional impact
• Community education

needed

• Poverty and disability

▫ Multiple linkages

• Accessibility

Systems and Power Relations

• Little policy oversight
• Lack of focus on disability

equity

• Few financial resources

allocated for the support of inclusive education

• Special Schools
• Highly collaborative and

complex between supply and demand sides of labour

• International connection

and influence

Overall Efficacy

• 4 of 7 learners were
• ffered employment at

the end of the learnership; two are currently still employed within the firm

• Of the four unemployed

learners, two are actively looking for related work

• Three learners are

currently employed in related field; a fourth learner has a consistent employment record in a related field.

• Nearly all learners (6 of

7) believed the learnership prepared them for employment

Recommendations

• Integrate support and

facilitate networking

• Coordinated link between

industry and training providers

• Universal Design
• Integrate „soft‟ skills into

curriculum

• Community education

programs

• Include learners with

disabilities in the design process

• Acknowledge the power and

influence of race, gender and disability

• Dialogue with Special Schools

Implications

South Africa United States

• Workplace learning valued
• Life skills imperative
• Cultural variable matter
• Poverty is the apex where

disability, race and gender intersect

• Support critical to experience
• Inclusive policies
• Contextualized learning

beneficial

• Life skills imperative
• Changing US demographics?
• How does race and gender

impact SE practices?

• Support and social networks

play significant role in success

• Lessons to learn, or not?