G. Study findings

Theme 1: The extent to which persons with disabilities are able to choose their place of residence and the persons residing with them without coercion.

In relation to whether they are free to choose their place of residence, 60 per cent of respondents selected a “neutral” answer, with the remaining respondents split equally between “agree” (20 per cent) and “disagree” (20 per cent). It is worth noting that the 60 per cent figure related to people with visual impairments. When discussing the findings with the study sample, the following was revealed:

Although people with disabilities have implicit freedom to choose where to stay, they often choose places close to their family, if not the family home itself.
Participants were not always able to choose their place of work due to the limited opportunities and fields available to persons with disabilities. The nature of the work is predetermined, limited to clerical occupations, office jobs and data entry, regardless of the area of specialization of these individuals.

The nature of the work discussed in this study is limited to the public sector, as the members of the study sample work in the public services sector.

Theme 2: The extent to which persons with disabilities have access to services in their place of residence, have access to social services and are protected from social isolation.

The study found that 40 per cent of the respondents received no assistance to adapt their place of residence, while 33.3 per cent did receive assistance and 26.7 per cent chose a neutral answer. Again, the proportion who did not receive assistance comprised those with visual impairments. When asked to provide a reason for this, the study sample indicated that they had no need to make housing modifications. Those with hearing impairments received assistance from civil society organizations dealing with this type of disability. Those with mobility impairments chose a neutral response without providing any explanation.

Theme 3: The extent to which persons with disabilities make use of public social services and facilities and how responsive the services are to their needs.

The study found that 40 per cent of the study sample had made use of social services, especially after graduating from university, while 26.7 per cent were unable to access these services easily. The remaining 33.3 per cent responded with a neutral answer.

The findings demonstrated a lack of understanding among the study sample of the concept of public services and the criteria for evaluating them.

Theme 4: The extent to which the level of service provision can be raised and policies can be proposed that would support the independence of persons with disabilities and contribute to their inclusion in society.

Respondents differed on the scope for policies to be developed that would support the independent living of persons with disabilities, and discussion of the findings revealed that:

Independent living can be supported by raising awareness among community members, decision makers in the field of public services and representatives of persons with disabilities in institutions and organizations.
Independent living cannot be achieved if people with disabilities are considered “dependent” and “incapable” of self-reliance.
Independent living is not a concept that people with disabilities strive to achieve; rather, they seek a safe environment and supportive tools such as laws and technology.