Examining the rights of children with intellectual disability in South Africa: Children's perspectives

Abstract

Background Human rights provide fundamental conditions for people to maintain dignity and self-determination and protect a nation's most vulnerable citizens. In South Africa, children with intellectual disability who experience socioeconomic disadvantage may be particularly vulnerable due to their cognitive impairments and inability to garner needed resources.

Method The perceptions of children with intellectual disability regarding their access to basic amenities in their home environments were examined to determine whether their positive human rights were met. Risk factors were examined in relation to these perceptions.

Results The results suggested that participants generally reported high degrees of access to basic resources. Logistic regressions suggested socioeconomic risk factors (e.g., income, education, household size, relationship status) were negatively related to children's reports of access to food and their own beds and positively related to having someone available to explain confusing concepts to them.

Conclusions The positive human rights of children living in high-risk environments should be monitored to ensure all South Africans have their rights met.

Keywords:

• disability
• poverty
• human rights

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to our colleagues who assisted with data collection.

Funding

This research was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), [grant number 70883]. This funding body has no restrictions on free access or publication of this data. Additionally, the authors have no financial or nonfinancial conflicts of interest.

Notes

*This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Ian Dempsey.