Project topics and materials
Get Complete Project Material File(s) Now! »
Sport as a rehabilitation measure
Taking part in sport was another activity that the participants in this study identified as an inclusive physical activity provided by their communities (see appendix VII, pp: 195). Sport as a rehabilitation measure was also considered as a category in this study after being consistently identified by 93% (13 out of 14) of the study’s participants. This category considered only experiences that reflected actual engagement in sport as a rehabilitation measure by adolescents with physical disabilities. Sport as a rehabilitation measure was supported by three subcategories, namely competitive sport (percussion, traditional dance, soccer, wheelchair tennis); leisure activity (computer games, street games, pebbles), and fitness activities (walking). The following subsection contains the narrative expressions of participants in respect of these three subcategories.
Competitive sport
Five participants of the13who said they were taking part in sport as an inclusive community activity indicated that they were doing this at competition level. Chiwaridzo (myelodysplasia, 19 years, male) said:
“I play wheelchair tennis. I am a tennis captain at our university. I am also a wheelchair tennis captain for the provincial paralympics team. I also featured in last year’s national paralympics team selection. Besides paralympics I am a non-playing captain for our mainstream lawn tennis team. Although I am just one year old at this university and playing wheelchair tennis, our team has won several medals under my captaincy”(6.26:728-731).
Witness (neuromuscular disorder, 15 years, male) remarked:
“I play soccer. I am a player in our school paralympics. Last year we played four schools. We did not win all the games but we also won some two of them. I am a keeper. Besides playing soccer I play drums in the school percussion band” (12, 56:1624-1625).
Another participant, Jinye (hemimelia, 16 years, male) said:
“I play chess for my school’s team not the paralympics team only but the school team. I am good at chess I have won several medals at district level, when playing other schools. I have travelled a lot playing chess. I learn chess from my computer. I play better than my teachers and they cannot teach me chess; thus why I learn it from the computer” (7, 31:868-870).
Leisure activity
Five participants in this study also indicated that they took part in sport as a leisure activity. Walter
(spinal cord injury, 14 years, male) said:
“I play street games such as soccer, one touch and hide and seek…..these games are nice an quite interesting to me because they make me relax after school” (10, 46:1228-1230).
Another participant, Dzanhasi (cerebral palsy, 19 years, male) added:
“I play ball games with my friends at home after school and during weekends. We play ball games like “rakaraka”….we also play nhodo (pebbles) at home” (8, 36:1296-1297). Jinye (hemimelia, 16 years, male) said:
“Although I play chess at school for competition I also play it at home on my laptop during my leisure time. I also play it on my cell phone with other players of my age from other towns and countries. When I am not reading or watching TV, chess takes most of my spare time at home” (7, 32:896-896).
Fitness activities
Two of the 13participants indicated that they were engaged in sport as a measure to maintain their physical fitness. Kevie (cerebral palsy, 18 years, male) said:
“I usually spend my sporting time at school walking around the school yard exercising my muscles. My health condition requires me to do some exercises to remain fit” (1, 1:18-19).
Langton (neuromuscular disorder, 13 years, male) agreed:
“At school I do PE with my teacher Miss Suzan, I do it as learning and also as sport to keep me strong. At home my parents also make sure I do exercises to keep myself fit. I used to go to the hospital for the exercises, but since last year we started doing them at our home” (2, 6:174- 176).
1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Inclusive communitie
1.3 Adolescents with physical disabilities
1.4 Psychological wellbeing
1.5 Background to the study .
1.6 Historical foundations of inclusive communities in Zimbabwe
1.7 Problem statement
1.9 Research questions
2 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Theoretical framework
2.2.1 Systems theory
2.6.2 Systems Theory and its applicability to the psychological wellbeing of adolescents with physical disabilities living in inclusive community settings
2.2.2.1 Equifinality
2.2.2.2 Homeostasis
2.2.2.3 Feedback
2.3 The structure of Inclusive communities
2.6 Research on community strategies to enhance psychological wellbeing
3 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The research paradigm .
3.3 Research design
3.4 Study settin
3.5 Methods
3.6 Sample.
3.7 The research process
3.9 Researcher’s role .
3.10 Data analysis
3.11 Data Validity and Reliability
3.13.2 Protection from harm
3.13.3 Confidentiality and privacy
4.3.1Subtheme 1.1 Participation of adolescents with physical disabilities in inclusion activities
4.3.1.1 Learning-oriented activities.
4.3.1.2 Sport as a rehabilitation measure .
4.3.1.3 Self-care as a daily living ski
4.3.1.4 Selling as training for independent living .
4.3.1.5 Gardening as a life skill / training for independent living
4.4.1 Subtheme 2.1: Stakeholders’ efforts at the successful implementation of inclusive communities
4.4.1.1 Disability awareness education
4.4.1.2 Vocational counselling
4.4.1.3 Inclusive infrastructure and resources
4.5.1 Participation of adolescents with physical disabilities in inclusion activities
4.5.1.1 Choice of activities at home
4.5.1.2 Choice of activities at school .
4.5.1.3 Choice of activities in the community
4.6.1 Autonomy and choice in life
3.11 Ethical considerations
4 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Thematic results
4.3 Theme 1: Strategies for the community integration of adolescents with physical disabilities
4.4 Theme 2: Implementation of inclusive community strategies .
4.5 Theme 3: Choice of inclusive community activities to participate in
4.6 Theme 4: The contribution of community strategies to psychological wellbeing
4.6.1.2 Informal learning, autonomy and choice
4.6.2 Purpose in life
4.6.2.1 Formal learning and purpose in life
4.6.2.2 Informal learning and purpose in life
4.6.3 Positive relations with others .
4.6.3.1 Formal learning and positive relations with others
4.6.3.2 Informal learning and positive relations with others
4.6.4 Personal growth and self-acceptance
4.6.4.1 Formal learning, personal growth and self-acceptance
4.6.4.2 Informal learning, personal growth and self-acceptance
5 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
6 CHAPTER 6: FINDINGS, LIMITATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
