Barriers Excluded Groups Face - Assignment Example

Barriers excluded groups face s Submitted by s: Introduction There is a broad perception that the people’s engagements with the communities they live in enhance their sense of welfare while at the same time forging stronger community spirits. This case applies to the people with disabilities, the poor, minority communities and other excluded groups in the same manner it affects the wider population. In most cases, the people with disabilities may have barriers to participation in some aspects as they have activity limitation or some forms of impairments (Schumm and Stoltzfus, 2011, p. 94). However, dynamics in their living environment including perceptions of people who live among them, the constructed environment as well as the manner in which social institutions have been framed may also function as obstacles to participation. The people with disabilities have a lower likelihood of getting employment compared to other people in the wider population while at the same time getting lower incomes forcing them to rely on the people who care for them (Grosh, 2008, p. 345). Personal networks have become important in terms of supporting the integration of people who live with disabilities into the broader community. This essay assesses the extents to which disability is connected to barriers in participating in various aspects of the community and the manner in which participation may vary in various instances. Studies and anecdotal evidence from various areas have suggested that particular communities have a lower likelihood of participating in recreation activities in comparison to the other members of the community (Jarvis, 2009, p. 92). Additionally, a lot of attention has been focused on coming up with projects that will inspire participation but there have been less efforts to identify the people who exclude themselves (Awortwi, 2012, p. 89) Barriers to participation for underrepresented communities Numerous major barriers affect the people who are part of underrepresented and excluded groups especially those with disabilities. This include challenges with the transport system since there is a general lacking in regular and public transportation services, especially in the rural areas (DeVault, 2008, p. 90). This poses problems for individuals who are affected by limited mobility in terms of accessing various forms of transportation such as taxis and buses. The people with disabilities also have to deal with issues of attitude as barriers to their participation and it is clear that some providers including parents and caregivers have negative attitudes towards some of the people with disabilities along with other people who are considered to belong to excluded groups. Additionally, language barriers are also an obstacle that excluded groups have to face but this mostly affects the minority ethnic communities, the people who have difficulties hearing as well as those with learning and reading challenges (Llewellyn, 2010, p. 208). This also augments the issue of lack of access to proper information leading to inadequate awareness of the needs of the excluded groups towards access to information in the suitable formats and lack of general information. Another barrier to participation that is faced by the excluded communities is lack of awareness since they are never targeted adequately in order to increase their level of awareness of the opportunities that may available to them (Beebeejaun and Vanderhoven, 2010, p. 285). Ultimately, this implies that the excluded groups including the disabled will not be able to pursue the opportunities that may be available to them since they do not have knowledge of them. This leads to a dependence on other people when they wish to take part in outdoor activities, which may be a dependable means of exploiting all the opportunities that may be available to them (Freeman, 2006, p. 19). Various aspects of mobility and missed opportunities make the people who have disabilities lack time and motivation and this creates a considerable obstacle in terms of participation in various community aspects and activities. When mobility is considered, poorly constructed and maintained paths are a major barrier to participation for the people who are disabled, as maintained pathways are important, especially for the individuals who are visually impaired and those who use wheelchairs (Davies, 2001, p. 198, Docherty, Goodlad and Paddison, 2001, p. 2229). Some of the aspects that might significantly inspire and encourage participation for excluded groups include making sure that there are trained leaders available, even though this is not the ultimate way of making sure that participation is encouraged and barriers are eliminated (Allan, 2003, p. 51). Disabled groups also need to have access to organized activities so that their level of participation can increase since they lack confidence for any involvement without assistance. Additionally, good transport systems as well as appropriate training for all the people who are involved in public transportation in various ways and arrangements with groups in the community in order to make transportation to popular destinations are important in ensuring that there is more participation from people with disabilities in community activities. The disabled should have access to simple and comprehendible information in suitable formats in order to make sure that their level of participation is increased. The people who are associated with minority and ethnic communities as well as those who have some form of learning or reading disability would significantly benefit from information that is available in a format that they can be able to understand as this would make them aware of available opportunities while at the same time enhancing their will to participate. Barriers to participation sometimes arise because the level of family participation by families in some activities and the facilities available for these forms of activities are not adequate to encourage them. People with disabilities need the support from their families and this can be improved through ensuring that there are extensive activities that families can engage in as a means of increasing participation. Furthermore, lack of appropriate awareness from those responsible for the facilities is likely to decreased or hinder participation from the disabled and other excluded groups. This is because when there is a lack of properly trained staff who appreciate the needs of the disabled and other excluded groups, their opportunities and levels of enjoyment are significantly affected. It is also important to note that some challenges that are experienced by providers lead to lower degrees of participation from the excluded groups especially the disabled. The key barrier in this case is the fact that there is little demand, which is considered as a perceptual hurdle since it is not easy to decide if individuals would access the facilities if the hurdles were dealt with. Moreover, the providers have to contend with a lack of financial resources since they do not have enough resources in their budget that will enable them to make sure they make all the required modifications to the environment on their facilities to enhance the participation of disabled people. This lack of financial resources has an effect on the production of information in the formats that can be useful to disabled people, further compounding their challenges with participation in community activities. The providers further have to deal with a lack of human resources as a barrier the participation of disabled groups and there is a general perception that more staff is needed in order to meet the needs of these people. This is further escalated by lack of staff that has appropriate training since various organizations do not provide sufficient support that can ensure that the staff is trained. This creates a situation where strategic plans for ensuring that there is participation from the disabled lack since most of the facilities will be forced to function under corporate strategies and policies that do not adequately address the needs of the people they are targeting (Houser and Domokos-Cheng Ham, 2004, p. 107). There is further augmentation of the mention barriers as a result of a lack of suitable facilities with some of the providers having challenges when catering for the excluded groups, especially those with disabilities as a result of challenges in the provision of appropriate facilities(Milton et al., 2011, p. 317). Another barrier that is faced by providers therefore making participation for disabled people in community activities difficult is a lack of awareness in terms of the abilities and needs of the disabled people (Eversole, 2010, p. 31). Unsuitable and inadequate trainings results in lack of confidence on the part of some staff in various facilities when dealing with people who have disabilities and other excluded groups. Recommendation to dealing barriers to participation by excluded groups Most of the recommendations that can assist in reducing barriers to participation by excluded groups are aimed at policy makers as well as providers since they are in a better position to improve the situation. The policy makers along with providers should make sure that they raise awareness at various levels and with a range of stakeholders. All the agencies that are involved along with community leaders and professionals in the health industry have a part to play in increasing awareness of the benefits associated with participation and the manner in which they can access the available opportunities. Various forms of information including that, which touches on marketing, should be accessible in a variety of formats so that it can be accessed by the greatest number of people in varying communities. The best way of achieving this is via a rigorous marketing initiative and having dedicated leadership. A collection of suitably trained leaders, which will include people from targeted communities, should be developed so that they can work in the excluded groups with the aim of increasing their participation. This may be achieved through employing dedicated training officers to work within single coordinating bodies (Devliegher, 2007, p. 190). Additionally, regular maintenance programmes for facilities should be developed to make sure they remain safe and comfortable so that all the users can enjoy them including outdoor and indoor facilities that accessible to the public. There should also be capacity building and training on means of meeting the needs of the excluded groups including trainings in the appropriate legislations. People in the targeted groups should be given an opportunity to assist in the outdoor facilities while at the same time taking part in leadership training. Transport, which is the biggest barrier to participation for excluded groups especially the people who are disabled, should be made more accessible and usable. All the stakeholders should collaborate with the aim of decreasing the effects of poor transportation for the people living with disabilities. Further, policymakers should create and implement policies that are meaningful and useful as numerous providers and firms do have suitable policies or tracking systems to make sure that activities and facilities are accessible to excluded groups (Arnot, 2012, p. 72). When adequate procedures, policies and monitoring structure do not exist, making facilities accessible for the excluded groups is done on unplanned basis, thus very little progress is made as far as increasing levels of participation is concerned. Conclusion People who are perceived to belong to excluded groups especially those with disabilities seek to transform their lives to become better including having their recognition and realization of their human rights. Additionally, “it is society that determines the extent to which an individual is disabled by an impairment” (Rumsey and Harcourt, 2012, p. 27). The further seek to take part in simple activities and use facilities like the rest of the community, which are in some instances taken for granted. These people simply want a place to live, more employment opportunities, better education as well as an opportunity to enjoy time with their families and friends through various activities. Therefore, they should be given opportunities to take part meaningfully in various aspects of the community as they yearn for change and want other members of the community to share the visions they have. Most of the excluded groups have recognized that governments are not able to work alone and they wish to see the benefits that are associated with the creation of communities that are more inclusive. According to Eide and Ingstad (2011, p. 87), “Disability may be a reason in itself and may also include the environmental barriers experienced by the person with a disability”. The people who are physically disabled face barriers that arise from various aspects including unclear signage in their efforts to reach where they are going or participate in some activities. The people who are affected by intellectual disability need signs that have clear words and symbols while those who have visual impairments benefit considerably from signage that have good contrast of texture and colour. Adapting services should also be created through development of specific responses to the needs of people with disabilities by providing options for what is provided or the manner it is provided while making sure not to separate individuals with disabilities from the use of mainstream authorities. This and other measures instigated by policymakers are imperative to make sure that people with disabilities are given opportunities to participate in various aspects and activities in the community through the eliminate the barriers that typically make their participation difficult and challenging. Bibliography Allan, J. 2003, Inclusion, participation, and democracy, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. Arnot, M. 2012, The sociology of disability and inclusive education, Routledge, London. Awortwi, N. 2012, The riddle of community development: factors influencing participation and management in twenty-nine African and Latin American communities. Community Development Journal, 48(1), pp.89-104. Beebeejaun, Y. and Vanderhoven, D. 2010, Informalizing Participation: Insights from Chicago and Johannesburg. Planning Practice and Research, 25(3), pp.283-296. Davies, A. 2001, Hidden or hiding? 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