Week 3: Intrapersonal Position - Disability

Intrapersonal Position: Disability - Week 3 Lecture Notes

Acknowledgement of Country

• RMIT University acknowledges:

  • The Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation.

  • The unceded lands on which RMIT conducts its business.

  • Respect is paid to their Ancestors and Elders, both past and present.

  • Recognition of the traditional custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia.

• Artwork ‘Sentient’ by Hollie Johnson:

  • Artist background: Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo woman from Gippsland.

  • Graduated with a BA in Photography from RMIT in 2016.

Objectives

• At the end of this lecture, students should be able to:

  • Describe the diversity and breadth encompassed by the term ‘disability’.

  • Outline the prevalence of disability within Australia.

  • Outline the impacts of disability on health care access.

  • Explain how disability impacts health for individuals.

What is Disability?

• Disability is:

  • A part of human diversity.

  • A complex, contested, and evolving concept.

  • Broad and includes a variety of forms such as:

  • Physical disabilities

  • Intellectual disabilities

  • Psychiatric disabilities

  • Psychological disabilities

  • Neurological disabilities

  • Sensory disabilities

  • Learning disabilities

  • Physical disfigurement

  • Presence of disease-causing organisms (as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992).

• Important Note: It is how a disability affects an individual and their participation in everyday life that may ultimately disable them.

Characteristics of Disability

• Disabilities may result from:

  • Accidents

  • Illness

  • Genetic disorders

• Effects of disabilities can include impact on:

  • Mobility

  • Ability to learn

  • Ability to communicate easily

• Disabilities may be:

  • Visible or hidden

  • Permanent or temporary

  • Resulting in minimal or significant impact on abilities

• A person may have:

  • More than one disability

  • A disability from birth or developed during their lifetime.

Disability Prevalence in Australia

• Approximately 5.5 million Australians (21.4%) live with a disability.

• Disability prevalence statistics:

  • 15% of individuals aged 0-64 years have a disability.

  • 52.3% of individuals aged 65 years and over have a disability.

  • Prevalence is approximately equal for males (21.0%) and females (21.8%).

  • 7.9% of all Australians experience a profound or severe disability (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024).

Types of Disability

• Breakdown by condition type:

  • 75.3% report physical disorders as the main condition.

  • 24.7% report mental or behavioral disorders as the main condition.

• Additional statistics:

  • 3.6 million Australians have some level of hearing loss.

  • 453 thousand are blind or have low vision.

  • 45% of Australians aged 16-85 will experience mental illness at some point in their lives (Australian Disability Network, 2024).

Common Barriers to Participation

• Attitudinal Barriers: Refers to public perceptions and attitudes towards disability.

• Communication Barriers: Issues in sharing and understanding information.

• Physical Barriers: Environmental obstacles restricting access.

• Policy Barriers: Policies that inadvertently exclude or hinder participation.

• Programmatic Barriers: Lack of programs catering to the needs of individuals with disabilities.

• Social Barriers: Marginalization within social contexts.

• Transportation Barriers: Difficulties in public and private transport availability.

Discrimination as a Barrier to Health Care

• Individuals who experience disability discrimination are:

  • Less likely to utilize health services.

  • Less likely to access preventative health services.

  • More likely to delay or not fill prescriptions.

  • More likely to delay or avoid treatment.

• Effects of health avoidant behavior:

  • Development of undiagnosed comorbidities.

  • Increased burden of poor physical and mental health for the individual, community, and economy (Moscoso-Porras & Alvarado, 2018).

Health of People with a Disability in Australia

• There is significant variation in health experience influenced by intersectional factors such as:

  • Socioeconomic Status (SES)

  • Age

  • Ethnicity

  • LGBTQIA+ status

• Generalizations include:

  • Reported poorer general health.

  • Higher levels of psychological distress.

  • Difficulties accessing healthcare, leading to low trust in health professionals (Temple & Williams, 2018).

  • Increased psychological distress due to disability discrimination.

  • 31% engage in health avoidant behaviors.

Social Determinants of Health & Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Individuals living with a disability are:

  • More likely to live in poverty.

  • More likely to have poor-quality or insecure housing.

  • Less likely to be involved in the workforce.

  • Less likely to engage in education.

  • More subject to social exclusion.

  • More likely to face violence, abuse, and discrimination related to their disability.

  • More likely to have difficulties accessing appropriate healthcare.

Reflection Questions

• What ways do you think you can increase equity and inclusion for people living with a disability?

References

• Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/2022

• Australian Disability Network. (2024). Disability Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.austranilandisabilitynetwork.org.au

• Moscoso-Porras, M. & Alvarado, G. (2018). Association between perceived discrimination and healthcare-seeking behaviour in people with a disability. Disability Health Journal, 11(1):93–8.

• Temple, J. & Williams, R. (2018). Multiple health conditions and barriers to healthcare among older Australians: prevalence, reasons and types of barriers. Australian Journal Primary Health. 24(1):82–9.