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    Disability work matters : employment opportunities for disabled people in the New Zealand disability sector : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023-12-30) MacNeill (née Crothall), Pamela
    Although disabled citizens represent almost a quarter of the total population in Aotearoa New Zealand, they experience significant and persistent barriers to employment. This research examined the barriers and enablers to employment for disabled New Zealanders, both generally and those specifically relevant to the disability sector. The research had four aims: to examine the navigation of family, identity, and education by disabled people; to identify barriers to paid employment in both mainstream and disability sector settings; to investigate potential employment enablers; and develop recommendations. This research employed a qualitative thematic analysis approach, underpinned by the social model of disability and the theoretical concepts of Pierre Bourdieu, guiding interpretation of results. The study began with a focus group of six disabled people, to discuss possible themes for the research. Results from the focus group were then developed further to inform interviews with 13 disabled and 12 nondisabled people, on topics relating to: the navigation of family, identity, and education by disabled people; barriers to paid employment in mainstream and disability sector employment; and potential employment enablers. Key research findings include: the development of individual agency is critical to build the resilience necessary to navigate many environmental, structural, and attitudinal barriers encountered in education and employment; similar employment barriers are experienced by disabled people in all employment settings; the creation of opportunities for employers to meet with disabled people could be valuable and may lead to job offers; time-limited voluntary work, which includes pathways to paid employment, may assist to both allay employer apprehension, and enable disabled people to demonstrate capability. Research strongly suggests that the disability sector would benefit from including the lived experience of disability as a key competency for employment within a sector which exists in the name of disabled people. Ensuring disabled people achieve greater authority in their sector is an equity issue in urgent need of attention, and this study takes a step forward to address this need.
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    Narratives of embedded oppression and the Covid-19 pandemic response : voices from marginalised sexual violence survivors in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Helme, Caitlin
    The prevalence of sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand was of epidemic proportions even before the arrival of Covid-19, with people experiencing social marginalisation harmed more frequently, in different ways, and with less appropriate support available to them than the hegemonic population. In trying to understand these issues through a lens of intersectionality, I broadly enquired into the importance, impact, and challenges of navigating sexual violence for disabled people who experience multiple layers of oppression. Respondents told stories within both the pre- and peri-Covid-19 landscape. Seven respondents shared their stories during eight unstructured, teller-focussed interviews (Hydén, 2014). All seven respondents were service providers, with four respondents also being survivors of sexual violence themselves. Respondents had lived experience of marginalisation, with many inhabiting multiple marginalised social locations. All survivors identified as disabled, with further marginalised identities including being Indigenous, female, and/or queer, among others. A reflexive narrative analysis was conducted to make visible the expert stories as an ethical response to social justice. The narrative analysis outlines how embedded social inequities and power structures, including ableism, racism, sexism, and cisgenderism, intersect oppressively for survivors and create barriers to accessing appropriate support. Inequities are longstanding and rooted within historical oppressions such as colonisation. Respondents spoke of the compounding of existing inequities following the arrival of Covid-19, making visible an already under-resourced sector bearing the brunt of an unprecedented influx of sexual violence and the detrimental effects on survivors and providers alike. Radical change is required to address social inequities in promoting an equal response to sexual violence.
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    Acceptability of the psychosocial consequences of traumatic head injury among employer groups : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1993) Mobberley, Glenis Anne
    A questionaire was used to survey 213 employers to identify differing levels of acceptability of the psychosocial consequences of traumatic head injury across employer groups. Gender differences in responses and the acceptability of two factors that could affect the level of acceptability were sought. These two factors were the importance of good public relations skills and the necessity to be able to work as part of a team. The questionaire was developed from the literature, with additional content validity being obtained by trialling the questionaire on local head injury rehabilitation professionals. Case studies were also sought of people who had received a THI and had returned to work. It was found that the professional/ managerial group had a significantly higher level of unacceptable responses than the sales/ service group which in turn had a mean level of unacceptability significantly higher than manufacturing/ construction/ trades. A difference existed between manufacturing/ construction/ trades and farming but the difference did not reach significance. Employers requiring good public relations skills had a significantly greater mean level of unacceptability than those who did not. Those who required employees to be able to work as part of a team had a greater mean level of unacceptable responses but this did not reach significance. The gender difference between employers also did not reach significance but the number of women employers was very small. Case studies reflected the unacceptability of the effects of a THI to employers. Symptoms experienced by those in the case studies supported those reported in the literature. These results have important implications for those working in the vocational rehabilitation of people with THI.
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    The role of traditional healing in developing rehabilitation processes and its contributions toward development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1993) Kwok, King Yu
    The emphasis on Western ways of biomedical health care and rehabilitation has met with problems of practicability in many parts of the world, and particularly problems with those issues related to culture. Reform in rehabilitation and health care should be carried out according to the thinking of people. Being culturally acceptable with philosophies of people, traditional healing can be an invaluable means for innovative rehabilitation health care. Attention to the needs of minority groups, for example, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities, is essential. This thesis sets out a new and innovative rehabilitation model of Individual-Rehabilitation-Society for the use of traditional healing in developing rehabilitation processes. The new model is conceptualized in general systems theory and a basic needs approach. "Think globally and act locally" is the key phrase for health care and development. The contributions of traditional healing and rehabilitation toward development are also discussed.
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    The development of an electronically operated water control system incorporating a major theme of inclusive design : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Product Development at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2005) Kersley, Andrew Hilton
    This case study followed the development of an electronically operated water control system, using a structured product development process and incorporating a major theme of inclusive design. Three project objectives were identified for this project: 1. Use the Product Development Process to successfully develop an electronically operated water control system to a stage that is near ready for manufacture. 2. To understand and implement an inclusive design approach to the development of an electronically operated water control system to ensure that the product is usable by people regardless of age or ability. 3. To understand to what effect design decisions, related to the usability of a product, have upon the desirability of the product to all users. The product development process used in the development of this product was successful. It resulted in an innovative new product idea that has associated intellectual property, currently under patent application. The product was identified as both usable to people with a wide range of impairments and desirable to a majority of all potential users. The research methodology relating to inclusive design resulted in the finding that some design decisions relating to the usability of products do in fact affect the desirability of the product to other potential users, and hence could potentially affect the financial success of the product. A set of activities were identified from the process used in this case study and recommended for further product development projects, which will help to ensure that the product is made more usable while still retaining its desirability. KEYWORDS Product Development Process, New Products, Inclusive Design, Consumer Based Design, Successful Products, Elderly and Disabled.
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    What enables inclusion in the workplace : an attributional analysis from diverse perspectives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Kirk, Georgina Anne
    The inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life is an issue of basic civil rights. There is currently a gap in inclusion and disability research at work in how to incorporate the different experiences and perspectives of people with disabilities into the inclusion framework. The first step is identifying a difference, which could theoretically be done through Actor-Observer theory. The current study aimed to assess whether employees with disabilities perceive inclusion at work differently to employees without disabilities, and if this relationship could be explained through attribution theory. A questionnaire that used a reversal technique (as per Storms’ 1973 reversal) placed employees with and without disabilities as both Actors and Observers by switching positions in two given scenarios. Through the participation of 93 employees in a range of occupations, two measures with psychometric properties looking at workplace culture and attitudes were distributed. Findings showed when participants with disabilities were placed as ‘Actors’ they responded that ‘situational’ factors (e.g. policies) were more important for inclusion than did the comparison group of employees without disabilities (Observers). When roles were reversed in a different scenario, employees with disabilities (Observers) responded significantly more strongly to dispositional items (i.e. rated others as more likely to think negatively or positively) for one factor, and showed a trend of responding more strongly to the dispositional factors in general compared to the employees without disabilities (Actors). The current exploratory study showed support for the use of actor-observer theory in identifying that differences in viewpoints (actor/observer) contributed to a difference in perspective that prevented understanding of barriers to inclusion. Findings demonstrated that in order to create meaningful change, the perspectives of people with disabilities must be considered to address the attribution of responsibility in policy and practice at work.
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    The Smart House Intelligent Management System : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Information Engineering at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Lomiwes, Grettle Rayn
    In October 2002, Massey University embarked on the Smart House Project. It was intended to be a test bed of different technologies that improve the safety and quality of life within the home. This thesis presents the design and current status of the Smart House Intelligent Management System, a management system for processing the commands received in the Massey University Smart House. There will be two parts to this Management System: an Expert System which will be responsible for the supervision of the house, its rules and its devices, as well as a conversation module which will converse with the occupant/s of the Smart House. The system will receive voice or text commands from the user as input and process the information through performing database queries about the received command, to ascertain whether it is valid. Validity is dependent on the command's adhering to house rules, which have been set by the user beforehand. This Management System will communicate with three other modules: the Bluetooth Smart Watch, the Speech Recognition/Generation System and the Ethernet Switching System, which enables access to the house devices.
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    Multiple choice? : the experiences of women with multiple sclerosis : oppression, options, opportunities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North
    (Massey University, 2001) Green, Susan Elisabeth Natasha
    This thesis examines the ways in which women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) experience disability as their disease progresses over time. Underpinning my analysis of the process of becoming disabled is a critique of the ways in which a combination of patriarchal discourse and the medicalisation of disability result in the social construction of disability. This study contends that such a construction can exclude and oppress women with MS, reducing their choices in life. Additionally, this research examined whether or not the alternative discourses of feminism and the social model of disability offered women with MS options for politicising their experiences and opportunities for empowerment and emancipation. Seven women participated in in-depth interviews. Additional information was obtained from documentation provided by six of the participants. Finally, one male was interviewed and provided documentation about his recently deceased wife's experiences of MS which was presented as a case study separate to the main body of the data. Themes which emerged from the data suggested that the greater the number of oppressive variables present in a participant's life, the higher her risk of social oppression and exclusion appeared to be. Counterbalancing this, the greater her access to appropriate assistance, alternative discourses and strategies of resistance, the more she seemed enabled to resist disability as social oppression. Emerging themes around the political issues of oppressive and inadequate welfare assistance, fragmented and uncoordinated health and care systems and poorly actioned employment and human rights policy are discussed; as is the civil rights issue of the underfunding, non-subsidisation and capped budgets for medical treatment of people with Multiple Sclerosis which promotes exclusion and dependency. The aim of this thesis is to highlight these themes, to offer alternative discourses of the social model of disability and feminist theory as options for empowerment, and to politicise the experiences of this group of women. In so doing, the aim of this thesis is also to inform professionals and policy makers of the very real need to promote a politics of difference and inclusion, rather than oppression and exclusion for women with Multiple Sclerosis.
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    The silent revolution : disabled people discuss regaining power and control in their lives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work (MSW), Massey University
    (Massey University, 2008) Burns, Guy Patrick Oskar
    Since the 1960s, a silent revolution has occurred, brought about by disabled people taking control of their lives. This thesis attempts to gain an understanding of this process, particularly in the area of disability residential services in Aotearoa New Zealand. A qualitative methodological design is used. This relies heavily on the social model of disability and Foucault's ideas, to carry out an explorative interpretative study. The stories of five disabled people, who moved from provider-supplied accommodation to their own homes, form the heart of this treatise. Participants explain how they achieved this transition. Three predominant themes were noted in participants' biographies – factors which enabled the move out, features that hindered such a move, and elements that support their new lifestyles.
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    The Disabled Persons Assembly 1983-1999 : successes, challenges and lessons for the disability movement in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Social Work (MSW), Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Georgeson, Sarah
    This thesis presents a case study of the development of the Disabled Persons Assembly (New Zealand) Inc. since its inception in 1983. The research methodology used was the topical life history approach. Archival research and an analysis of relevant policy documents, which contextualize this history, accompany the life history approach. Participants worked through a semi-structured interview schedule with the researcher. A range of topics was explored, including participants' views of the organisation's philosophy, goals and objectives, successful projects undertaken by the organisation, its leadership, current issues for the disability movement and future directions for the Disabled Persons Assembly. It is argued here that the Disabled Persons Assembly has been a focal point for the disability movement in New Zealand, and provided this movement with an organisational structure. An analysis of the development of the Disabled Persons Assembly is presented that incorporates reflections and interpretations from the six National Presidents (or their surviving spouses) from 1983 to the present. The participants provided personal knowledge of events that occurred at different times during the organisation's history. This thesis provides an insight into the significant contributions that these people have made to both the organisation and the wider disability movement, showing that each approached their term of presidency with a passion and strong commitment to working with others to achieve and uphold the rights of disabled people. Social Construction Theory, Social Oppression Theory and the work of Michel Foucault have guided the development of theoretical frameworks used to analyse the data. An analysis of the organisational development of the Disabled Persons Assembly identifies challenges that the organisation and its leadership addressed as it continued to grow. It is argued that from 1993 onwards the Disabled Persons Assembly leaders have focused on developing and maintaining the infrastructure in order for the organisation to survive. This coupled with a lack of ongoing debate around definitions of disability and a lack of clarity of the organisation's own analysis of disability has resulted in an overall lack of direction. In conclusion this thesis argues that the challenge for the Disabled Persons Assembly is to reposition itself in order to again take a leading role within a vibrant, challenging disability movement that is working for social change.