Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research (Aug 2020)

Experiences of People with Physical Disabilities in a Low-Income Neighborhood of Bogota, Colombia

  • Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon,
  • Juan Carlos Botero,
  • Daniela Parra-Correa,
  • Laura Parra-Correa,
  • Leire Di Cecco,
  • Humberto Madriñan-Navia

DOI
https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.568
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 1
pp. 230 – 241

Abstract

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Individuals with disabilities living in developing countries often face numerous challenges which make particularly difficult for them to fulfill basic life needs. We present the case study of twelve people unable to walk in a low-income neighborhood of Bogota, Colombia. As health professionals and human rights advocates, we have provided care to these individuals over the past 15 years. Following a subjectivist epistemological approach to qualitative research, we found that these individuals experience four main types of limitations: socio-economic, structural/environmental, emotional, and functional, which restrict their autonomy and life satisfaction. Their limitations make life strenuous and usually produce feelings of sadness, uselessness, and hopelessness. Social support, primarily from family members, alleviates these limitations. By following this group over time, we witnessed a rapid impairment of their health and emotional status, as well as their family members’ growing exhaustion. Several policy changes and practical measures to address this situation are proposed.

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