| dc.description.abstract | This study analyzed the perceptions of mothers of children with disabilities in Qatar. This interpretive work included components of the methodology of both cultural study and translation study. Mothers' responses in Arabic and Farsi, were translated, separated, and analyzed through inductive analysis of data from translated interviews according to 22 thematic categories. Translators were questioned after each interview, and the personal interactions with mothers, both verbally and non-verbally, provided added substance to the delicate process of naturalistic inquiry.
Forty mothers of one or more children with moderate to severe disabilities from age four to 19 participated in the interviews. Their children attended the same education center for children with disabilities in Doha, Qatar. Mothers shared about their daily routines with their children, activities within the home, activities in the community, and needs they saw within the community to remove social and physical barriers that hindered access to the community for those with disabilities.
Due to a high prevalence rate of disability and social issues that limited access to service provisions, many individuals with disabilities had not received services in Qatar. The pervasive need for community resources, such as genetic counseling, appropriate medical facilities and care, and appropriate and inclusive schooling opportunities were reported. At the most basic levels of the education system, children with disabilities need to be present to foster greater awareness and acceptance of persons with disabilities. The education reform in Qatar has instituted change on a small scale level for a few children with mild disabilities, but this effort must be further expanded.
The data showed various impacts of disability on families. Results indicated that disability changed the way daily life was carried out and the activities that families participated in together within the home. Disability also readjusted the way families participated in the community. Community integration or lack thereof, affected the family life of those with children with disabilities in Qatar. These data reflected a lack of resources in a community where mothers expressed a desire for a more inclusive atmosphere for individuals with disabilities. | en |
