An investigation into the realization of children’s rights in South Africa : perceptions of Afrikaans-speaking primary caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

There has been a growing awareness of human rights, specifically children rights, over the past 20 years. Children with intellectual disabilities are often described as a vulnerable group, with limited opportunities to fully participate in society and act as meaningful contributors. Primary caregivers are responsible to act in their child’s best interest and hence their perception of children’s rights is important. The role that they play in their child with disabilities’ life and how they promote their child’s rights, can never be ignored. The main aim of this study was to describe the extent to which Afrikaans-speaking primary caregivers perceive that the basic needs of their children between 8;0 and 14;11 (years;months) with intellectual disabilities are being met, in an attempt to describe their rights as set out by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC is a widely accepted body of which South Africa is a signatory. Forty-nine participants who met the selection criteria were asked to complete a questionnaire, consisting of biographical information, the Ten Questions Questionnaire (TQQ), and questions related to needs and rights of children with disabilities as set out by the UNCRC. Participants were mostly older, married mothers who had only a Grade 10 or lower qualification. Either themselves or their spouses were in full-time employment, and they were part of the low to middle socio-economic group. Results revealed that the majority of primary caregivers believed that their children with intellectual disabilities understood them when they told their children to do something and could speak and say recognizable words, whilst less than half of the primary caregivers reported that their children’s speech was different from normal. More than half of the primary caregivers indicated that their children learn to do things in the same way as typically developing peers. With regard to different assistive devices, the majority of primary caregivers felt that their children’s needs were met in respect to different assistive devices. This study revealed that primary caregivers most frequently mentioned intangible rights such as self-esteem rights (which included attitudes, acceptance, respect and equality. The study contributed to an improved understanding of Afrikaans-speaking primary caregivers’ perception of their children with intellectual disabilities’ needs as a starting point for claiming their human rights.