Examining the rights of children with intellectual disability in South Africa : children’s perspectives

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Human rights provide fundamental conditions for people to maintain dignity and selfdetermination and protect a nation’s most vulnerable citizens. In South Africa, children with intellectual disability who experience socioeconomic disadvantage may be particularly vulnerable due to their cognitive impairments and inability to garner needed resources. METHOD. The perceptions of children with intellectual disability regarding their access to basic amenities in their home environments were examined to determine whether their positive human rights were met. Risk factors were examined in relation to these perceptions. RESULTS. The results suggested that participants generally reported high degrees of access to basic resources. Logistic regressions suggested socioeconomic risk factors (e.g., income, education, household size, relationship status) were negatively related to children’s reports of access to food and their own beds and positively related to having someone available to explain confusing concepts to them. CONCLUSIONS. The positive human rights of children living in high risk environments should be monitored to ensure all South Africans have their rights met.