14. Does (the respondent) have any of the following disabilities?
[Question was asked of all persons.]
i. Strange behaviors/ mental illness
[] 1 Yes
[] 2 No
Section B: For all Persons
Begin by saying, "I would like information on ALL people who stayed at this household on the census night. This information is on the names of the persons, their relationship to head of household, their age and sex, survivorship of their parents etc. It is important that you give me as accurate information as possible about each person".
Q14 Disability
The intention here is to capture data pertaining to disability of a moderate to severe nature. The question should be asked to all persons.
Definitions:
a) Impairment: is any loss or abnormality of psychological or anatomical structure or function. (It refers to organs/systems of the body).
b) Disability: refers to any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in a manner within the range considered normal for a human being (refers to the person and function).
c) Handicap: is a disadvantage for a given individual resulting from an impairment or disability that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal (depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors) for that individual (limitations experienced by people with disabilities in their interactions with society.)
Example:
- Impairment: Paralysis of lower limbs after injury
- Disability: Inability to walk
- Handicap: Unable to get employment
Because there is no adequate transport, buildings are not accessible and potential employers do not wish to employ someone with a disability.
Impairment: Mild mental retardation
Disability: Difficulty learning
Handicap: Unable to attend school because teachers do not know how to work with children who are mentally retarded.
In Zimbabwe, the terms disability, impairment and handicap have been used interchangeably to refer to persons with disabilities. Reference has been made to children who are mentally handicapped, people who have visual impairment or people who are physically disabled. To the users, the meaning is only an exercise in semantics.
Classification of disability for Purposes of identification
Disability is difficult because it is not a well-defined condition. Different countries have used different definitions and census methodologies to come up with estimates of prevalence rates.
Developed countries have counted even those with minor disabilities as disabled while developing countries have only counted those that have moderate to severe conditions that need rehabilitation intervention. These are people whose conditions permanently prevent them from performing activities in a manner considered normal for human beings. A person may have minor impairment (e.g. amputation of two toes) but functions normally. Such a person is not considered disabled.
When identifying people with disabilities, the difficulties that they may have as a result of their conditions are classified as follows by World Health Organization:
a) Difficulty moving (physical disability)
b) Totally Blind
c) Difficulty seeing
d) Difficulty speaking
e) Deaf
f) Difficulty hearing
g) Difficulty learning/mental handicap
h) Chronic fits
i) Strange behavior/mental illness
j) Lack of feeling in hands or feet/leprosy
k) Albinism
For the 2012 Census, Zimbabwe will classify people with moderate to severe disabilities according to the same categories.
Explanation of Disabilities and Examples of Conditions That May Cause Disabilities
Condition:
i) Strange Behavior /Mental illness - mostly in adults
- It is NOT intellectual or learning disability
- Behavior change started at an older age;
- He/she has not always behaved this way;
- May not talk to anyone anymore;
- May talk too much, more than before;
- May become angry/ excited for no reason or may frighten other people;
- May hear voices that other people do not hear or see things other people do not see (hallucinations);
- Person may stop keeping clean or dressing properly;
- Person may speak or move around in a strange way;
- May show no feelings or interest in other people;
- May start collecting rubbish and look less and less tidy;
- May believe that she/he is someone important;
- May begin to believe things that are obviously not true (paranoia).