Browsing by Author "Chiwaula, Mussa"

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    Lessons from the pilot of a mobile application to map assistive technology suppliers in Africa
    (AOSIS, 2018) Visagie, Surona J.; Matter, Rebecca; Kayange, George M.; Chiwaula, Mussa; Harniss, Mark; Mji, Gubela; Scheffler, Elsje
    A pilot project to develop and implement a mobile smartphone application (App) that tracks and maps assistive technology (AT) availability in southern Africa was launched in Botswana in 2016. The App was developed and tested through an iterative process. The concept of the App (AT-Info-Map) was well received by most stakeholders within the pilot country, and broader networks. Several technical and logistical obstacles were encountered. These included high data costs; difficulty in accessing AT information from the public healthcare sector, the largest supplier of AT; and the high human resource demand of collecting and keeping up-to-date device-level information within a complex and fragmented supply sector that spans private, public and civil society entities. The challenges were dealt with by keeping the data burden low and eliminating product-level tracking. The App design was expanded to include disability services, contextually specific AT categories and make navigation more intuitive. Long-term sustainability strategies like generating funding through advertisements on the App or supplier usage fees must be explored. Outreach and sensitisation programmes about both the App and AT in general must be intensified. The project team must continually strengthen partnerships with private and public stakeholders to ensure ongoing project engagement. The lessons learnt might be of value to others who wish to embark on initiatives in AT and/or implement Apps in health or disability in southern Africa and in low-resourced settings around the world.
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    The meaning of participation : reflections on our study
    (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2021) Hunt, Xanthe; Swartz, Leslie, 1955-; Braathen, Stine Hellum; Carew, Mark T.; Chiwaula, Mussa; Rohleder, Poul
    In Chapter 1 we provided a discussion of participatory research as a method for doing research, and provided an outline of what we did in the research project upon which this book is based. In this final chapter, we reflect back on our experiences of doing a participatory research project of this kind.
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    Some background, and a South African study on sexuality
    (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2021) Hunt, Xanthe; Swartz, Leslie; Braathen, Stine Hellum; Carew, Mark T.; Chiwaula, Mussa; Rohleder, Poul
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this chapter, we introduce central concepts and theories relevant to thinking about disability and sexuality in the global South. We discuss what we mean by physical disability, sexuality, gender, and embodiment, and provide a brief description of the research study on which this book is based. Here, too, we provide a rationale and outline for the book.