The Livelihoods and Challenges Faced by Caregivers of Children with Disabilities in South Africa

Abstract

This qualitative research attempted to describe the livelihoods and challenges of caregivers of children with disabilities in South Africa. Caregivers of children with disabilities face challenges in providing financial, social, and psychosocial care for their disabled children. Caregivers also face an enormous burden in raising their disabled children, primarily due to a lack of services and resources from government and non-governmental organizations dedicated to supporting caregivers of children with disabilities. For the study, nine female caregivers of children with disabilities aged 1 to 17 in Mbombela were purposefully selected as participants to pursue the goal of the current research. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to connect the common themes and the overall content theme. Issues emerging from the data were the lack of accessibility of services and the notion of absentee fathers as men do not want to be associated with disabled children, which also plays a role in the financial constraints faced by women caregivers. The stigma of caregivers was also an issue the study revealed, as well as the coping mechanisms that caregivers use when raising their disabled children. In summary, caregivers of children with disabilities stand in their struggle to educate their children. There is a lack of support structures for caregivers of children with disabilities. Therefore, strategies need to be put in place to help caregivers of children with disabilities to reduce their burden and to be able to cope with the challenges of their everyday life.