Šárka Káňová | University of West Bohemia (original) (raw)

Papers by Šárka Káňová

Routledge eBooks, Dec 1, 2017

Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences

Transition to adulthood for young people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabil... more Transition to adulthood for young people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been given significant attention in research, policy development and practice. The aim of this paper was to explore how a recently developed theoretical outcomes-based framework for measuring the quality of services for people with disabilities could potentially be useful in conceptualizing and supporting successful transition to adulthood. The theoretical discussion draws on both the scoping review and template analysis that was used to develop the Service Quality Framework and on a separate study synthesizing expert completed country templates and literature review which included models of and research on successful transition to adulthood. Synthesis identified that using a quality of life outcomes focused framework of Service Quality could be mapped onto and extend current thinking on what is seen as successful transition to adulthood by putting the focus on successful...

Podpora uměleckeho vzdělavani pro rovne přiležitosti, reg. c. projektu: CZ.02.3.62/0.0/0.0/16_037... more Podpora uměleckeho vzdělavani pro rovne přiležitosti, reg. c. projektu: CZ.02.3.62/0.0/0.0/16_037/0004850.

In the first section of this chapter, we explore the definition of community living and the impor... more In the first section of this chapter, we explore the definition of community living and the importance of community living for achieving Active Citizenship. This will be followed by a summary of the available data on the situation of people with disabilities and how this has changed over time. Next, we examine policies, funding systems and services to facilitate and support community living from a multi-level perspective. This chapter draws on two elements of the DISCIT research methodology. First, research teams in each country completed a template summarising the available information about community living for their country. Existing sources of data were reviewed by country teams to identify and collate literature, statisticsand policies related to community living in each country. Second, semi-structured interviews were conducted with disability policy and service experts across the nine countries. This chapter builds on the thematic analysis of interviews with four expert informants in each country, with a particular focus on those who had expertise related to the transition from institution to community-based services and to community living.

Understanding the Lived Experiences of Persons with Disabilities in Nine Countries

HRB Open Research

Background: A growing body of evidence attests to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on pers... more Background: A growing body of evidence attests to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) during the pandemic. This study asked caregivers about their perceptions of how COVID-19 impacted them and the people they support. Method: An online survey was conducted in 12 countries during August-September 2020 and sought information on demographics, support practices, information and training, experiences of COVID-19, social distancing, and wellbeing, as measured by the DASS12. This study reports on 3,754 family members, direct support professionals, and managers who participated in the survey. Results: Caregivers observed increases in depression/anxiety, stereotyped behaviours, aggression towards others and weight gain in the person(s) they supported. They also reported difficulties supporting the person(s) to access healthcare. Families reported reducing or ceasing employment and absorbed additional costs when supporting...

Social Inclusion

ALTER - European Journal of Disability Research / Revue Européenne de Recherche sur le Handicap, 2015

ABSTRACT This paper presents biographical data from the European Science Foundation-project Quali... more ABSTRACT This paper presents biographical data from the European Science Foundation-project Quali-TYDES, a collaborative research study underway since 2010 at universities from Ireland, Austria, Spain and the Czech Republic. The project analysed accounts of the experiences of persons with disabilities, most aged between 20 and 30. It is a generation educated in a time of radical policy shifts in the educational sector in all involved countries. This paper will solely focus on the narratives of interviewees who had access to tertiary education. Using a life course model developed by Priestley and Shah, the paper will discuss which institutional pathways facilitated the access to higher education, which transitions and turning points could be identified in the individual biographies, and which resources and capital were activated to what effect. The data show that economic, social and cultural capital, including family resources, advocacy and social networks, are necessary to access inclusive pathways. In the long run public service provisions, notably personal assistance, can facilitate greater educational attainment and increase the opportunities for self-determination.

This chapter draws on findings from a European Commission funded study looking at Active Citizens... more This chapter draws on findings from a European Commission funded study looking at Active Citizenship for people with disabilities across 9 European countries. The chapter focuses in particular on community living and looks at the living situation of people with disabilities and at the barriers and facilitators of community living. It draws on analysis of policy, statistics and existing research from each country and on interviews with a range of expert informants in each country.

This chapter presents the findings from interviews with 200 people with disabilities across 9 Eur... more This chapter presents the findings from interviews with 200 people with disabilities across 9 European countries focused on their living situation, the support they receive and the barriers and facilitators to active citizenship through community living.

HRB Open Research

Background: This protocol outlines research to explore family members’ and paid staff’s perceptio... more Background: This protocol outlines research to explore family members’ and paid staff’s perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Evidence suggests that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience disparities in healthcare access and utilisation. This disparity was evident early in the pandemic when discussions arose regarding the potential exclusion of this population to critical care. Methods: An anonymous online survey will be conducted with caregivers, both family members and paid staff, to explore their perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 in terms of demographics, living arrangements, access to services, social distancing, and carer wellbeing. The survey will be developed by the research team, many of whom are experts in intellectual disability within their own jurisdictions. Using back-translation our team will translate the survey for distribution in 18 countries worldwi...

HRB Open Research

Background: This protocol outlines research to explore the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (CO... more Background: This protocol outlines research to explore the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Evidence suggests that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience disparities in healthcare access and utilisation. This disparity was evident early in the pandemic when discussions arose regarding the potential exclusion of this population to critical care. Methods: An anonymous online survey will be conducted with caregivers, both family members and paid staff, to explore the impact of COVID-19 on this population in terms of demographics, living arrangements, access to services, the impact of social distancing, and also carer wellbeing. The survey will be developed by the research team, many of whom are experts in intellectual disability within their own jurisdictions. Using back-translation our team will translate the survey for distribution in 16 countries worldwi...

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02671522 2014 989175, Dec 10, 2014

There has been much debate around the role of parents in supporting their disabled children in ma... more There has been much debate around the role of parents in supporting their disabled children in mainstream schools. Several authors have pointed to parents’ advocacy and their engagement with professionals. Parents often perceived mainstream settings as fostering better social and academic learning for their offspring. However, while parents’ perspectives on ‘inclusive education’ have been subject to considerable research, relatively little is known about perceptions of parental support in mainstream schooling from the viewpoint of the disabled persons involved. Recently, a few studies have pointed to the benefits of biographical approaches for analysing this topic of concern. This paper aims to contribute to this emergent strand of research, and investigates the interplay of students, their parents and mainstream schools in relation to disability over time. In so doing, we draw on the life stories of three disabled young persons. In reading the stories, we refer to life course concepts and capital theory. Our analyses show that, across cases, despite different national education systems, participants’ perceived learning environments in mainstream schools as frequently characterised by the disabling practices of professionals. Parental support is highlighted in the narratives as highly influential for academic achievement and in facilitating progress through mainstream school settings in face of attitudinal barriers. Parents’ interventions and their social and cultural capital played a significant role in shaping participants’ subjectivities and responses to hostile learning environments. Strategies developed in these settings appeared to be ‘learned’ and even internalised by our participants, and can be identified as key also in tackling challenges in post-school life. While the importance of parental support to the educational trajectories of their offspring is well described, we point to the specificity of parental support as a reaction to disabling learning environments, facilitating the development of resilient strategies in disabled students.

Research Papers in Education, 2014

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

Research Papers in Education, 2014

This article draws on the findings of the EU Framework 7 project DISCIT to explore the living sit... more This article draws on the findings of the EU Framework 7 project DISCIT to explore the living situation of people with disabilities a decade after the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in nine European countries representing different welfare state models and different stages in the process of deinstitutionalisation. A review of the research literature, policy and available statistics was combined with interviews with key informants in each country to explore the current living situation, changes over time and the barriers to, and facilitators for change. The article focuses in particular on whether people are experiencing opportunities for social inclusion on an equal basis with others. Although a lack of available data hampered conclusions on living situation, it was clear that there had been some change in terms of policy and funding streams available to support community living. Some countries had moved slightly towards community living, while others reported more people in institutions or the development of bigger services in the community. There was evidence of continued inequality in the living situation and full inclusion of people with disabilities, with those with intellectual disability and psychosocial disabilities being the most affected. In terms of barriers (and consequently facilita-tors) there were three sources: 1) policy, 2) social care and support systems, and 3) awareness, attitudes and advocacy. The need to involve people with disabilities in policymaking and the need for a coordinated approach between all actors in the disability sector was seen as critical for achieving further change.

Routledge eBooks, Dec 1, 2017

Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences

Understanding the Lived Experiences of Persons with Disabilities in Nine Countries

HRB Open Research

Social Inclusion

ALTER - European Journal of Disability Research / Revue Européenne de Recherche sur le Handicap, 2015

HRB Open Research

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02671522 2014 989175, Dec 10, 2014

Research Papers in Education, 2014

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

Research Papers in Education, 2014

The project contains a regional analysis of social planning activities related to the UN CRPD in ... more The project contains a regional analysis of social planning activities related to the UN CRPD in the German federal state of Northrhine-Westfalia, and in addition a research on implementation strategies related to UN CRPD in selected European regions. The overall aim is to develop a typology of local planning and implementation strategies and the identification of examples of good planning practice towards inclusive communities.

The United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with a Disability (UN CRPD), Article 19, state... more The United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with a Disability (UN CRPD), Article 19, states that supporting disabled people to live in the community as equal citizens is an issue of human rights. The segregation of disabled people in institutions is a human rights violation in itself. In addition, living in the community is a key pre-requisite for active citizenship. This report draws on templates completed by local researchers for each of the 9 participating countries - Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. It also draws on other international reports and research literature with the aim of describing the current situation of people with disabilities in each country and across Europe more generally, with a particular focus on community living as active citizenship. Templates included information on the current living situation of people with disabilities, the policy and systems to promote community living for people with disabilities, and the experiences of people with regards to the core elements of active citizenship. Overall there have been considerable developments in last decade towards community based support for people with disabilities, but with substantial progress still needed. In some countries institutional provision is still the main form of provision, especially for those with more severe disabilities. In all countries services for more than 30 people on one site still exist although in Norway this is for only a very few people with multiple and profound physical disabilities (e.g. following an accident) and in Sweden only in the form of acute services for people with mental health problems. Even in countries where the process of closing the older hospitals has completed, a trend towards re-institutionalisation has been reported. In terms of active citizenship little information exists in most countries about the experiences of people with disabilities and however the information that does exist indicates that people with disabilities (especially those with more severe disabilities and in particular those with intellectual disability) have little choice over where they live, with whom they live and who supports them. They experience lack of freedom even within their own homes and lives and often do not receive the support needed to support their inclusion in their local communities. People with disabilities still face disadvantages in terms of employment and access to community facilities, despite policies that exist to ensure equal opportunities and access.

In conclusion, there is still a need to convey clearly the concept of community-based living and the framework of the UN Convention. Challenges to active citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities include issues such as the mistranslation of the CRPD, the state of the nation financially and politically and associated limitations in spending on social services, and a lack of progressive mental capacity legislation. The introduction of direct payments, personal budgets or personal assistance were seen as facilitative for active citizenship but have not always resulted in any significant improvement and, contrary to expectations, did not always result in a decline in the number of people requesting places in institutional services. In addition in most countries, even in Norway and Sweden, these systems are only really an option for those with less severe disabilities. Only in the UK are personal budgets and personal assistance regularly accessed by people with more severe disabilities. The key factor identified from the research in determining the quality of people’s lives was the approach and skills of staff who are supporting them. This has important implications for the training of staff who are supporting people to live in the community.

Deliverable 6.3 draws, in addition to the findings from 6.1 and 6.2, on data from interviews with... more Deliverable 6.3 draws, in addition to the findings from 6.1 and 6.2, on data from interviews with expert informants in the nine countries participating in DISCIT: the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. These interviews explored the perceived problems inherent in current disability policy systems and possible solutions that promote community participation. Seven clusters of themes related to barriers to community inclusion were identified: 1. Policy and politics, 2. Funding availability and systems, 3. Co-ordination and organisation across levels of government and other agencies, 4. Attitudes and awareness, 5. Availability and flexibility of services and support in the community, 6. Influence of people with disabilities and their representatives, 7. Perverse incentives for the maintenance of institutional provision, contractions in the system and issues of definition and conceptualisation.