Ulemavu ni hali ya kuwa na hitilafu ya kudumu mwilini au akilini inayomzuia mtu kutekeleza shughuli zilizo kawaida katika maisha ya jamii. Unamwekea mtu mipaka asiweze kutekeleza shughuli fulani katika maisha yake, tofauti na watu wengine.
Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) limeunda mfumo wa kupanga alama za ulemavu. Hapa kuna tofauti kati ya
hitilafu (kwa Kiingereza impairment) kama kukosa uwezo wa kutumia kiungo cha mwili kama kawaida
ulemavu (ing. disability) kama hitilafu inasababisha kukosa uwezo wa kutekeleza shughuli zinazotekelezwa na "watu wa kawaida".
hasara au kikwazo (ing. handicap) inayoweza kupatikana kwa mtu mwenye ulemavu akishindwa kutekeleza shughuli katika jamii.
Kwa mfano, mtoto aliyeambukizwa ugonjwa wa kupooza(ing. cerebral palsy) anabaki na hitilafu ya viungo vya miguu: hawezi kuvikunja wala haiwezi kustahimili uzito wa mwili wake. Hitilafu hiyo inamzuia kutembea kwa njia ya kawaida. Kama hatibiwi, hitilafu inaweza kuongezeka kwa sababu misuli ya miguu inajikaza zaidi na zaidi.
Kukosa uwezo wa kutembea ni ulemavu. Lakini kiwango chake kinaweza kupunguzwa kwa tiba na vifaa vya pekee. Akijifunza kutembea kwa kutumia vyuma vilivyofungwa kando ya miguu, vizuizi vya kutekeleza shughuli vinapungua sana. Kutegemeana na mazingira anapoishi ataona hasara ndogo au kubwa zaidi akitafuta njia yake katika maisha.
Ulemavu wa kimwili unatokana na hitilafu yoyote inayoiwekea mipaka kazi ya kawaida ya viungo vya mwili kama vile mikono au miguu na sehemu nyingine za mwili
Hapo ni hasa hitilafu zinazohusu uwezo wa kuona au kusikia. Kuna pia watu wenye hitilafu za kunusa au kuonja.
Hitilafu mbalimbali katika ubongo na mfumo wa neva zinaweza kuonekana katika
kuchelewa kwa watoto kuketi, kutambaa, kutembea au kusema
matatizo ya kutambua na kuelewa matatizo na kutafuta suluhisho
uhaba wa uwezo wa kujitunza, kama kuvaa, kula na kukuta njia.
Ulemavu wa kiakili unatokea kwa viwango tofauti sana. Mara nyingi hautambuliki hadi mtoto anapoingia shule na huko anachelewa kujifunza. Hata hapo ni lazima kutofautisha kama tatizo ni ulemavu wa akili au ulemavu wa kujifunza tu. Wengine wanaishia kiwango cha elimu kinacholingana na uwezo wa mtoto wa wastani mwenye miaka 9-12[1] na wanaweza kujifunza kazi inayowawezesha kudumisha maisha yao wakiwa watu wazima.
Mwaka2006Umoja wa Mataifa ulianzisha Mkataba wa kimataifa kuhusu haki za watu wenye ulemavu (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities = UNCRPD) kwa shabaha ya kulinda na kuboresha hali ya walemavu milioni 650 duniani.
Hadi mwaka 2015 mataifa 159 yaliutia sahihimkataba huo na 154 kati ya hayo yaliidhinisha hatua hiyo. Mataifa yaliyokubali mkataba huo yamepokea wajibu wa kuhakikisha haki sawa za elimu, ajira, kumiliki mali na kuoa sawa na watu wote. Ni marufuku kuwatumia bila kibali kwa majaribio ya kiganga.
Taasisi na shirika mbalimbali zinafuatilia jinsi gani masharti hayo yanatekelezwa na serikali mbalimbali. Kwa mfano, katika Afrika ya Mashariki kuna United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) au Shirikisho la Vyama vya Watu Wenye UlemavuTanzania.
Nchini Tanzania katiba ya 1977 ilitambua haki za watu wenye ulemavu na kukataza aina zote za ubaguzi. Mnamo mwaka wa 2004, Wizara ya kazi, Maendeleo ya Vijana na Michezo ilitoa Sera ya Taifa ya watu wenye ulemavu, inayosisitiza kujitolea kwa wizara hiyo katika kuhakikisha kwamba kuna haki sawa kwa watu wenye ulemavu.
Kuna nchi nyingi ambako walemavu wana klabu za michezo au kuendesha michezo katika vitengo vya pekee vya klabu za kawaida. Kwa kawaida wanatekeleza michezo ya kawaida lakini kufuatana na kanuni zinazolingana na hitilafu zao.
Kwenye ngazi ya kimataifa kuna mashindano makubwa ambayo ni hasa
Michezo ya paralimpiki (Paralympics) kwa walemavu wa mwili
Olimpiki za pekee (Special Olympics) kwa walemavu wa akili
C. G. Mung'ong'o, Njozi iliyopotea, Tanzania Pub. House, 1980, ISBN 9976100205, 9789976100204
Arditi,A.;Rosenthal,B.(1998)."Developing an objective definition of visual impairment".Vision '96: Proceedings of the International Low Vision Conference.Madrid, Spain: ONCE.pp.331–334.
Burkhauser, Richard V.; Schmeiser, Maximilian D.; Weathers II, Robert R. (Jan 2012). "The Importance of Anti-Discrimination and Workers' Compensation Laws on the Provision of Workplace Accommodations Following the Onset of a Disability". Industrial & Labor Relations Review. 65 (1). {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Darling, Peter (Ago 2007). "Disabilities and the Workplace". Business NH Magazine. 24 (8). {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Donovan, Rich (Machi 1, 2012). "The Global Economics of Disability"(PDF). Return on Disability. Ilihifadhiwa kwenye nyaraka kutoka chanzo(PDF) mnamo 2012-09-13. Iliwekwa mnamo Agosti 11, 2012. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Ducy,Elizabeth McAdams;Stough,Laura M.;Clark,M. Carolyn(2012)."Choosing Agency in the Midst of Vulnerability: Using Critical Disability Theory to Examine a Disaster Narrative".InSteinberg, Shirley R.;Cannella, Gaile S..Choosing Agency in the Midst of Vulnerability: Using Critical Disability Theory to Examine a Disaster Narrative.New York:Peter Lang.ISBN978-1-4331-0688-0
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Miles, Albert S (1994). "Brown v. Board of Education and the American with Disabilities Act: Vistas of equal educational opportunities for African Americans". Journal of Negro Education. 63 (3). {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Nikora, Linda Waimari; Karapu, Rolinda; Hickey, Huhana; Te Awekotuku, Ngahuia (2004). "Disabled Maori and Disability Support Options". Maori& Psychology Research Unit, University of Waikato. Ilihifadhiwa kwenye nyaraka kutoka chanzo(PDF) mnamo 2020-05-13. Iliwekwa mnamo Agosti 11, 2012. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Stough,Laura M.(2009)."The Effects of Disaster on the Mental Health of Individuals With Disabilities".InNeria, Yuval;Galea, Sandro;Norris, Fran H..The Effects of Disaster on the Mental Health of Individuals With Disabilities.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-1-107-41282-8
Charlton, James I. (2004). Nothing about us without us: disability oppression and empowerment (tol.la[3. Dr]). Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.]: Univ. of California Press. ISBN9780520224810.
Shakespeare, Tom; with Anne Kerr (1999). Genetic Politics: from Eugenics to Genome. Cheltenham: New Clarion Press. ISBN978-1-873797-25-9.
Burch, Susan (Julai 2009). "(Extraordinary) Bodies of Knowledge: Recent Scholarship in American Disability History". OAH Magazine of History. 23 (3): 29–34. doi:10.1093/maghis/23.3.29. ISSN0882-228X.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Kaushik, R. (1999). "Access Denied: Can we overcome disabling attitudes". Museum International. 51 (3). UNESCO: 48–52. doi:10.1111/1468-0033.00217. ISSN1468-0033.
Lansing, Michael J. (Januari 2009). "'Salvaging the Man Power of America': Conservation, Manhood, and Disabled Veterans during World War I". Environmental History. 14: 32–57. doi:10.1093/envhis/14.1.32. ISSN1084-5453.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Longmore, Paul (Julai 2009). "Making Disability an Essential Part of American History". OAH Magazine of History. 23 (3): 11–15. doi:10.1093/maghis/23.3.11. ISSN0882-228X.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date auto-translated (link)
Masala C, Petretto DR (2008). "From disablement to enablement: conceptual models of disability in the 20th century". Disability and Rehabilitation. 30 (17): 1233–1244. doi:10.1080/09638280701602418. ISSN0963-8288. PMID18821191.
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