Disability, Sociodemographics, and Discrimination: A Descriptive Analysis of Household Survey Data from Bangladesh

Authors

  • Bjorn Ekman Lund University
  • Johan Borg School of Education, Health & Social Studies, Dalarna University
  • A.H.M. Noman Khan Center for Disability in Development (CDD)
  • Nazmul Bari Center for Disability in Development (CDD)
  • Moin Tanbir Center for Disability in Development (CDD)
  • Maria Emmelin Lund University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47985/dcidj.424

Keywords:

Disability, discrimination, self-assessed health, Bangladesh, survey

Abstract

Purpose: Disability affects upwards of one billion people worldwide, the majority of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Based on survey data from Bangladesh, the aim of the study is to contribute to an improved understanding of the experiences of people with disabilities in terms of discrimination, health, and sociodemographic indicators.

Method: A descriptive analysis of data is presented, from a survey implemented in 2016 on a sample of adult persons with disabilities from18 districts in Bangladesh (n=1,900). The summary statistics of main indicators and correlation analysis of key variables are given.

Results: Women comprised around 40% of the sample. The mean age was 36 years (minimum 18 years and maximum 55 years). Women had lower socioeconomic status than men (p<0, 01), were less likely to be well-educated or employed, had worse self-assessed health (p<0, 05), and were less likely to be able to read and write. Men were more likely to have a physical disability than women (p<0, 01). Both women and men reported unmet needs in terms of access to assistive products and not receiving a benefit. Around 40 % of the sample reported having experienced discrimination, with no significant differences between women and men.

Conclusion and Implications: Many women and men with disability experience some forms of discrimination, including in matters pertaining to healthcare, education, and employment. Such experiences may have a negative impact on their life chances. However, women and men with a disability differ in several important respects, both in terms of socioeconomic status and types of disability. Such differences need to be considered for effective and equitable policy development.

Author Biographies

Bjorn Ekman, Lund University

Björn Ekman has a PhD in Economics from Lund University and is currently a researcher at the Medical Faculty of Lund University in Sweden. His research interests are - health economics, health systems performance, and the public health aspects of disability. He currently leads several research projects focusing on digital health care and its implications for health systems performance.

Johan Borg, School of Education, Health & Social Studies, Dalarna University

Johan Borg is an Assistant Professor and holds a PhD from Lund University, Sweden. He currently works at the School of Education, Health & Social Studies at Dalarna University in Sweden. He is a global expert on assistive technologies and has contributed to a range of policy studies in the field of disability and rehabilitation.

A.H.M. Noman Khan, Center for Disability in Development (CDD)

Noman Khan has a Master’s degree in Management from Dhaka University, Bangladesh. He is the Chief Executive of the Center for Disability in Development (CDD) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has made a significant contribution to developing participatory community development approaches in Bangladesh and building rural and remote institutions. Over the past three decades, he has conducted considerable research in the areas of disability and development. In 2010, his significant achievements were recognized when he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Nazmul Bari, Center for Disability in Development (CDD)

Nazmul Bari has Honor’s and Master’s degrees in English Literature from Dhaka University in Bangladesh. He is the Director of the Center for Disability in Development, Dhaka, Bangladesh. His major responsibilities include program development and management, public relations and national and international networking and advocacy of disability inclusive development. His skills encompass project design, management, assessment and evaluation, conducting and designing training and facilitating workshops on disability and development issues. Mr. Bari has also conducted participatory projects, evaluations and assessments in different countries in Asia and Africa and presented papers at international courses and workshops.

Moin Tanbir, Center for Disability in Development (CDD)

Moin Tanbir is a staff member at the Center for Disability in Development in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is responsible for a range of activities related to the operations of CDD. His main focus is on project implementation and project evaluation. Over the past decade, he has led several evaluations and research activities related to CDD programs.

Maria Emmelin, Lund University

Maria Emmelin is a Professor of Global Health at the Medical Faculty of Lund University in Sweden. She has extensive experience in planning and implementing research projects in Asia, Africa and in her native Sweden. Her main research interests are public health, stigma and social capital.

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Published

2020-12-19

How to Cite

1.
Ekman B, Borg J, Khan AN, Bari N, Tanbir M, Emmelin M. Disability, Sociodemographics, and Discrimination: A Descriptive Analysis of Household Survey Data from Bangladesh. DCIDJ [Internet]. 2020 Dec. 19 [cited 2024 Sep. 8];31(3):6-22. Available from: https://dcidj.uog.edu.et/index.php/up-j-dcbrid/article/view/424

Issue

Vol. 31 No. 3 (2020): Autumn

Section

Original Research Articles

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