Abstract:
This study of the social welfare needs of disabled people in Paway, Chaiya, Surat Thani, focused particularly on their medical, professional, educational, career, and social needs. Factors affecting these needs included both personal and social factors. The study included attention to the social welfare needs of disabled people in the medical, education, career, and social professions. The study included 78 blind or physically disabled individuals who were registered as such with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Surat Thani and/or in the Paway Subdistrict Administration Organization in Chaiya, Surat Thani. Questionnaires were used to gather data, which was then analyzed in terms of averages and percentages.
The results showed the following:
1. The personal factors of the survey respondents: The largest segment was females 61 years or older. The typical respondent had only an elementary school education, was not working, had no income or an income lower than 5,000 baht per month, was had one or more disabilities. The most common disabilities included weaknesses of the fingers, arms, legs, or trunk. 2. The social factors of the respondents: The survey found that most of the respondents were members of associations of the disabled. The respondents felt that these associations of the disabled were useful in helping them gain disability benefits. They also felt the associations helped their members build mutually supportive relationships among themselves. Respondents participation in wider community activities included joining in village meetings. Also, the people with disabilities accessed news about the disabled once or twice a month, doing so primarily by word of mouth.
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3. The social welfare needs of the disabled: The survey found that, overall, the respondents had a high level of need, especially in the areas of medical and social need. They also had high levels of need in the areas of education and work.
4. Comparison of the personal characteristics of the disabled persons with their social needs showed that the social welfare needs differed according to the respondents gender, age, education level, type of career, income, degree of disability, and type of disability. This finding is consistent with the studys hypotheses.
5. Comparison of the differences among the disabled peoples social characteristics with their social welfare needs revealed the dependent variables of joining a disabled peoples club, having positive attitudes toward doing activities together, a high degree of participation in the community, getting news relevant to the disabled from a variety of institutions, and getting news relevant to the disabled from a variety of media differed according to the social needs of the respondents. This finding is consistent with the studys hypotheses.
WALAILAK UNIVERSITY. CENTER FOR LIBRARY RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA