Services for people with communication disabilities in low and middle income countries. A review of the literature.

Abstract

Services for people with communication disabilities (PWCD) include interventions and approaches to enable them to communicate to fulfil their potential in life. These interventions and approaches are often shaped by models of disability applied by those delivering the services. In low and middle income countries (LMICs), services for PWCD are often extremely limited and need further development. This study reviews current literature regarding services for PWCD in LMICs, finding that a bio-psychosocial model of disability is most frequently applied. Worldwide, the disability movement espouses a human rights based model, and this study uses the Human Rights Based Approach to Disability in Development to review how current services for PWCD in LMICs fit within this framework. The study explores how application of a human rights based model could enable SLTs to develop appropriate, equitable and sustainable services for PWCD in LMICs.