GENERAL INFORMATION & DEMOGRAPHICS
At one point the richest island in the Caribbeans, Haiti lies between the Caribeean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,Haiti remained claimed by Spain through the 17th century, until the French Revolution. It was during this time period that Haiti would experience economic growth due to the sugarcane plantations worked by African slaves. In 1791, the Haitian Revolution began. Slaves and free people of color revolted against France. Haiti declared its independence 13 years later in 1804 and became the first post-colonial black-led nation in the world. With a long history of political instability and recent natural disasters, Haiti is now one of the poorest countries in the world. According to a 2012 survey, 59% of Haiti’s population lives below the national poverty line of 2.41 US Dollars per fay. With 24% living below the national extreme of 1.23 US Dollars per day.
Overall living conditions and health have drastically deteriorated since the earthquake in January 2010. There is limited existence of access to health care, administration, education, and other human services. The country’s needs have increased exponentially across the board.
MODELS OF DISABILITY
Although the country as a whole appears to be in a steady pace of degradation, the Haitian government is determined and committed to improving infrastructure in collaboration with international organizations.
Haiti’s positive relationship with the community of persons living with disabilities is a relatively new one. In 2009, Haiti ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as part of plan to promote the rights of Haitians living with disabilities. The signing of the San Juan de Puerto Rico declaration preceded the ratification in 1998, recognizing the need for people with disabilities to be a part of the democratic process. Following this, was the adoption of the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against People with Disabilities in 1999; ratified in 2008.
Haiti has moved away from he medical model and has adopted a more holistic approach in recent years, adopting a
PERCEPTION OF DISABILITY
Haitian’s general perceptions of disability stem from deep rooted religious beliefs. The two major religions in Haiti are Vodou and Catholicism. Vodou is an African spirit religion closely related to Catholicism. All Haitians regard Vodou with respect. Due to these ancient beliefs Haitians who are believers rely on Priests and Priestesses that practice black magic and through the worship of spirits to heal the sick.
Many Haitians carry a fatalistic view of disability and perceive illness as punishment from the spirits. Natural illnesses are known as “disease of the lord.” Mental illness is high stigmatized and shameful to Haitian culture. The root cause being supernatural, as from a hex or not honoring the spirits. Persons with physical deformities are considered to be the work of an angry spirit or an enemy. Persons with genetic defects are viewed as a family curse.
While many Haitians now provide care for their family members living with disabilities, there was a time when they were abandoned, neglected, hidden from society, and even killed.
Works Cited
Colin, Jessie M., Hastings, Betty. Culture and Clinical Care for Haitians. State of Indiana. Retrieved from https://www.in.gov/isdh/files/Haiti_Cultural_and_Clinical_Care_Presentation_Read-Only.pdf . Accessed 7 October 2018.
The World Factbook. Central America and Caribbean: Haiti. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html . Accessed 7 October 2018
Danquah, Lisa. Brus, Aude. (2013). Representation and evaluation of disability in Haiti. Technical Resources Division International Centre for Evidence in Disablity. Retrieved from http://www.hiproweb.org/uploads/tx_hidrtdocs/RS02Haiti.pdf . Accessed on 7 October 2018.
The World Bank in Haiti. (21 September 2018). The World Bank. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview . Accessed on 7 October 2018.
October 8, 2018 at 2:54 am
Jessica, I found your whole post to be well-organized and very thought out. You provided information that was rich with content, but yet kept the context short and simple enough to digest as a reader. I found it pretty astounding how much of the population is below the poverty line and that the general income per family is so low. Another point that struck me was how religion has impacted this particular population to such a great extent. However, the only thing I could not decipher was the specific disability you were focusing on in Haiti, other than that I thought you did a great job!
October 8, 2018 at 3:44 am
Hi Jessica!
The set up and visuals that you provided made making your post so easy to read. I think that Haiti is a very interesting country to choose because of its past and the effects of the natural disasters there. Like most countries with high poverty, the chance of people being educated and understanding regarding disabilities is very low. I am glad to see that they are starting to pass laws and such to benefit people with disabilities. The perceptions of disabilities in certain countries is always interesting to read. I am not shocked to see that people with mental disabilities deal with stigmatization. The fact that family members now will provide care for members with disabilities shows me that the country is taking a step in the right direction. Great job!!