Disability and Handicap Issues: Effectiveness of Training Support to Rehabilitation Workers of Community Development Organizations

The major objective of the study is to assess the impact of Centre for Disability in Development (CDD)’s training given in a three-month disability-training course entitled “Community Handicap and Disability Resource Person course (CHDRP).” The study mainly focused on how the trained participants have retained training given on disability and handicap issues and to determine the different factors that affect the participants’ knowledge retention and application. The factors that might have influenced retention that were studied included: background, work experience, field experience, additional training and getting technical support. This study utilized quasi-experimental research design with test-retest approach. Participants’ knowledge at the end of the course was compared to the knowledge after working in the field for six to twelve months. Two research instruments were used. In the CHDRP course there are fourteen different topics or modules. At the end of each one, participants are given a self-assessment evaluation in which they must achieve a 60% to pass. These have been kept carefully for future reference. Three items from three different modules which can be quantifiably and objectively scored from this became one research instrument. A second research tool was a set of three case studies with quantifiable answers that address trained participants’ application of knowledge. The major findings of the research suggested that a) respondents’ with higher age group retained their knowledge most and the respondents with comparatively lower age group retained their knowledge less b) male respondents retained their knowledge better than female and female respondents applied their knowledge more than male in real life case tests c) high level of education has an affect of respondents’ knowledge retention and application d) there is a significant effect of spending times regularly in a week for disability work for knowledge retention and application and also it is same among the respondents’ who had previous working experience in health e) CDD’s follow up visits to trained participants’ organizations has an impact on practical orientation of client handling but no effect in retaining participants’ knowledge and application