ABSTRACT

This study was intended to investigate the effect of Stigma on Inclusiveness of Persons with Disabilities in Community Development Project. A descriptive, case study approach was adopted as an appropriate study design. A sample of 92 employees was employed. Simple random sampling was used to select eighty (80) respondents (operational staffs) and purposive sampling was used to select six (6) respondents (the Human Resource Managers) and six (6) people with disabilities. An interview was conducted to 12 respondents while self-administered questionnaire composed of closed, open-ended questions and liker scale questions were used to collect data from eighty six (86) respondents. Data were analyzed using two methods; descriptive statistics using SPSS and quotes for qualitative data. The findings indicated that there is a high level of social and physical isolation of people with disabilities, there is low level of inclusiveness of people with disabilities in community project development. It was concluded that there is unfair treatment for people with disabilities in community development projects. It was recommended that government and private sectors should treat people with disabilities fairly by doing the following: Persons with disability have to be given equal opportunities in decision making, are to be treated with greater kindness, are to be treated with greater patience, are given  potential to develop their career and have an equal access to winning job interviews, are supplied with suitable sanitary facilities in the project, people with disability form part of the project management, the project buildings are favorable for people with disabilities.  

Conclusion

It was concluded that there is awareness of stigma for people with disabilities in community development projects among the staffs in projects development for organizations and institutions.  There is higher level of social and physical isolation of people with disabilities in community development projects among the staffs in projects development.  There is low level of inclusiveness for persons with disability as they are not given equal opportunities in decision making, are not treated with greater kindness, are not treated with greater patience, have no potential to develop their career and have unequal access to winning job interviews, are not supplied with suitable sanitary facilities in the project, people with disability do not form part of the project management, the project buildings are not favorable for people with disabilities.

Recommendations

It is recommended that government and private sectors should treat people with disabilities fairly by doing the following: Persons with disability have to be given equal opportunities in decision making, are to be treated with greater kindness, are to be treated with greater patience, are given potential to develop their career and have an equal access to winning job interviews, are supplied with suitable sanitary facilities in the project, people with disability form part of the project management, the project buildings are favorable for people with disabilities. Also the Tanzanian government might consider engaging in increased public sensitization, especially of Tanzanian employers but also of the general public and of persons with disabilities. This will help to improve understanding of accommodations and adjustments that could ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace.   The researcher pose a challenge to medical practitioners to also consider finding out a diagnosis test that can measure for the magnitude of psychological torcher resulting from stigma which can provide for true and fair representation of the pain PWDs have so as to treat this concern scientifically for instance like how malaria prevention and/or proper cure.  As currently stigma is only tells by the victim but the extent cannot be measured by other side (communities) hence it remains a riddle to date.  The government should pass on the laws to prohibit stigmatization.