Readiness and Development of Readiness in Social Welfare Work for the Disabled of Tambon Administration Organizations, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand

Abstract

This research was aimed to study the readiness and development of readiness in social welfare for the disabled of Tambon administration organization, Nakhon Pathom Province. The mixed methodology used in this study included both quantitative research and qualitative researchand it was divided into 2 phrases: (1) to study the readiness of Tambon administration organizations (TAOs) in Nakhon Pathom Province to provide services for disabled persons in terms of knowledge, attitude and participation and (2) to develop the readiness in terms of knowledge and attitude as well as to transfer how to provide services for disabled persons by means of seminars with specialists. The population of this study included administrators and staff of TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province, and they were the sample of this study. This sample was selected by the purposive sampling technique. The sample group of First phrase was composed of two groups: (1) 146 administrators of Tambon administration organizations, and (2) 1,247 officer of TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province. Second phrase was 67 participants in seminars, was composed of administrators, officer of TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province and people working for or related to the disabled. The research results revealed as follows. The readiness of TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province to provide services for disabled persons in terms of knowledge of the disabled and how to provide appropriate service was rated at the high level. The attitude to provide services for disabled persons was at the highest level. TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province participated in providing services for the disabled at the high level in terms of health and social services only. The other welfares matters such as education, occupation, and income; lodges; and recreation were rated at the low level. The problem was budget for managing welfare because it was insufficient and did not co-respond to the real practice of local welfare management. Moreover, the administrators of TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province did not set the operation of social welfare for the disabled at the high level. The disabled also did not realize their rights and did not co-operate in doing some activities. The researcher developed the readiness TAOs in Nakhon Pathom Province to provide services for disabled persons by means of seminars, and participants stated that the seminars provided were useful and they gained some more knowledge.