The study investigated beliefs and practices of Black South African traditional healers regarding hearing impairment. Fifteen Black South African traditional healers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. An exploratory-descriptive research design incorporating a mixed qualitative/quantitative method was employed and data were collected via individual interviews. Traditional healers reported being consulted for what could possibly reflect a variety of audiological and otological problems, and using a wide range of diagnostic and treatment techniques. Although the healers mentioned infection, organic deterioration, noise exposure, and congenital aspects as cause of hearing impairment; they tended to anthropomorphise the cause of the disease, and the reason for becoming ill was often sought in a supernatural realm. These findings have implications for culturally sensitive practice, collaboration between traditional healers and audiologists, sharing of information regarding hearing impairment, mutual referrals, and involvement of traditional healers in hearing health care.

The journal is published for the purpose of advancing scholarship in disability studies and rehabilitation sciences in a uniquely African context. Widely read by scholars, professionals and students, it encourages scholarly exchange between all disciplines and academics from low, middle and high-income countries to work towards the improvement of human development and its practices across the continent.

Introduction: The needs of people living with disabilities regarding sex and sexual health remain largely neglected. Knowledge and resources about disabled sexuality have emerged mainly from the global north and have centered on heteronormative ideas about sex, gender, and sexuality. Methods: An affirmative, sex positive, queer, and intersectional exploration was undertaken of the experiences and needs a group of adults with disabilities living in Gauteng, South Africa in relation to accessing information about sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Interviews were conducted with people of diverse disabilities, language groups, and cultural backgrounds. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The participants revealed that sexual encounters, relationships, and dating were infused with negative experiences related to lack of understanding about sex, internalized ableism, exploitation, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse resulting from societal stigma and ignorance regarding disability. Participants offered suggestions for how their needs could be addressed. Conclusion: Our study concludes that the denial of sexual rights is a central element of the broader forms of social exclusion that people with disabilities. In South Africa, many of these forms of exclusion have been compounded by the legacy of apartheid, and the persistence of racial inequality, taboos about sex, and stigmas associated with disability.

Equitable access to hearing aids and related services remains a global health challenge, particularly in resource-limited settings. A major barrier to access is the lack of diagnostic and rehabilitative services, which is substantially attributable to the persistent shortage of ear and hearing care specialists. This discussion article provides an overview of limitations in the ear and hearing care workforce, the relevance of task sharing to ear and hearing care, and a new, evidence-based World Health Organization (WHO) technical resource aimed at improving access to hearing aids worldwide. A synthesis of current research and expert opinion. First, this article describes the global shortage of qualified ear and hearing care specialists. Next, it describes how community-based care, supported by task sharing among trained non-specialist providers and qualified ear and hearing care providers, could overcome these workforce limitations, and describes the critical role of qualified ear and hearing care providers in task sharing. Finally, this article provides an overview of a WHO resource which provides practical information for hearing aid service provision in resource-limited settings. Innovative strategies to expand the ear and hearing care workforce are essential to advance efforts towards equitable access to hearing aids and related services.

Background: Speech–language therapists and audiologists (SLT&As) may encounter difficulties when confronted with patient death and dying, which may conflict with their moral beliefs and result in moral injury. Furthermore, South African SLT&As practice in a country with a high mortality rate, which may add to the complexity of their experience. Moreover, they may be influenced by African philosophies promoting care, which might conflict with their experiences of patient death and dying.Aims: To explore the moral injury experienced by South African SLT&As in patient death and dying, and how they overcame the injury.Methods & Procedures: This article forms part of a larger qualitative study that explored SLT&As’ experiences of patient death and dying in South Africa. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts of 25 episodic narrative interviews conducted with South African SLT&As on their experiences of patient death and dying.Outcomes & Results: Findings suggest that South African SLT&As experienced helplessness, guilt and anger in patient death and dying. However, with support from the allied team, engaging in self‐reflection and religious practices, they reported alleviation of moral injury.Conclusions & Implications: In order to mitigate moral injury in South African SLT&As, they require professional education, self‐care strategies, guidelines and support from the teams in which they work and their supervisors. Research is needed that explores how SLT&As’ biographical characteristics and interactions with significant others of dying and deceased patients, may result in moral injury.What this paper adds?: What is already known on this subject?: Moral injury and measures used to overcome the injury have been explored in military personnel, doctors and nurses, but not in SLT&As. However, studies that explored the perceptions of SLTs and/or audiologists regarding providing palliative care and of death and dying, particularly that by Rivers et al. in 2009, suggested that these professionals may be at risk of experiencing emotional trauma due to patient death, particularly when not receiving undergraduate education on this subject. However, the extent of this trauma and the support needed to overcome it is unknown because the participants in these studies may have not experienced patient death, and were only students or just SLTs. What this article adds?: This article highlights the complexity of speech–language therapy and audiology practice when confronted with patient death and dying. South African SLT&As may have to make decisions that conflict with their morals and professional practice standards, especially as the helping nature of their profession is characterized by African philosophies that promote care, which may result in moral injury. Clinical implications of this article: This article indicates that in addition to undergraduate education on patient death and dying, SLTs and audiologists require continuous professional education on this topic, self‐care strategies, support from the teams in which they work, and their supervisors and guidelines for when they encounter patient death and dying.

Schools located near to airports are exposed to high levels of noise which can cause cognitive, health, and hearing problems. Therefore, this study sought to explore whether this noise may cause auditory language processing (ALP) problems in primary school learners. Sixty-one children attending schools exposed to high levels of noise were matched to 68 children in quieter schools. Audiological screening and ALP assessments were undertaken and revealed that the children from the noise-exposed schools scored below average in all the ALP subtests. This study suggests that airport noise may impact on children’s ALP abilities.