Dr Jacqueline Moodley
Nominee's Province:
Eastern Cape
Project Name/Description:
Ubuntu central to Moodley’s quest to highlight plight of disabled Dr Jacqueline Moodley is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Johannesburg. She also obtained her D Litt et Phil from the same university in May 2021. Moodley’s research interests focus primarily on persons and children with disabilities, who are described as a particularly vulnerable and marginalised group in South Africa This marginalisation is a direct contradiction of the African notion of Ubuntu, which is concerned with the communal care and respect for diverse groups in society. It is, therefore, important that the recognition of the human and social rights of persons with disabilities be prioritised. Her most recent works include the development of a quality of life index to measure the multidimensional wellbeing of children. The index can be used to compare children with and without disabilities, and children with different types of disabilities. Reviewers of this work agree that the tool has made a substantive contribution to the field of disability studies, with important policy relevance. An area of research she is engaged in, as part of a Global Research Team on Disability and Inclusion based at Washington University in St Louis, is exploration of the relationship between multidimensional poverty and dementia among elderly South Africans. This specific area is under-researched in low- and middle-income countries, and is important since Africa has one of most rapidly aging populations. The first publication from this research is being authored, focusing on pre-Covid-19 conditions. A second wave of data collection, reflective of circumstances during Covid-19, is being planned. Moodley, in collaboration with multiple academics from local universities, is also part of a team exploring the lived experiences of South African academics during Covid-19. “The silence around the experiences of our academics with disabilities leaves a void in our knowledge that is central to informing the support they need. “This is especially true if we consider the rapid transition to an online mode of teaching. In this regard, incompatible software is just one of the major challenges faced. The data collection for this project is currently under way, and is yielding rich results.” Collectively, her work aims to inform the Sustainable Development Goal pledge that “no one will be left behind”. In addition, her work is intricately linked with notions of Ubuntu, which reflects an inherent caring for our diverse South African population.
