African AIDS Rhetoric (AAR) Conference

Durban, South Africa hosted the African Association for Rhetoric from the 1 to 3 July 2009. This conference, Rhetoric in the Times of AIDS: African Perspectives, brought together distinguished researchers, scholars and graduates students from across the globe whose interests related to rhetoric and AIDS. The conference included a special panel on HIV/AIDS and disability. For more information about the panel visit: www.afrhet.org.za

This session was held at the AAR conference. In the session four experts who are currently working in the field of disability and HIV/AIDS presented their papers. The speakers did not only represent countries across the African continent but also people with disabilities themselves and the session could therefore really give the slogan "Nothing about us without us" meaning. The four papers presented different aspects of disability and its interrelation with HIV and AIDS. It has been argued that people with disabilities have been ignored in HIV prevention, treatment and care, because they were falsely believed to be asexual, not victims of sexual violence, not homosexual or using drugs, hence not at risk to be infected with HIV. The speakers revealed that these are simply myths and presented evidence that people with disabilities are sexual active, have the right to be the owner of their sexuality, that they are at high risk of sexual abuse or exploitation and in need of accessible HIV-prevention intervention and health services. The following speakers presented at the conference:

Speakers and Presentations

Paul Chappell (South Africa)

Born in the United Kingdom Paul Chappell discovered his love for Africa at the age of twelve. Determined to make his way out to Africa he went in 1995 to the Democratic Republic of Congo where he worked as a volunteer nurse in a bush hospital. Through an unfortunate car accident he shares the experience of many people with disabilities and returned for a short time to the UK. Determined to return to Africa he applied as a volunteer with the Disability NGO CREATE where he still works as an HIV/AIDS Project Coordinator. Additionally he has undertaken to write his PHD in the field of disability and HIV/AIDS and he shared his thoughts on disability and sexuality with the participants. In his work he uses particularly post-structuralism and Queer Theory. His presentation can be viewed here.

Toyin Aderemi (Nigeria)

Toyin Aderemi was born in Nigeria where at the age of 2 a polio infection changed her life. She was able to get educated, despite lack of facilities for people with disabilities in Nigeria, through the help of her supportive parents and personal determination. At some stage she was almost thrown out of school on the grounds of disability, but later graduated as one of the best students (in the first 3). In 2007 Toyin began her dissertation in the field of Intellectual Disability and HIV/AIDS and she has recently finished her field work. The AAR conference was in the fortunate position to be one of the first to be presented with her results in an area were few have dared to go. Her presentation can be viewed here.

Philliamon Simwaba (Botswana)

Philliamon Simwaba calls many African places his home. Born in Zambia he is now located in Bostwana where he leads the Disability HIV and AIDS Trust (short DHAT) a regional organisation of Disabled Peoples Organsiations in southern Africa. Philliamon has experience at national and regional level in programme/organisational development, planning, evaluation, economic empowerment, community rehabilitation, fundraising, budget and financial management, gender, conflict resolution, advocacy and lobbying, monitoring and research.

His current employer DHAT does not only represent people with disabilities in the southern African region but also advocates for inclusion of disability and PWDs within AIDS services and research. Philliamon presented data collected in Zambia and additional information across southern Africa. He particularly analyzed why people with disabilities are vulnerable to be infected with HIV. His presentation can be viewed here.

Adonis Touko (Cameroon)

Touko Adonis is a psycho-sociologist, a graduate from the Universities of Yaounde in Cameroon and Bordeaux II in France. For the past 15 years he has been working on Behavioural Sciences Research, with particular interest on sexual & reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS. His research and publications focus particularly on minorities such as mobile group populations, commercial sex workers and people with disabilities such as the deaf and the hearing impaired etc. Since 2005, he has been conducting the first Cameroonian programme on the fight against HIV/AIDS among the deaf people entitled "Deaf Against AIDS". In line with this, he has provided technical assistance for the elaboration of the disabled component of the Cameroon Proposal to the Global Fund 8, which has just been sent.

Adonis Touko presented some of the first prevalence data collected on the African continent. His study focused on the deaf youth in Cameroon and gathered inside about sexual practice, HIV knowledge and access to health services. His presentation can be viewed here.