Chapter 11 Social Work and Services for People with Disabilities

1. Chapter 11 Social Work and Services for People with Disabilities

2. Anyone who has a permanent physical or mental impairment (or ongoing health or mental health condition) that substantially limits one or more major life activities. These activities include seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learning, caring for oneself, and working. People With Disabilities

3. People with Mobility Disabilities Those whose physical differences compel them to achieve physical activities in a variety of alternate ways. Mobility disorders may be congenital (acquired before, during, or immediately after birth) Or acquired at some time later in life. Below are examples of acquired mobility disorders: Stroke Muscular dystrophy Rheumatoid arthritis Multiple sclerosis Myasthenia gravis Spinal cord injury

4. Ethical Implications for Social Work Practice: The Importance of Self-Determination Myths: The more severe a physical disability is, the less intelligent the person People with physical disabilities are unable to function normally in society People with one kind of disability also have other disabilities Self-determination is a major implication for adults with mobility and other physical disabilities.

5. Adopting a Consumer-Oriented Approach – treating pple as consumers means accepting that they know their own needs and can make intelligent decisions a/b services. Learning About Services and Resources – SW can maximize services and self-determination for pple by learning a/b services and resources. The Self-Determination Movement: Recommendations for Policy Change – SW familiarize themselves w/ various advocacy and resource grps. Advocating for Clients with Disabilities Whenever Possible – SW strive to change agency policy and laws governing resources to benefit pple with physical disabilities.

6. Defining Developmental Disabilities Five attributes characterize pple w/ developmental disabilities: Disability is both severe and chronic, resulting from mental or physical impairment. Disability occurs before age 22. Conditions are likely to be permanent. Disability results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas: self care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity A developmental disability demonstrates the need for lifelong supplementary help and services.

7. Also referred to as mental retardation, involves a condition manifested before the age of 18. Individual scores significantly below average on standards intelligence tests and has deficits in daily living tasks. Pple w/ cognitive disabilities make up the largest group of pple w/ developmental disabilities. Critical thinking 11.2, labels. Cognitive Disabilities

8. Cerebral Palsy – disability involving problems in muscular control and coordination resulting from damage to the brain before it has matured. Challenges include: balance, walking, weakness, uncontrolled or restricted movement. May experience only motor impairment, intellectual ability not affected. Epilepsy – commonly referred to as seizure disorder. Change in individual’s conscious state that may involve unconsciousness, convulsive motor activity, or sensory distortion. Orthopedic problems – difficulties in functioning of muscles, bones, and joints. Inability to move about normally. Hearing impairment – hearing loss that can range from mild to extreme. Visual impairment – to be legally blind person’s vision must be 20/200, meaning that person can see 20 feet what the “normal” eye can see at 200 feet. Autism – inability to participate in “normal” social interaction, experience communication difficulties, self-stimulating movements such as waving hand in front of eyes for long time, and may experience intense obsession w/ objects, a limited range of interests that can capture their attention, and need for sameness.

9. The 1970s and 1980s: A Community-Based Approach Normalization – the belief that every person, even those w/ severe disabilities, should have an educational and living environment as close to normal as possible. Deinstitutionalization – the practice of moving pple who require supportive care for physical or mental conditions from institutional settings into the community. Individual Program Planning – emphasized people’s environments and intervention results that would enhance their functioning w/in those environments. The Developmental Model – professionals determined services depending on where clients fell on the developmental continuum of service.

10. The 1990s and Beyond: Consumer Empowerment Individualization – services are driven by client needs, and clients are viewed as consumers with choices. Emphasis on Choice – consumers are encouraged to make choices and decide what supports they want and what goals they wish to pursue. Innovation – initiation, development, and application of new ideas. Family Support – families often need special resources and help to respond to the extraordinary needs of members w/ developmental disabilities.

11. Empowerment Through Legislation: Seeking Social and Economic Justice The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 – purpose is to provide pple w/ physical or mental disabilities w/ access to public areas and workplaces and to take away barriers keeping pple isolated from the mainstream of public life. Consists of five major provisions. The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1990 – renewed funding major grant programs on behalf of pple w/ developmental disabilities, acknowledging more resources for those w/ disabilities, indicated that a substantial portion of those w/ disabilities are unserved or underserved, and the law called for advocacy on behalf of people w/ developmental disabilities.

12. Legislative Empowerment for People with Visual Impairment The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 1992 Amendments – reimbursement to agencies that provide services w/ visual impairment. Wagner-O’Day Act – developed a system of sheltered workshops Randolph-Sheppard Act – gave pple who are blind preference in obtaining employment. Supplemental Security Income(SSI) – pple who are legally blind, unemployed, and have assets below prescribed levels may receive SSI. Pratt-Smoot Act – established a Library of Congress program that later performed centers for Braille and recorded materials for the visually impaired.

13. Community Empowerment for People with Cognitive Disabilities ARCs(Association for Retarded Citizens) and Related Resources Information and Referral Services and Help Lines Noninstitutional Living Facilities – CBRF (community-based residential care facility), adult family care home where residents reside in home of caregivers, apt w/ roommate. Vocational and Employment Programs – help clients to gain employment, ex. sheltered workshops. Other Support Services Advocacy Community Volunteers- help ARC program by providing clerical duties, answering phones, etc. Recreational Activities – athletic programs, summer camp, Special Olympics, etc.