Applications of a Capability approach to disability and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in social work practice

As disability rates increase more social workers will require greater preparation to practice effectively with individuals with disabilities. The Capability approach and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health provide helpful tools for social worker training. The capability approach emphasizes the need to assess what individuals are able to do in their real-life environments (capabilities) rather than capacity or functional status. The ICF provides helpful disability-related terminology and an actual classification to assist social workers to develop appropriate interventions that facilitate capability development among individuals with disabilities. Using the capability framework with the ICF will contribute to improved understanding of disability among social work students and practitioners.     

A Youth Perspective on Life with a Disability

Abstract

A momentous piece of legislation, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provided for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities and more significantly is aimed toward improving their employment opportunities. There is, however, evidence that the ADA implementation has not moved fast enough in increasing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This article reviews the literature on disability and employment barriers, federal statutes, societal attitudes and biases, and human relations misconceptions associated with disabilities. It discusses social work roles, advocacy for social justice, implications for rehabilitation counselors, and issues related to disabilities and employment.     

Public Documents and Legislation: The South Australian Juvenile Courts Act, 1971, and Community Welfare Act, 1972

Abstract

This study of social work practice and disability follows the history of two fields of disability: mental illness and intellectual disability. Of particular interest are two key policy influences in the disability sector, deinstitutionalisation and normalisation. The extent to which deinstitutionalisation and normalisation have brought real benefit to people with disabilities is examined from social workers' perspectives. The implementation of these policies and practices on the daily work of social workers is discussed. This research indicates that social work practice in these two fields involves significantly different foci and approach. The study found that the similarities and differences between the two fields of practice are influenced by the historical and contemporary developments in the care and control of people with disabilities.     

Spiritual Transformations in Clinical Relationships Between Social Workers and Individuals Living with Disabilities

Abstract

Some individuals living with disabilities have expressed a need to have spirituality recognized within clinical relationships. Social workers and other professionals have not responded to this need and therefore, there is a growing difference between what individuals with disabilities need and what clinicians, including social workers, are providing. Jean Vanier is a Canadian who has spiritual wisdom gained from over 40 years of living with people who have disabilities. Applying insights from both Vanier and transformational learning theory, this paper demonstrates that Vanier's approach is an important resource as social workers integrate spirituality into the clinical relationship with disabled individuals.     

Knowledge,Tasks and Strategies for Teaching About Persons with Disabilities

Abstract

Persons with disabilities are a distinct and insular minority group within the United States. Given the fact that social workers offer critical social services to this group, it is important for social work programs to offer meaningful curriculum content on persons with disabilities. This article presents key issues that social work educators should find useful for teaching about persons with disabilities. Specifically, a discussion is offered on the disability civil rights movement, the culture of disability, models for defining disability, knowledge areas on disability issues, teaching tasks and strategies for focusing on persons with disabilities.     

Adjustment to Disability

Abstract

This article will focus on the biopsychosocial challenges encountered when an individual is disabled at an early age as well as when an individual acquires a disability later in life. Two case examples will focus on the adaptations/life choices that are necessary to adequately meet psycho/social/developmental needs and enhance individual self esteem. The case of Rita, a woman who lost her hearing at age two, highlights the importance of integrating a biopsychosocial approach to understand the multiple challenges and adaptations of individuals who are disabled at an early age. Laureen, a woman who acquired a spinal cord injury during her late teen years, described her struggles as a young adult adapting to a physical disability. Both cases highlight the importance of integrating an ecological/systems framework focusing on a biopsychosocial perspective, emphasizing the interrelationship between biological, psychological, social, technological, cultural and political factors.     

Social Work Research in the Field of Disability in Australia: A Scoping Review*

Although in Australia disability is receiving unprecedented attention with the rollout of major reforms, the body of research on disability to inform policy and practice has been found “not fit for purpose”. This scoping review of empirical research papers published by Australian social work authors between 2007 and 2015 investigated the quantity, nature, and scope of social work research on disability in Australia. We found a steady growth, an annual average of 13.8 papers, and a total of 124. Social work disability research makes a distinctive contribution; it is contextualised in service systems or policy, has a greater focus on community and civic participation and social relationships, and concentrates on adults, with either intellectual disability or traumatic brain injury. These research strengths provide foundations for building the profession’s research capacity and informing its practice and contribution to the multidisciplinary field of disability.

IMPLICATIONS

• Service system reform is increasing engagement of social workers with people with disabilities, yet disability has a low profile in the profession.

• Social work disability research has strengths in understanding service systems, social relationships, and strategies for social and civic participation, particularly with adults with cognitive disabilities.

• Increased attention to disability in qualifying and higher degree programs will better prepare students for complex practice and develop the distinctive contribution of social work research in this interdisciplinary field.

     

Disability Through the Lens of Culture

ABSTRACT

Effective social work requires cultural sensitivity and competency. Until recently, there was little discussion of culture outside of the contexts of race or ethnicity. This article is an exploration of the key components of culture with application to the community of people with disabilities. The language, history, stigmatization, economic concerns, common behaviors, and practices of people with disabilities are highlighted. A literature review of sensitivity and competency in cross-cultural practice is provided. The article furnishes insights into the lived experience of disability. Suggestions to help practitioners reduce the risks of harm and improve service to this population are presented. Content on disability culture is proposed for social work educators to infuse into core curriculum or add to diversity electives.     

The International Classification of Functioning,Disability, and Health (ICF), A New Tool for Social Workers

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) ratified the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in 2001. This followed a ten year period of international development which shifted emphasis from a system concerned with the consequences of disease to a system concerned with human functionality and health. Disability advocates contributed to this system which has potential as a tool for social work classification and assessment. Familiarity with the system also brings the profession in step with the disability studies movement which promotes a social model of disability.     

Introduction

Abstract

The author shares some practice experience and personal reflection on her introduction to working with people with disabilities. Recognizing that the construct of “disability” is in the eye of the beholder, she shares an outline for one approach to an introductory course in working with people with physical, cognitive and developmental, and psychiatric disabilities. Common themes in practice and service delivery are discussed, as well as the unique role social workers can play in interagency collaboration.     

Challenges,Barriers, and Opportunities: Social Workers With Disabilities and Experiences in Field Education

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of social work students with disabilities in field education. This qualitative inquiry used semistructured interviews exploring inclusion and accommodations in field education. The 15 participants were graduates of accredited BSW or MSW programs and reported one to five disabilities each. Four themes emerged: different experiences with visible versus invisible disability, confusion about accommodation, field as a learning opportunity regarding disability, and a sense of isolation being a social worker with a disability. This study provides information valuable to social work educators and field instructors regarding strategies for improving opportunities for students with disabilities as future social workers, aligning with the mission and values of the social work profession.     

The Implications of Disability Protests for Social Work Practice

Abstract

This article examines the demands which have been made in the over 800 US protests this author has analyzed. Some demands are cross-disability, meaning they could apply to people with all types of impairments; these include demands for rights and accessibility in all domains. Other demands are disability-specific: they apply to people with specific types of impairments, ranging from mobility impairments to developmental disabilities. Many demands have been related to services, which can be either cross-disability or disability-specific. The paper examines the implications of these demands for social work practice. These include that disability be de-stigmatized by practitioners, that people with disabilities have choices, that they have control over their services, and that all aspects of social work practice be accessible to people with any type of disability.     

Disability Services and College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

Abstract

Weiner (1999) has suggested that the process of accepting a disability and its associated limitations is often protracted for students with psychiatric disabilities, thus leaving many students unable to fully participate in services or in the design of academic accommodations. This research examines the relationship between psychiatric disability identity and use of academic accommodation services for 57 undergraduates with psychiatric impairments who are experiencing problems in their academic functioning. Willingness to utilize services was related to students' identification as having a psychiatric disability. Social work interventions are needed to support students in accepting psychiatric disabilities while concurrently crafting necessary accommodations.     

A Commentary on What Social Workers Need to Know About the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Abstract

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) offer important legal protections for school age children. This commentary outlines those protections for special needs children in both public and private schools. Social workers need to be aware of the rights children with disabilities have under each law. This information is particularly helpful for those practitioners who wish to advocate for the educational needs of children with disabilities.     

Social Work Strategies and Tactics in the Workplace

Abstract

Those social workers who offer employment services can frame job development and placement as a process of workplace socialization in which they facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream work settings. This paper examines the construct of workplace socialization and offers five specific strategies and related tactics for its facilitation in the context of social work practice in disability and rehabilitation.     

The Use and Abuse of Models of Disability

Throughout history, theorists have made use of the technology of the day to provide explanatory models of the behaviour they observe in order to provide an improved understanding of human behaviour. Bax (1998) describes the use of models of disability as not particularly helpful in relation to the treatment of children with physical disabilities. It is the purpose of this paper to show that models do have their place within disability research and the implications of using the medical and social models of disability, together with two models from developmental psychology, namely the transactional model and systems theory, will be discussed. It is argued by the authors that the usage of these models can aid understanding of disability in both research and clinical settings.     

Children with disabilities in Swedish child welfare – a differentiating and disabling practice

ABSTRACT

Research shows that children with disabilities are victims of violence and abuse to a higher extent than other children and thus need support from social services. In Sweden, cooperation between two different social services units is required to support children with disabilities in socially vulnerable families. In this study, we have examined the intersection between children and disability in a Swedish social services context from the perspective of childhood studies and disability studies. The reasoning of the two units including the child perspective emerged during focus group interviews based on two vignettes. The results show two different rationalities, which has consequences for the disabled child. In spite of a social policy where the ‘best interests of the child’ are meant to prevail and disabilities are meant to be interpreted as barriers in society, children with disabilities seem to be reduced to individuals who are lacking in ability and competency and who are profoundly victimised by power structures that favour the adult perspective in social services.     

Toward a Holistic View of Health and Health Promotion in Social Work with People with Disabilities

Abstract

The individual medically oriented model of disability suggests that people with disabilities seldom achieve health and wellness because of their impairments and disabilities. This paper provides an alternative to the tendency in social work to focus on the medicalization of disability without a due consideration of the social context. It draws insights from the social model that asserts disability is a form of social restriction encountered by people with disabilities and that social barriers of disability must be removed through collective action. Also, this model posits that people with disabilities can be healthy if the barriers preventing good health are removed. However, medical aspects of a person with a disability should not be forsaken entirely. Therefore, this article proposes a holistic view that converges insights of the individual and social models toward a better understanding of health issues for people with disabilities. It shows the implications for social work that follow from the convergence.     

Sustaining an intimate and sexually fulfilled marriage or partnership in older adulthood with a disability: Perspectives of social workers

ABSTRACT

The American portrayal of sex is often left for only the young, attractive, and able-bodied. In contrast many studies have found that older adults with disabilities in marriages and intimate partnerships have sexual desire and sexually active lives. Social workers are often burdened with balancing the sexual intimacy desires of their older adult clients with disabilities, alongside the need to protect them from sexual abuse and exploitation, particularly among those who may lack the capacity to consent due to cognitive impairment. This phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived professional experience of social workers (N = 5) in supporting married and intimately partnered couples in which at least one person was an older adult with a disability to understand the clients’ needs and common social work practice methods used to address their needs. Inductive coding was used to identify themes and subthemes. Their role included helping their clients to learn about their ability to have sex, consenting to sex, negotiating accommodations for intimacy and sex with their spouses, and counseling those who took on caregiver roles for their spouses. Social workers reported that individual diagnosis, such as dementia, should not alone determine one’s ability to consent to sex.