2. Chapter 16 Review
There is no real definition if disability.
Nagi (1969) defined disability consisting of four
elements:
1. Pathology that interrupts physical or mental
processes
2. Impairment that limit’s a person’s ability to
function and that may result in,
3. Functional limitation relative to the ability to
perform or engage in life tasks, and
4. Disability or the inability to perform socially
expected activities.
3. Chapter 16 Review (cont.)
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that about
52.6 million Americans live with disabilities and 33
million live with severe disabilities.
It is estimated that the poverty rate is more than
three times the poverty rate of nondisabled
individuals. (McNeil, 2001)
4. Chapter 16 Review (cont.)
In the 2007 Census, it was estimated that 14.9% of Americans, age 5 years and above live
with disabilities.
Prevalence of disability types was estimated as follows:
Sensory: 4.2%
Physical: 9.4%
Mental: 5.8%
Self-Care: 3.0%
Go-outside home: 5.4%
Employment: 7.1%
The prevalence of disability for working-age people (ages 21-64) was:
12.6% among Whites
17% among Black/African Americans
6.3% among Asians
22.5% among Native Americans
11.7% among persons of some other race
Prevalence of disability increases with age:
14.9 % for persons ages 5+
6.3% for persons ages 5-15
6.8% for persons ages 16-20
12.8% for persons ages 21-64
29.7% for persons ages 65-74
52% of persons ages 75+
5. Chapter 16 Review (cont.)
Culturally competent practice can be viewed as
embracing five dimensions of knowledge of skills.
1. Disabled individuals live in a nondisabled world and
usually nondisabled families and communities.
2. Exposing disabled persons to other disabled persons
and allies aids social workers in helping disabled people
develop alternate attitudes.
3. Language evolution creates conundrums for social
workers who strive to use politically correct language
relative to disability and other diversities.
4. Assert and demonstrate respect for the disability
perceptions of the disabled participants.
5. Social workers need to respect the disability
perspectives and identities of participants.
6. Chapter 16 Review (cont.)
Historical Oppression and Current Social Issues
Ancient Greeks saw disabled persons as
inhuman
Within Christian contexts disabilities were seen as
a sin, demonic possession, or curse.
The Enlightenment Period- The Elizabethan Poor
Laws defined disabled persons as “worthy” poor
compared to lazy people.
Late 1880s-Social Darwinists developed the
practice of eugenics that promoted policies like
sterilization of undesirables including non-whites
and disables people.
In late 1960s disability rights movement arose
1990- Americans with Disability Act (ADA)
7. Chapter 16 Review (cont.)
International Disability Rights
France
Law 75-534 made disability integration a national
obligation in 1975
Argentina
Passed a disabilities right law in 1981
Chile
Passed a disabilities right law in 1994
United Kingdom, Hong Kong, India, Russia,
Bolivia
Passed a disabilities right law in 1995
8. Chapter 16 Review (cont.)
Three models of disability
Moral
-Assumes disability is unnatural and out of order with nature
Medical
-based on reason and rational thought
Social/minority
-an element of diversity
9. Teaching About the Population:
Project Promotes Understanding of Living With Disabilities Written by
Kristen Gaydos
This article is about a professor, Dr. Alysha
Nordstrom, who created a special program for her
students called “The Voices Project: Disability.” This
is the second in a series that “aimed at
comprehending and understanding cultural attitudes
toward groups of difference (Gaydos, 2012).”
“Nordstrom asked some of her psychology students to
interview a cross-section of community members and
their families about living with disabilities such as
deafness, blindness, dwarfism, spinal cord
injury, stroke, stuttering, spina bifida and cerebral palsy
(Gaydos, 2012).”
Nordstrom believes that many people may feel unsure or
they may experience an unneeded discomfort when
dealing with people with disabilities.
10. Teaching About the Population:
Project Promotes Understanding of Living With Disabilities Written by
Kristen
Gaydos (Cont.)
The students took what they learned wrote
memoirs in the first person to capture how the
disability affected that person’s lives.
After doing this activity, students felt more
knowledgeable. One student, Taylor
Burak, replied,
“I always knew that people with disabilities had
challenging lives, but I didn’t know how challenging…I
just felt like I knew her so well after I was done.”
11. Teaching to the Population
The following summarizes an article Disability
Awareness in the Classroom, written by Monica J.
Foster. As a former student with disabilities,
Foster gave some great advice for having
students with disabilities feel more comfortable in
their classroom. Her tips also would help make
fellow students who do not have disabilities feel
more at ease by understanding more.
12. Practical Ideas for Providing An
Appropriate Educational Experience
Monica J. Foster wrote Disability Awareness in the Classroom and listed many
ways to make a child with disabilities feel more included:
Room Placement
Rather than cramming and segregating them all in the back, disperse students with
disabilities around the classroom as their needs and preferences dictate.
Activities and Communication
Encourage students to participate
Turn in own papers
Help teacher pass out papers
Be patient for students with speech impediments
Don’t finish their sentences
Discuss this with other students to help them understand that it is important that each
student has a voice
Call on them for answers just as often as the rest of the class
Peer Buddy
Depending on if the student has an aide and/or IEP needs, peer buddies could assist
children with a physical disability
Help with papers and books
Push student in a wheelchair
Take turns rotating peer buddies
13. Practical Ideas for Providing An
Appropriate Educational Experience
(cont.)…
Education
A key to success
Talk to students with disabilities about college and career opportunities
o Ask what they want to be when they grow up
Encourage and challenge them to do their best
Suggest books, activities, and more to encourage their growth, development of
future goals, and more
Startle Reflex
“When a student jumps easily at a noise or sudden action (Foster, 2012).”
Can be frightening, painful, and unnecessarily embarrassing
Prepare a student if you know something sudden will happen
Such as a fire drill
Prepare other students by asking them not to come up suddenly to the student or too
quietly
Books on Tape/Book Holders
Some children with a physical disability may be unable to hold a book due to strength
and tremor issues
Things you can try:
A book holder
Page-turner
Books on tape
14. Practical Ideas for Providing An
Appropriate Educational Experience
(cont.)…
Computers
Encourage students to learn about computers and how to use computers
Excellent tool for independence
Useful for a career
Develops good technical skills
Typing aids
Screen readers
Disability Awareness
Teach every student and their families about disabilities
Answer questions students have about disability to encourage curiosity and
understanding
Invite guest speakers who have disabilities
Promote:
Disability history talks
Books about people with disabilities
Classroom Activities
Pair students with disabilities up with students without disabilities for class projects
Each student’s strengths are used
Will help the student with the disability showcase their strengths
Builds friendships in class
15. Makes You Think…
“…the last 40-45 years have seen a burgeoning disability rights movement and
an embracing of disability as an attribute, disability community for support and
validation, and a validation, and a disability culture that celebrates disability and
the lives of disabled people (Lum, p. 440).”
“Capitalist societies place value on people according to their economic output
while making it difficult for disabled people to work (Lum, p.451).”
“Everyone, with or without a disability, deserves the opportunity to set goals
(Foster, 2012).”
“The more students know about people with disabilities and their countless
abilities, the more accepting they will be with their classmates and peers who
have disabilities. And seeing that adults with disabilities can be successful
monumentally boosts a student with disabilities’ self esteem (Foster, 2012).”
“As a college professor, that was an important thing to address in the classroom,
so that student’s don’t graduate and act negatively toward groups they don’t
know a lot about (Gaydos, 2012).”
16. Let’s Discuss…
What have you done/would do to make student’s
with disabilities feel more comfortable within the
classroom?
How do you explain to your students without
disabilities about students with disabilities?
17. References
Foster, M. J. (2012,). Disability Awareness in the
Classroom. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women
Retrieved Apr. 19, 2012, from
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29483.asp.
Gaydos, K.. (2012, Apr. 21). Project promotes
understanding of living with disabilities. The Citizens'
Voice Retrieved Apr. 22, 2012, from
http://citizensvoice.com/news/project-promotes-
understanding-of-living-with-disabilities-
1.1303141#axzz1tObv3iJI.
Lum, D. (2011). Culturally Competent Practice: A
Framework for Understanding Diverse Groups and
Justice Issues. Belmont, CA: