Ability Diversity Often in our society when we are asked to identify diversity groups, we usually specify race and ethnicity or perhaps sexual orientation. Rarely do individuals identify people with disabilities as a diverse group within our society. This speaks to the historic marginalization and oppression of this group. For centuries, the people with disabilities have been either ignored or, worse, abused and mistreated. The fact that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was only passed in 1990 is an example of how long it has taken for the public and the government to properly address the needs of this population and the long-standing discrimination they have encountered. Our society remains able-centric, and ableism is a part of our fabric. Throughout history there are examples of how people with disabilities were considered "less than" and were subsequently euthanized or were victims of eugenics. The society encourages people to make decisions regarding whether a person should be born, stay alive, or procreate largely based on whether a person will contribute to society or will be a drain on its resources. Further, it is a moral and subjective determination—one that is that based on the answer to the question of what is a life worth living? Consider that if a woman is pregnant after age 35, it is strongly suggested that she get an amniocentesis to identify potential disabilities. Often if the test results come back positive, a doctor would recommend that a woman consider ending the pregnancy. In instances of in vitro fertilization, couples are counseled to only have a minimum number of fertilized eggs transferred because the higher the number of embryos that turn into viable fetuses, the more likely one or more of the children will be born with a disability. This week, you analyze the marginalization and oppression of people with disabilities as you examine the historical treatment of this group. Then you analyze the impact of the social construction of disability in the Parker family case study. You will also analyze the role of the social worker in working with clients with disabilities and apply social work skills to this case study. Required Readings Adams,  M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castaneda, C., Catalano, D. C. J., DeJong, K., Hackman, H. W,... Zuniga,  X. (Eds.). (2018). Readings for diversity and social justice (4th ed.).  New York, NY: Routledge Press. Chapter 103, (pp. 493-497) Chapter 108, (pp. 512-513) Chapter 109, (pp. 513-514) Gilson, S. F., & DePoy, E. (2002). Theoretical approaches to disability content in social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 38 (1), 153–165. Note: Retrieved from Walden Databases. Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year . Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader]. “Working With Clients With Disabilities: Valerie” Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. ...

1. Ability Diversity
Often in our society when we are asked to identify diversity
groups, we usually specify race and ethnicity or perhaps sexual
orientation. Rarely do individuals identify people with
disabilities as a diverse group within our society. This speaks to
the historic marginalization and oppression of this group. For
centuries, the people with disabilities have been either ignored
or, worse, abused and mistreated. The fact that the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) was only passed in 1990 is an
example of how long it has taken for the public and the
government to properly address the needs of this population and
the long-standing discrimination they have encountered.
Our society remains able-centric, and ableism is a part of our
fabric. Throughout history there are examples of how people
with disabilities were considered "less than" and were
subsequently euthanized or were victims of eugenics. The
society encourages people to make decisions regarding whether
a person should be born, stay alive, or procreate largely based
on whether a person will contribute to society or will be a drain
on its resources. Further, it is a moral and subjective
determination—one that is that based on the answer to the
question of what is a life worth living?
Consider that if a woman is pregnant after age 35, it is strongly
suggested that she get an amniocentesis to identify potential
disabilities. Often if the test results come back positive, a
doctor would recommend that a woman consider ending the
pregnancy. In instances of in vitro fertilization, couples are
counseled to only have a minimum number of fertilized eggs

2. transferred because the higher the number of embryos that turn
into viable fetuses, the more likely one or more of the children
will be born with a disability.
This week, you analyze the marginalization and oppression of
people with disabilities as you examine the historical treatment
of this group. Then you analyze the impact of the social
construction of disability in the Parker family case study. You
will also analyze the role of the social worker in working with
clients with disabilities and apply social work skills to this case
study.
Required Readings
Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castaneda, C., Catalano, D. C.
J., DeJong, K., Hackman, H. W,... Zuniga, X. (Eds.). (2018).
Readings for diversity and social justice
(4th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge Press.
Chapter 103, (pp. 493-497)
Chapter 108, (pp. 512-513)
Chapter 109, (pp. 513-514)
Gilson, S. F., & DePoy, E. (2002). Theoretical approaches to
disability content in social work education.
Journal of Social Work Education, 38
(1), 153–165.
Note:
Retrieved from Walden Databases.
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014).

3. Social work case studies: Foundation year
. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities
Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
“Working With Clients With Disabilities: Valerie”
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014).
Sessions: Case histories
. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities
Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
"The Parker Family"
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Parker Family (Episode
30) [Video file]. In
Sessions
. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 4 minutes.
Accessible player --Downloads--Download Video
w/CCDownload AudioDownload Transcript
Young, S. (2014, April).
I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much
[Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspirati
on_thank_you_very_much?language=en
Zayid, M. (2013, December).
I got 99 problems…palsy is just one

4. [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/maysoon_zayid_i_got_99_problems_p
alsy_is_just_one.html
Ability, Disability, and Erasure
Consider the notion that an individual with a disability may feel
primarily defined by his or her ability status. Also, consider the
historical treatment of people with disabilities and the number
of individuals who were euthanized and sterilized in the U.S.
and across the globe due to having a disability.
For decades, individuals with disabilities were left in
institutions, hidden away from the rest of society. Parents were
told if their child was born with a disability, they should have
them locked away. Consider in today's society how people with
disabilities are still "hidden." Think about how many people you
see each day that have a visible disability. While there are many
hidden disabilities that should not be ignored, it is significant to
recognize the limited number of people you see each day with
disabilities. Also, consider how others react toward a person
with a disability in public. Do they stare? Do they move away?
Do they invade the person's space and ask inappropriate
questions? What experiences have you seen in public with a
person with a disability? Why do you think society has
marginalized this group for so long? Why are those with
disabilities limited or eliminated from full participation in
society today? Who has the right to decide what makes a "good
life" and how is that decision made?
To prepare:
Read the case "Working With Individuals With Disabilities:
Valerie."

5. Working With Clients With Disabilities: The Case of Valerie
Valerie is a 56-year-old, heterosexual, African American
female. She receives Social Security Disability Insurance
(SSDI) and works part time at a credit card company as a
telemarketer. She currently lives in an apartment alone but
receives home attendant services for 5 hours a day. She lost her
left leg when she was hit by a car and has a prosthesis. She uses
a walker or an electric scooter to be ambulatory but generally
prefers the scooter. She is slightly overweight, which makes
using the walker more painful. She has been prescribed Zoloft®
(100 mg per day) for general anxiety and has been taking it for
almost 3 years. Valerie has a history of drug and alcohol abuse,
although she has been drug free for 15 years. She has a core
group of friends she has maintained a relationship with over the
course of her lifetime, and although she does not see them as
often as she would like, she keeps in touch over the phone and
through email. She has no criminal background. Valerie came
for services to address unresolved feelings related to an abusive
marriage. She continued to be in contact with her ex-husband,
John, although they had been divorced for almost 13 years.
Valerie said that she and John had remained intimate since the
separation and divorce and that John texted and called her to
meet for sex. She felt torn because she believed no one else
would want to date her due to her disability but also felt John
was using her. She also stated that although he had stopped
hitting her, he continued to be verbally abusive. She remained
anxious and depressed and felt hopeless about the situation.
Valerie said John abused alcohol and began using drugs in the
first few years of their marriage. Unaware of his illicit drug use,
Valerie arrived home from work early one day to surprise him
and found him using cocaine. John attacked her and forced her
to use cocaine as well. She relented due to her fear of continued
assault. An ongoing pattern of drug use and physical assault
persisted throughout their marriage. Valerie lost her left leg
when she was walking across the street and was hit by a car,

6. and she spent close to 9 months in the hospital and a
rehabilitation program. She was fitted for a prosthetic leg and
given an electric scooter through her insurance company, which
allowed her to begin working part time at a credit card company
when she returned home. John’s abusive behavior and drug use
continued, so Valerie hid her paychecks, slowly saving her
money until she had enough to leave. Eventually, she was able
to rent a room. In addition, she was able to secure the assistance
of a home health aide. Valerie began individual and group
sessions to address her feelings of depression and anxiety. I
worked with her to set manageable goals to increase her
independence in physical functioning and from her ex-
husband’s controlling and abusive behaviors. Valerie and I
agreed to use cognitive behavioral therapy to address her
continued negative thought patterns that affected her behavior.
Valerie shared many insights into her disability to help me
understand how she felt in a world that was not very accessible.
Through our meetings, I learned about the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and how inaccessible buildings and
programs affected her quality of life. We met once a week for 3
months, and I monitored Valerie’s depression through a baseline
and then periodic administrations of a depression screen using
the Beck Depression Inventory. After 12 weeks, we decided
together it was time for termination. She reported fewer
episodes of anxiety and expressed feelings of hope for the
future. She continued to attend the group sessions and found
new friends who had become a support network for her. She had
stopped seeing her ex-husband and changed her phone number
to prevent him from contacting her.
Post
an explanation of why our society has marginalized those with
varying abilities historically. Then, explain the role of social
workers in supporting clients with varying abilities (not limited
to physical and mental) while recognizing and honoring those

7. clients' other identity characteristics. Use specific examples
from the case study in your explanation.
Respond
to at least two colleagues by refuting or supporting either your
colleagues' analysis of the marginalization and oppression of
individuals with disabilities or supporting or refuting their
analysis of the role of the social worker in working with clients
with disabilities.
Ability, Disability, and Erasure