Introduction
Demographic Information
Individuals with disabilities refer to all people with special needs, including long-term physiological, subjective, intelligent, or functional limitations. Disability is projected to affect over a billion people, equating to around 15% of the global population (Whittle et al., 2017). As per the American Community Survey, elderly individuals are substantially more likely than young adults to have an impairment. For example, in 2015, nearly half of Americans aged 75 and over (49.8%) and almost a quarter (25.4%) of those aged 65 to 74 acknowledged dealing with disabilities (Whittle et al., 2017). By contrast, only 6% of Americans aged 18 to 34 and 13% of those aged 35 to 64 reported having a medical condition (Whittle et al., 2017). The most prevalent types of impairment require difficulty walking or living independently.
The most prevalent forms of impairment require trouble moving or living independently. In 2015, over 20 million people aged 18 and older admitted finding significant difficulties strolling or taking the stairs, accounting for 7.1% of the general non-institutionalized workforce (Whittle et al., 2017). Another 14 million adults aged 18 and older claimed to have difficulty carrying out tasks independently due to physiological, cognitive, or emotional problems (Whittle et al., 2017). While the probability of having an impairment is similar for men and women, there are variances by ethnicity and race. Asians were substantially less likely (6.9%) to report having a disability, trailed by Hispanics (8.8%) (Whittle et al., 2017). On the contrary, Alaskan Natives were the most likely to report a disability (17.7%) (Whittle et al., 2017). Certain regions, localities, and municipalities have a higher percentage of citizens with disabilities than others. With 19.4%, West Virginia had the greatest percentage of any state (Whittle et al., 2017). The number of disabled persons is escalating due to serious illnesses and demographic aging.
Challenges Faced
Disabled individuals are a significant minority population that is often neglected by society. They live in solitude, discrimination, hardship, compassion, and even pity. Individuals with disabilities often have limited access to adequate healthcare services. When direct access is used, mobility is inextricably linked to inclusive design. Persons with various forms of disabilities, such as vision and independent living disabilities, experience having a health care need that was unmet due to cost concerns (Okoro et al., 2018). The mindset of some staff members, particularly those working in hospitals, toward people with impairments is worrisome. They treat individuals with insufficient regard for their confidentiality and respect and make disparaging remarks about people with intellectual disabilities in particular.
Additionally, people with disabilities frequently encounter stigma, particularly if their impairments are obvious. Stigma refers to social devaluation due to discrediting differences or identity, as non-stigmatized individuals try to avoid others, fearing contamination (Bogart et al., 2018). Bogart et al. (2018) suggest that disability is prejudiced across cultures and history, as society believes that one can join this minority group at any time. People often stigmatize and blame those who acquire disabilities, as if such conditions were controllable (Bogart et al., 2018). Therefore, people with disabilities can face significant barriers in socialization due to stigma.
Societal Views and Values of Person with Disability
The disabled are sometimes viewed as “less than human” by societies. There is a misconception that they do not experience pain as other people do. They do not share similar needs, aspirations, or emotions as ordinary people and thus do not have the same privileges and obligations. Disability is socially constructed, and perceptions in the community can reinforce the oppression towards people with disabilities (Bunbury, 2019). The prevalent view is that these persons are incompetent to contribute to or engage in society and depend on government or charitable groups.
Societal parameters are expressed as criteria that community and social institutions use to establish personal objectives and ultimately affect social structure within a society. Some of the community values linked with the views mentioned above include compassion. The idea that persons with disabilities are lesser human beings makes them disadvantaged in their neighborhoods. Disability compassion may occur in workplaces where corporations provide disabled workers with equal opportunity. Daehn and Croxson (2021) propose that by prioritizing empathy, compassion, and humility, all people can be empowered at the workplace, including the fields of science and engineering. Most persons within the community show love for disabled individuals. Due to their shortcomings, it is only human to be empathetic towards such individuals. However, with society’s views against them, people often express a lack of consideration, passion, or interest towards the disabled.
Personal Views and Values
Based on my understanding of disability, I view disabled people as a part of society and capable. Moreover, persons who are handicapped, when given opportunities and appropriate tools, can perform to their best. Empathy is described as the capacity to comprehend and share another’s emotions. Individuals must grasp who disabled individuals are and embrace them. The ultimate purpose of civilization should concentrate on how humans can grow collectively.
The following values, as described, are my values towards disabled people. First, mutual respect is necessary for everyone, as it makes people human. Second, compassion for the disabled, regardless of their peculiarities, is critical for a society to operate effectively. Having love in one’s life prevents people from feeling compelled to injure those who are disabled. Individuals recognize their commonalities rather than their contrasts in talents when they are in love. Finally, there is a need for increased charitable giving with institutions and people that serve the cognitively disabled. Identification and erasure of prevalent attitudes toward people with developmental disabilities and improved education across all sectors of society about the functionality of people with disabilities should be an area of focus.
Professional Values
Social Work Profession Regarding Persons with Disability
Social workers assist persons in need and seek to resolve social issues. Every social problem is a disability concern, as one in every four Americans lives with a chronic ailment that impairs their ability to operate. Regardless of their job situation or specialty, caseworkers are likely to deal with individuals with impairments every day. The social work institution’s social justice focus encourages practitioners to campaign for fairness regulations, programs, and behaviors that benefit individuals with disabilities. When working with individuals of differing abilities, social workers understand that their primary objective is to help people in need and promote social justice (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). Social workers understand that persons with disabilities can make their own choices and that communication should represent people’s objective values.
Social Work Values
Social workers believe that providing help must be done with authenticity, with the utmost regard for individual confidentiality and self-direction. Social work is based on human rights with values such as service and social justice (Mapp et al., 2019; NASW, 2021). Social workers understand that every person has the right to security in the circumstances like having a disability (Mapp et al., 2019). Therefore, professionals in social work support the worth of every person’s needs and encourage reforms that can enhance their lives.
NASW Code of Ethics
NASW (National Association of Social Workers) recognizes the importance of addressing issues within society. One of the main values of NASW is service with the principle of addressing social problems (NASW, 2021). Bogart et al. (2018) suggest that, despite a high percentage of people with disabilities, disability stigma is one of the least researched topics. Therefore, social workers are obliged to continuously raise debates on providing better opportunities to those who have disabilities.
Additionally, NASW emphasizes the dignity of every person within the community. Concerning the value of dignity and worth, social workers must be mindful of individual differences and respectfully treat people (NASW, 2021). People may often distance themselves from individuals with disabilities to avoid poor-quality communication or any form of contamination (Bogart et al., 2018). To prevent social stigma, social workers must promote equal treatment of people who have disabilities and show the public the worth of each person.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there exists a difference in perception and values between the societal, personal, and professional concepts of disability. While the individual and expert views and values hold towards respecting and treating the disabled with dignity and ensuring transparency in services, society sees them as fewer beings. Despite advances in the treatment, perspectives, and rights of individuals with disabilities, insufficient care, stereotyping, and prejudice persist, even within the field of social work. Social workers must advance fairness and social justice. Social workers must continue to push for policies and practices that ensure equal opportunity for all individuals, irrespective of functional limitations. Assisting trainees with impairments is a necessary first step toward increasing the industry’s inclusion of individuals with different cognitive and behavioral capacities. Finally, awareness programs among societal members would help change the negative perceptions that the community holds against disabled people.
References
Bogart, K. R., Rosa, N. M., & Slepian, M. L. (2018). Born that way or became that way: Stigma toward congenital versus acquired disability. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 22(4), 594-612. Web.
Bunbury, S. (2019). Unconscious bias and the medical model: How the social model may hold the key to transformative thinking about disability discrimination. International Journal of Discrimination and the Law, 19(1), 26-47. Web.
Daehn, I. S., & Croxson, P. L. (2021). Disability innovation strengthens STEM. Science, 373(6559), 1097-1099. Web.
Mapp, S., McPherson, J., Androff, D., & Gatenio Gabel, S. (2019). Social work is a human rights profession. Social Work, 64(3), 259-269. Web.
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics. Author.
Okoro, C. A., Hollis, N. D., Cyrus, A. C., & Griffin-Blake, S. (2018). Prevalence of disabilities and health care access by disability status and type among adults – United States, 2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(32), 882. Web.
Whittle, H. J., Palar, K., Ranadive, N. A., Turan, J. M., Kushel, M., & Weiser, S. D. (2017). “The land of the sick and the land of the healthy”: Disability, bureaucracy, and stigma among people living with poverty and chronic illness in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 190, 181-189. Web.