Mary Hoge had gone into labor Sunday 23rd of July 1972 giving birth to her fifth child, Robert Hoge. When Robert Hoge was born, his own mother didn’t want him. Robert’s mother Mary thought he was too ugly, that he was, in appearance, a monstrous baby. Robert was born with a tumor the size of a tennis ball right in the middle of his face and with short twisted legs. Robert was born in Australia, where he would have to undergo numerous operations that carried very high risk in order to try and live a “normal” life. I read the book Ugly written by Robert Hoge, which is a true story about Robert’s life growing up with a “disability”. Robert started off his book about the art of being ugly. Robert grew up with four other siblings, who were perfectly …show more content…
For future practice in social work, I learned that it is important to empower your clients to set goals and help push them to reach those goals. Robert wanted to plays sports and kept trying until he found a sport that was the best fit for him. Snow (2013a) talked about “the ‘problem’ of disability is not within the person, but within the social attitudes, and our attitudes shape the world we live in” (p.119). I agree with Snow, if our attitudes in society don’t change about “disabilities” the person will never feel completely welcomed or “fit” for …show more content…
It allowed myself to get a better understand of how important this is. One big decision Robert had is if he wanted to go through with a final procedure to smooth out his face and make corrections having high risks. Robert’s parents let him make this decision knowing Robert knew what would be best for him and his future. Snow (2013b) talked lots about People First Language and the effects of special education. “When we call a child a ‘special ed student,’ ‘sped kid,’ or something similar, we’re not using People First Language” (p.136). Robert went to a mainstream school where he made friends, but also was faced with tough situations. Robert wasn’t able to go run around on the playground like other kids or go up and down the stairs of the school as fast. Once Robert became more comfortable around friends he started to remove is prosthetic leg as it caused more
The shocking part was his own third grade teacher who makes him very conscious and scrutinizes him all the time. She says things like “you’re up and down like a flea” and “you should take a look in the mirror sometime” (Sedaris 359). This is probably the sort of person who the disabled encounter on a daily basis and who make them conscious of the fact that they are not as normal as the others. Instead of trying to make an effort to help the helpless child, the teacher tries to rub his disability in his face. She does not understand his problem but makes the situation worse by constantly yelling at him and consequently embarrassing him in front of every body. Instead of addressing the issue, she exaggerates the issue and makes things worse for the
I think that social work as a profession is meant to help our clients be all they can be and to help them help themselves. I believe I will take into consideration every aspect of their lives in order to serve them in the best manner possible. To only look at one aspect of their life or their presenting problem will not give me enough information to come up with a true assessment or treatment plan. Working with those that are disabled encompasses those beliefs. The American Disability Act helps to give social workers a guide of ways to help those with a disability and helps them to figure out new laws that are needed to help those with disabilities.
...to the situations and problems in social work. Poverty had a few chapters on its own. There is nothing wrong with covering poverty, but chapter thirteen should be split into two chapters to give a more comprehensive overview of developmental disabilities. Therefor the book should not exclude the chapter, it should expand the chapter. Developmental disabilities is constantly overlapping in social work. Social workers should have a basic understanding of developmental disabilities. Clients who have disabilities should be understood to an extent, and should get the help they need. The information in chapter thirteen does give helpful information in understanding individuals with developmental disabilities.
Disability is like a bruise on an apple; sometimes it is evident, sometimes it is hidden. Consider Claire Hovey; she has arthritis – a hidden disability affecting one’s joints. Claire used to think of “pain as a hurdle” (Hovey, 2015); thus when diagnosed, she expected to tackle pain “with grace and poise” (Hovey, 2015) managing it silently (Hovey, 2015). However, self-doubt and fictional comparison brought negative psychological effects (Hovey, 2015) and she soon realized that neither were beneficial for her daily rehabilitation (Hovey, 2015). In contrast, Robert Ward lives with learning disabilities and a speech impediment – also hidden. For him, there was no diagnostic point; instead the learning curve came as he realized
This essay response will focus on justifying why service user involvement / participation is important in the development of services for adults. To understand this, I will first look into the ideological principles that have shifted social work practice towards user participation before looking at the different ways these concepts have played out, with a particular focus on service users with disabilities. Service user ‘involvement’ and ‘participation’ in social work practice is underpinned by the fundamental values that services should be ‘user-centred’, ‘user led’ and ‘needs led’ (Warren, 2008). I have chosen to focus on adults with disabilities because there has been much recent development and policies put into place for this group of people. However, they are still considered one of the most vulnerable groups in society (Kemshall and Littlechild, 2000. The meaning of disability is a contested concep...
Susan made some very important points and she discussed how disabled individuals are often referred as the “Other”. I strongly agree, people with disabilities are often looked as failures and they are represented as ...
People who have physical disabilities often experience negative situations and connotations that they must overcome to thrive in society. People who offer narratives about their disabilities often give the most accurate representation about the challenges those with disabilities face. Ms. Marenge, reported that one of the hardest things about leaving the rehabilitation center after becoming paralyzed was living in a house that was inaccessible, and having to rely on her family to carry her up and down the house (Casey Marenge, 2011). Similarly, a student with muscular dystrophy, says that she wishes more places were wheelchair accessible, because when they aren’t she feels that society is holding her back, and she can’t reach her full potential. Alisha also reported that t making friends is hard because some kids would ignore her at school because of her situation and she is often separated from the mainstream students at school. Alisha, doesn’t want to be defined by her disability, however, she believes that many people who look at her only see her wheelchair (Alisha Lee, 2011). Despite the many negative ways people who suffer from physical disabilities are affected, it is important to note that they don’t always feel bad for themselves, and that having a disability doesn’t stop them from loving
People that are seen as having a disability are often passed through the majority of their classes or are not properly taught. In other words, teachers and professors may expect less from them. This does not benefit the student nor does it show that the teacher is interested in trying to help students with such disorders. In what possible way does it make sense to send someone out into the world without teaching them to the best of their capabilities? The lack of effort in the teacher’s work ethic comes off quite arrogant and selfish. It is the responsibility of a teacher to prepare the student for the real world and give them every piece of knowledge they can
The social model defines disability as a social construct that creates unwanted barriers for individuals, and a public concern, (Smart & Smart, 2006). Examples of these barriers include “inaccessible education systems, working environments, inadequate disability benefits, discriminatory health and social support services, inaccessible transport, houses and public buildings and amenities, and the devaluing of disabled people through negative images in the media, (Thomas, 2007, p. 13). Swain, et al (1993), states that “disability is not a condition of the individual. The experiences of disabled people are of social restrictions in the world around them, not being a person with a ‘disabling condition,’” (as cited by Lutz & Bowers, 2003).
As someone involved in the field of Social Work, I am regularly challenged to assist individuals and families to cope through, work on. and deal with internal and external issues that can affect their ability to feel empowered. These factors can undermine their personal sense of well-being and their self-esteem. Therefore, it is important that I am aware of the available ways to effectively assist my client, while at the same time maintaining boundaries and professionalism.
With the acceptance of disabled people being more common you would think that you wouldn’t see any discrimination against them, but in today’s age, you still see them getting left out. It doesn’t only benefit them as people to include them in the things that normal people get involved in but it benefits you as a person as well. We, as a society, should start including them into the things that they usually don’t get involved in. Who knows, it might change your life. We should all learn about how we can affect the community of inclusion of people with disabilities and be more accepting of the
Of the seven theories of adjustment to disability presented, the one that appears to have the greatest face validity is the somatopsychology model. The theory can be summarized in the formula B= f (P*O*E), behavior is a function of psychological variables, organic factors related to the disability, and the environment (pg. 144). The theory takes into account that adjustment depends on external and internal. The person with the disability needs to be psychologically secure, come to terms with the symptoms of their disability, and have a supportive environment in to adjust to their new situation. For example, a person who is blind can accept their disability and be classified as happy, but if their environment does not offer the resources and
The profession of Social work is a unique and diverse field in that it has the capacity to reach many different individuals in many different aspects of their lives. Growing up with six siblings and being confined to a small three bedroom apartment, while my mother worked multiple jobs to provide for her children, often times I became reliant on others to guide me. In retrospect of my childhood, I have personally been affected by social workers, and each of them treated my family with such professionalism. These individuals who impacted my life, did not realize the blessings they were bestowing upon me. Little did they recognize, they forever enriched my life. I desire to do the same for others. I yearn to not only become a professional at promoting the well-being of others, but also making a long-term difference for others.
French, S. & Swain, J. 2008. Understanding Disability: A Guide for Health Professionals. Philadelphia: Churchilll Livingstone Elsevier: 4
He’s emotional capacity is surprisingly higher than most people with cognitive impairment. He executes his role as a father and executes it well. If I were to incorporate the client-centered approach when working with a person with disability just like Sam, I would choose would be those tasks that hold the most meaning to them. Uniquely for Sam, considering he takes his role as the father to Lucy very seriously, his work, which is his source of income, and his circle of friends, it would only be appropriate to integrate all these roles into his treatment. By blending all these areas of interest, Sam would be motivated to forth his best effort. The same concept is also applied to other individuals with other physical or mental disability. Client-centered approached emphasizes the importance of occupational priorities and other activities that defines the person. Mentally and physically disabled individuals would take advantage with the social interventions, mobility adaptation and accommodation, day programs that is going to teach them life skills.