International Perspectives on Disability Services: The Same But Different

Wright describes the self-concept as a "social looking glass. The self-image of persons with disabilities is therefore more often than not a reflection of social stereotypes or reactions to them. Rejection, for example, produces inferiority, self-consciousness and fear Barker et al. Thus, community attitudes affect self-perception.

They also limit the opportunity to associate with others, the extent of one's mobility and the possibilities of employment Hobbs, Persons with disabilities frequently find their opportunities limited because of social rejection, discriminatory employment practices, architectural barriers and inaccessibility to transport.

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In this context, therefore, societal attitudes are significant since they largely determine the extent to which the personal, social, educational and psychological needs of persons with disabilities will be realized Jaffe, ; Park, In the field of education, perceptions towards children and adults with disabilities have changed significantly. The greatest challenge in education today, according to Birch and Johnstone , is ensuring that all schools are as readily and fully accessible to persons with disabilities as to the non-disabled. From every standpoint, whether that of human rights, economic efficiency, or social desirability, the national interest should be to serve children with disabilities equally with all others.

Putting this concept into practice means turning away from the traditional segregation of persons with disabilities. Many writers reviewed here stress the importance of changes in attitudes, behavior and socio-educational structures. Critical to the mainstreaming efforts is the necessity of change, not only on the part of the individual, but also in the social and cultural atmosphere that promotes helplessness on the part of people with disabilities.

Those labeled "handicapped" are treated differently by our society which seemingly emphasizes on the disability of the individual instead of their ability, which works against the individual Birch pg Recent international and national legislation has cast increasing light on the philosophy of inclusion and inclusive schooling. The Salamanca Statement and framework for Action promulgate education for every individual as a basic human right for all, irrespective of individual differences UNESCO Further, international focus through the "Education For All", a United Nation Convention on the Rights of Children; the Jomtien Declaration; and the World Summit on children, required countries to commit themselves in providing education to all children including marginalized children United Nations Organization These international developments have impacted on national policy and practice.

According to the U. Standard Rules on the Equalization of Oppotunities for Persons with Disabilities , "States should recognize the principle of equal primary, secondary and tertiary educational opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities in integrated settings. They should ensure that the education of persons with disabilities is an integral part of the educational system". This is a specific support for inclusive education. In Kenya, the constitution supports inclusive education.

The Persons with Disabilities Act, part 3 article 18 states that:. Further, the ministry of education adopted a national policy on special needs education in Children's right to basic education including special needs education is also provided in the Children's Act Section IV of the Jordanian Law for the Welfare of Disabled Persons states that a person with a disability must be provided with an appropriate education according to his or her disability.

The phrase "student with special needs" is defined as a student with medical diagnoses i. The phrases "student with behavior problems" and "student with speech and language problems" are also used Al-Rossan ; Al-Khatteeb In Australia, the philosophy of inclusive education has followed international trends, with the continent accepting the challenge to educate all students in mainstream settings in an equitable manner Forlin The enactment of federal legislation in the form of the Disability Discrimination Act and the release of the standards for education Act ensure that children with disabilities have greater opportunities to enroll in their local schools.

The government posits that the standards will: Educational authorities and regular classroom teachers are now required to support students with disabilities to ensure that they are able to access the curriculum. The Disability Discrimination Act has been a significant national policy change to inclusive education. A recent initiative by the Federal Government, called the Draft Disability Standards for Education, further amends the DDA and increases the opportunities for students with disabilities to be educated in mainstream schools Commonwealth of Australia.

As a federal state of Australia, Victoria is viewed as a strong and active advocate for inclusive education Forlin Significant developments towards implementing inclusive education in Victoria have been influenced by a number of policy initiatives that include the Ministerial Report of Educational Services for the Disabled , The Cullen-Brown Report and more recently the Blueprint for Government schools in Victoria These initiatives have highlighted the need for students to be educated in their neighbourhood school.

In , it adopted a decree on compulsory education, which includes disabled children. Similarly, in China, the Law on Compulsory Education and the Law of the Protection of the Rights of the Disabled have required and empowered provinces to introduce education for all. From a historical perspective, this article has focused on cross-cultural factors that influence the development of perceptions towards children and adults with disabilities. Societal attitudes are significant since they determine to a large degree the extent to which the personal, social, educational and psychological needs of persons with disabilities will be realized.

To this end, efforts to eliminate all forms of prejudices and discrimination against persons with disabilities by some of the UN agencies, governments, and national and international disability organizations are bearing fruit. Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: Literature review, history, international perceptions. Introduction Over the years, perceptions towards disability have varied significantly from one community to another.

Categorization and its Effects As Goffman pg. From such attitudes, stigma results: Education In the field of education, perceptions towards children and adults with disabilities have changed significantly.

The Persons with Disabilities Act, part 3 article 18 states that: Conclusion From a historical perspective, this article has focused on cross-cultural factors that influence the development of perceptions towards children and adults with disabilities. Mainstreaming definition, development and characteristics. Practical ideas for integrating exceptional children into regular classroom. Council for Exceptional children.

Teaching students in inclusive schools: Educational Journal , 65, Division of Rehabilitation Status Report. Adjustment to physical handicap and illness: A survey of the social psychology of physique and disability. Mainstreaming a new public policy in Education. Needs and provisions in the area of special education: The Case of Ethiopia. Report on the 2nd South-South-North Workshop.

Educators beliefs about inclusive practices in Western Australia. British journal on special education , 22, Inclusive education in Australia. Special Education Perspectives , 6 1 , Attitudes towards people with disabilities in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Roots of prejudice against the handicapped. Journal of rehabilitation, A word for exceptional children. The future of children categories and their consequences. Attitudes of adolescents towards persons with disability. Primary school teachers' perceptions of inclusive education, Victoria, Australia. International Journal on Special Education. Cultural uniformity in reaction to physical disability. America Sociological Review , 26, Children's attitudes and behavioral intentions towards peers with disabilities.

International Journal of Disability, Developmental and Education , 44, Some respects of Ghanian Culture. World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and quality Final Report. Social justice for teachers. Changes and attitudes towards handicapped people. Public transports also provide seats and space for disabled people but unfortunately it is impossible to enter a bus without help cause there is no ramp! Concerning education students with disabilities can attend mainstream schools but an accessible school must be found. One very interesting article was published in Guardian in indicating through pictures the real situation for disabled people in Greece: Based on the World Report on Disability approximately 25 million Nigerians have a disability, with 3.

These disabilities include physical and intellectual developmental conditions. Regardless of the large number of people with disabilities in Nigeria, little support, if any is given to individuals living with disabilities. These individuals are often excluded from social, economic and political affairs in the society. The most common avenue of social aid for people with disabilities is usually through families.

As a result people with disability are subject to neglect and isolation. In addition to stigma and negative attitudes, the most common problem associated with the poor social care situation for the disabled in Nigeria is the lack of recognition and financial support social agencies face in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. Another common challenge is the lack of effective government policy that protects and promotes the rights of people with disability in Nigeria. I feel that until the social system of Nigeria is improved on, the people living with disabilities will be irrelevant.

I have been doing some research on neo-liberalist policy and austerity on social welfare and disability, I am looking at this from an oppressive and discriminatory lens and considering how we as prospective social workers can aspire to work within a system that constrains us by a lack of resources. At a time when vulnerable people are subject to the Tory cuts agenda, it is important for us to be aware of the socio-economic and political climate that SU are living in and to consider the effects of neo-liberal policy and austerity not only in the UK but globally.

I am interesting in learning about the welfare provision for disabled people and in what ways the economic policy have effected people in other developed nations. Every 7th person in Poland is disabled. According to the results of the Polish National Census , the number of people with disabilities in Poland is close to 5. Of this about 4. The social effects of low working activity of people with disabilities are such that 3, thou.

In Poland the cost of rents in amounted to 4. This implies that in Sweden they promote people being able to stay at home for as long as possible, independence and care within the community. I am bought up in Italy and during my 3 years of undergrad i was a live in carer.

The discrimination on the grounds of disability is illegal throughout Italy. When it comes to work, according to the Italian legislation, an organisation that hires 15 to 50 employees should have at least 1 or 2 handicapped people. Certain benefits, such as lower Social Security contribution, are granted to companies that hire disabled people.

Workers with special needs are supported by various legislative bodies. While there is no discrimination against the disabled in terms of employment or education, some amount of societal discrimination does exist. Most of the major cities in Italy are now making efforts to accommodate people with disabilities.

Many buildings and structures have installed ramps, so that people on wheelchairs face less difficulty getting in and out of the premises. The public transport has also become a lot more user-friendly for handicapped people in the last few years.

International Perspectives

All Italian residents who are disabled, including the visually impaired and war invalids, are entitled to mobility allowance, just by obtaining a free Blue Card from a Blue Hall or a ticket counter. On June 25, , legislation establishing measures for the benefit of persons with disabilities entered into effect in Italy Law No.

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The stated purpose of the new legislation is to promote the well-being, full social inclusion, and autonomy of persons with disabilities through the implementation of certain key principles set forth in the Italian Constitution: The legislation also aims at implementing related provisions of the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights O.

This duty may be carried out through collaboration between municipalities. I looked into the Canadian perspective on social care and disability. Their system is very much similar to the UK, with some obvious differences. Most of the home and community care services are provided by provincial, territorial and some municipal governments, which support from the federal government.

Those who can receive such services are par with the UK, including those with frailty, disability, medical condition or family members who need support in caregiving. Some Canadian families pay for private health care either because they are not eligible for funding or because they require additional support services that is not covered under the home care system Government of Canada, On this note, some insurance companies to not cover the costs of social work services, therefore some families living in Canada are excluded from such services — mainly those from the lowest and lower middle-income families Towns and Schwartz, Alongside the UK, informal caregivers are seen as high importance in Canada.

Some care programmes provide support for informal carers through information, training, advice and respite care. The Government of Canada highlights that there are social and economic pressures for informal carers, yet fail to address such issue and do not provide much funding for those giving care within the home.

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Canadians living with a disability are one of the highest groups at risk of poverty as services and supports are often unavailable or unaffordable Prince, This can disempower individuals with a disability from living as active citizens within society. On this note, Towns and Schwartz claimed that there is a need to share information on what services are available as there are a lack of information and knowledge circulating within Canada.

A lot of the literature I read whilst looking up the Canadian perspective on disability and social services address many neo-liberal and managerial ideologies — similar to a UK perspective! A lot of the care provided within Canada are also embracing the private sector, with some provinces hiring outside agencies to carry out formal care within the community and the home. I was very shocked to see that there are little services for informal carers in regard to financial support even though the Canadian Government highlights that it is an issue. Government of Canada Home Care in Canada Research on Social Work Practice, 22 2 , pp.

A National Strategy for Disability Supports: Where is the Government of Canada in this Social Project?. In the French government put new legislation in place which looked to promote equal rights and opportunities and enable people with disabilities to participate fully in society. However since Austerity France has made numerous cuts to their disability budgets and the above recommendations have not been fully realised. With so much promise in , France has been ranked as one of the ten least successful states in implementing the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The information highlighted a few questions for me…in times of financial constraints is cutting disability and social care budgets an easier option, than cutting Education or Health budgets? Is there less backlash from the general public? In China, according to the WHO, there are around million individuals with a disability. Living conditions and social status has improved in the last 40 years for individuals with disabilities, but still a great number live in poverty. The Law on Protection of Disabled Persons , amended in safeguards the rights of people with disabilities in China. Physical accessibility for disabled individuals has improved in China e.

Further, disabled accessibility is required for new buildings, but not in regards to old pre-existing buildings — thus, they do not need to adapt for disabled access. Therefore it is difficult for people in wheelchairs to access most restaurants, for example, even in the major cities. Children with disabilities will face difficulties accessing education. School drop-outs or children who never go to school with disabilities between the ages of is Half of this number will never go to school at all. The law states that mainstream schools must accept children with disabilities, however this seems to be a grey area, with negative attitudes toward disability overriding the law.

Colleges and universities are allowed to restrict candidates with disabilities, and have the authority to make their own rules and policies, most of which are not friendly to the disabled individuals. Many further education institutes also make it harder for disabled people to get into also, raising the grading criteria higher specifically for these individuals.

International Perspectives – Disability and Social Care

In regards to employment, the law states that no discrimination shall be practiced against people with disabilities. It is stated that this is poorly enforced, however. Skills and training programmes exist, but focus on skills such a massage, matchbox making etc. I chose to talk about mental health crisis management in Finland, where a new approach has been developed. It also links to our class in Practice Learning about crisis management.

The professional team can include psychologists, nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, occupational therapists, and other professionals in the Care area. Open Dialogue is being implemented around the world: The hope for the spread of Open Dialogue could be the cost argument more than the humane factor: I found this article very interesting. It is on a study in New Zealand which focusses on barriers faced by people with disabilities. Here are 2 interesting articles on international comparisons to the UK. I found it hard to choose one country to compare as there are so many quality indicators and you can not truly compare countries as there are several different approaches to health care needs.

However I decided to chose Taiwan to talk about. A small affordable percentage is taken off of peoples wages, it varies depending on how much you earn. But, even if you are unemployed or elderly you can still have access to healthcare. Taiwan has smart cards which contain patients health history and needs from birth. They are seen to be very useful as they make it easier for doctors to diagnose health problems and it cuts down on paper work.

I think this idea is interesting as it is similar to the idea of the Digital Passports. Taiwan has improved greatly in healthcare over the past 20 years and seems to being more respected and recognized as providing decent healthcare. I found that the UK government has recently completed an enquiry into social care, and drew on international perspectives from Japan and Germany for a solution to the rising aging population in the UK. In Japan, the cost of caring for their aging population is being covered by those over forty paying into an elderly care insurance scheme, with those over 65 having money deducted out of their pensions to pay for their insurance.

The premiums which they pay depend on the wages that they earn and where they live. The government in Germany created a social care insurance scheme in , and the cost of the insurance that each person pays has risen since. I then had a read of paper on the disability rights movement in Japan which I have outlined below. The Japanese government has progressed with the action taken towards those in society with disabilities who are in need of support. Back in , rice was to be provided for those who were very poor and the elderly, young, sick or disabled. However the government support was very limited and it was seen as the responsibility of neighbours and blood relatives to support those with disabilities.

Welfare grew after WWII, and three new welfare laws were implemented. The Welfare for people with Physical disabilities however only applied to veterans with disabilities and those who were not were still to depend on their families for support. In , National pensions were introduced for employed groups and gradually came to cover more groups of people until it became universal.

Despite the universal application pensions, those with disabilities were still to be supported by their families. Post WWII, the residential institutions built for disabled veterans for rehabilitation was increasingly becoming used for those with disabilities not caused by war.

It became common for disabled children to be separated from their family homes to residential facilities until they were eighteen when they moved onto adult residential facilities for the rest of their lives. The institutions imposed strict rules to control all aspects of their lives. The people were segregated in generally harsh living conditions, made to obey and given no privacy.

The overall experience for children was extremely neglectful and abusive with many dying due to lack of medical treatment. Children were treated in a degrading manor with the aim that this would motivate them to overcome their impairments to avoid further abuse. A group of Fuchu Ryoiku residents carried out a hunger strike in in protest of the horrendous treatment which they faced.

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No policy changes were made despite the media coverage of the strikes. The government looked into the residential institutions following sit ins triggered by residents unions in front of Tokyo municipal building in This possibility of living independently in the community was looked at by the government. The disability rights movement was also asserted by three people who had cerebral palsy who were born into an affluent background who formed a group called Aoi Shiba.

This very influential group managed to succeed in negotiations with the Japanese government. The disability rights movement has moved onto support independent living movements in other Asian countries, and some of those with disabilities are being trained in centres for independent living in Japan.

I found that this article gives an overview of how Japanese policy and legislation has progressed over time to work towards equality within society, although this has been achieved as a result of a lot of activism. Please, read and decide what do you think? The Central Statistical Office estimates that 4 of them have an official confirmation of their disability. There is a lack of an integrated services, as well as the exchange of information between the institutions. In the feelings of the respondents, the support offered is not always adequate to the actual needs.. The respondents also pointed out that they could not always count on the kindness and understanding.

You can apply for the benefit after provided the strict low income criteria. This system is based on a medical model and it uses a terminology that is misleading and strengthens stereotypes about persons with disabilities. According to the regulations of this system, the capability to work in suitable conditions is not an obstacle in adjudicating work incapability.

There is also no uniform system of disability adjudication. Individual acts use different terms to determine disability, or types of disability, and consequently the granting of certain types of support is conditional on a series of documents. This results in the lack of a coherent system of support for persons with disabilities.

Thank you for the statistics Agnieszka, I cannot believe the shocking poverty that people are forced into as a consequence of caring for someone who is disabled. I would like to share a documentary from Channel 4 from the Unreported World episodes. It is hosted by an African British physically challenged reporter, Ade Adepitan. The video is about Witch Hunters in Tanzania that have killed more than women in When women are strong they are seen as evil just like disabled people in some of the countries mentioned in the blog.

I thought I would introduce a few international perspectives through personal experiences of health and social care. When visiting family in Pakistan, it is quite saddening to see that there is no welfare system there at all in regards to health or social care for those with disabilities or in fact anyone in need of health care as a whole. The whole system is extremely corrupt and in a nutshell: If you have money you will be treated for anything and receive help if you have disabilities. For example an individual who has multiple disabilities and is also extremely poor, they will just live a life trapped in one room and do nothing else.

On the other hand if you are from a wealthy family and in the same position you can live a luxurious lifestyle and have access to all the health care you need! Unfortunately I became dehydrated and was admitted into hospital. In other words if you have money you will be treated and cared for. The reason for mentioning personal stories is when I come back to UK, although the inequality is not as explicit and in front of your eyes. Is this what an advanced society should look like?? Just to add- if you have worked for the army you receive a pension and free health care and benefits.

Also, family members who are part of exporting and importing of stock on ships also receive benefits from the government in regards to health care and pensions. Bit of a sad pattern here where if you help them they help you. Your email address will not be published. Here is a wee snap shot of what I have gleaned so far: Anybody else looked at Sweden?