Moving from Disability-Inclusion Focus Toward Disability-Affirming Practice

Live Interactive Webinar

Instructor: Elspeth Slayter Ph.D.

Level: Intermediate

CEs: 2

In this webinar on social work practice with disability communities, attendees will explore the difference between a focus on access and inclusion alone and the newer framework disability-affirming practice emerging from disability culture.

As context for this work, the course will examine four topic areas. First, attendees will review the social construction of disability and impairment with a review of the medical and social models of disability as well as the personal tragedy theory of disability. Second, the literature on the importance of positive disability identity development and its connection to disability culture will be reviewed. Third, to build a disability lens, attendees will learn about the mechanisms of disability oppression (i.e. ableism and sanism) and the response of the disability communities in the form of various resistance movements. Fourth, attendees will learn about various key topics in current U.S. disability culture that are relevant to social work practice.

In order to translate this material into practice, attendees will consider the guiding principles of disability-affirming social work practice along with steps social workers can take to implement this framework. A short case will be presented for discussion. Attendees will also have a chance to explore their own able-bodied privilege as part of an interactive activity.