Expertise in Disability Services

 

Expertise in disability services requires a diverse set of skills, knowledge and experience. You could assist clients who have learning disabilities, mental health issues or physical conditions that make it difficult for them to live independently at home.

As a disability support worker, you will often collaborate with other health professionals to assist your client reach their objectives and enhance quality of life. It is essential that you possess excellent communication abilities as well as the capacity to build trust with your client.
Specialization

A specialist in disability services has an intimate knowledge of how people with disabilities live their lives. Additionally, they offer valuable insight on how to change policies that restrict disabled individuals’ opportunities to reach their objectives.

Specialists in disability services often work for government or social service agencies. This provides them with the capacity to offer a variety of services for people living with disabilities, such as housing assistance and employment opportunities.

These professionals must have patience and flexibility, as many disabled individuals have limited physical capability and may take longer to complete tasks than their non-disabled peers. Furthermore, they should be able to communicate effectively with clients so that everyone understands what needs to be done.

A specialist in disability services should have knowledge and skills related to research, as many of these professionals conduct scholarly work about disabled individuals. It is essential that they be able to differentiate their practice roles from research ones so they can offer the most effective services for their clients.
Knowledge of the ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark national law that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all aspects of federal government programs and services. It also applies to public accommodations like hospitals, airports and schools.

Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations, such as extra time or access to an elevator for deaf or hard of hearing patients, but many people with disabilities are unaware of their rights under the law.

Physicians and other healthcare professionals often lack awareness of their legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Studies have demonstrated that this lack of awareness leads to delays in providing accommodations for people with disabilities, which may have negative outcomes for those affected by it.

The Americans with disability services Act (ADA) is a significant accomplishment in the fight for disability equality, yet much more needs to be done. Policymakers must ensure that ADA objectives are achieved while also increasing understanding about its effects on those living with disabilities.
Knowledge of the social model of disability

The social model of disability emphasizes eliminating environmental and societal obstacles that prevent disabled people from participating. It is an innovative, successful approach to inclusion and equality that benefits all.

The medical model of disability, on the other hand, emphasizes an individual’s impairment and views disability as a deficit. Furthermore, it prioritizes interventions that aim to make specific changes to one’s physical and mental health condition.

It is founded on the idea that an individual’s disability experience is shaped by multiple influences, such as their impairment, social support network, education level, family of origin culture and socio-cultural context, employment opportunities and friends/peers.

The social model of disability emphasizes the interaction between an individual’s impairment and other factors that limit their capacity for participation in society (Whalley Hammel 2006). It views disability as a result of psychological, environmental, communication and social barriers which prevent full and equal access to the world around them.
Knowledge of the medical model of disability

The medical model of disability is one of the oldest and most widespread concepts in our society. It views disability as a problem rather than an attribute of individuals. Unfortunately, this perspective can lead policy makers and service managers to focus their efforts on compensating disabled people for physical issues, thus restricting their opportunities to lead independent lives full of meaning.

The social model of disability, on the other hand, focuses on eliminating environmental obstacles that prevent individuals with disabilities from fully participating in society. To this end, physical, psychological, communication and social barriers need to be removed so people with disabilities have equal access to opportunities as non-disabled individuals.

The medical model of disability creates a dependency culture around disabled individuals, while the social model emphasizes that disability occurs as a result of interactions between those living with impairments and an environment filled with physical, attitudinal, and communication obstacles. Ultimately, those within the disability community must collaborate to transition away from the medical model towards one based on social responsibility.