Summary

There has been a long-standing debate in Western societies when it comes to deafness on whether it should be represented as being a disability or if it should be represented as being a difference (Davis, 1995; Lane, 1995 ; Brueggemann, 1999). However, in a few isolated villages around the world where a high incidence of multi-generational genetic deafness has initiated a community-based approach to deafness which developed independently from the dominating Western ideas, this debate does not seem to have the same impact. Bengkala, a small farming village located in the mountainous region of northern Bali, Indonesia, is one of these exceptional villages. In Bengkala, the deaf residents, known locally as koloks, have been present in the village for over 200 years during which many community-based adaptations, notably the widespread use of the shared sign language, Kata kolok, have aimed to include the koloks in all village activities. To have a more in-depth understanding of just how well integrated the koloks are in their native community, this ethnographic research applied both participant observation and one on one interviews to document the koloks’ social representation of deafness. Social representations (SR) are frames of reference to which individuals are continuously referring themselves to identify objects, to determine the best actions to take in any given situation and to understand the world around them (Palmonari & Emiliani, 2017; Jodelet, 1994). By studying the koloks social representation of deafness and the d/Deaf identity, this research shows that by maintaining simultaneous membership to the kolok ingroup as well as the village ingroup, the koloks represent themselves as fully integrated members of Bengkala. Thus, this research highlights the positive outcomes of having an unadulterated perception of deafness through community-based adaptations as opposed to prescriptive beliefs of the d/Deaf persons social identity and social inclusion from the hearing society.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social Representations, Social Identity, Deafness, Deaf Community 

Summary

The birth of a child with developmental disabilities requires the family to make frequent adjustments to new situations arising from the child's growth and development. Their family resilience additionally depends on personal and family characteristics and different circumstances.The aim of research was to determine the connection between satisfaction with parenting and the impact of a child with developmental disabilities on the family with the family resilience depending on the characteristics of the child, the characteristics of the family and the characteristics of the parents. The sample was consisted of 479 parents.The data collection method is a survey. The questionnaire: general data, the Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale, the Child Impact on the Family Questionnaire, the Family Social Support Scale, and the Family Resilience Assessment Scale. Data processing and analysis methods are factor analysis. The results showed that a significant relationship was established between the characteristics of the child, characteristics of the family, characteristics of mothers, and characteristics of fathers with the level of family resilience as a criterion variable. The values of the beta coefficients in the regression model showed relative importance for the variables: work status of the parents, perception of the child's influence on social life and perception of the child's influence on financial situation in the family. It was also found that a higher level of parents' education positively correlates with the level of family resilience; the work status of parents indicates a lower level of family resilience; the positive impact of a child with developmental disabilities on the social life of parents is one of the variables that positively affects the development of family resilience. Proposals for supportive programs for families with children with developmental disabilities to strengthen their resilience capacities will be presented in the paper.

Keywords (separate with commas)

child with developmental disabilities, family resilience, family, parents

Summary

Social work academics have a central role in the development of education and qualifications that are fit for purpose and optimise student preparedness for practice. However, there has been little systematic research on the topic of how students are educated since the social work degree was introduced in the UK in 2004 and 2005. This session will report on original knowledge and therefore addresses this deficit and has the potential to inform the practice of individuals connected with social work education from three different perspectives: legislation, policy and practice.The context of this research has revealed, in the UK and (in some contexts) in the USA, an increasing population of older people who are living longer. While old age is clearly not in itself a disability, the indications are that there will be an increase in the number of people using care and support services in the coming years. Social work students and qualified social workers are therefore more likely to be confronted with issues related to disability in their general day to day practice. This occurs at a time of particular consequence within social care, a time which is characterised by the emergence of generic (as opposed to dedicated) services with higher thresholds which will ultimately result in more disabled people being forced to access generic services if they have their own funds, or informal services if not. This practice risks increasing inequality within society even further. Therefore, ensuring that all social work students are, upon qualification, competent and confident to work with disabled people is in everyone’s interests.The recommendations that emerge from this research will be explored.\ \ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social work education, disability, UK, USA

Summary

Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework that encompasses specific principles and guidelines intended to increase access and opportunities for student learning. UDL promotes a shift from individual interventions based on deficit learning models to holistic learning models that are student-centred, accessible, collaborative, and inclusive. Students with disabilities frequently report social and organizational barriers that make educational experiences difficult, and recent studies also report that these students experience ableism in their social work programs. Implementing UDL may decrease students’ need to self-disclose to obtain academic accommodations, as learner diversity and accessibility are intentionally incorporated into all aspects of the course design and delivery. Additionally, UDL fosters increased access to social work education for diverse student groups and reflects the values of equity and inclusion central to the social work profession. Educators can model and mirror social justice approaches essential to social work practice by adopting UDL principles into their teaching and learning. Despite the clear alignment between UDL and social work values and pedagogies, there has been limited uptake of UDL in social work education. This presentation will prepare new and seasoned social work educators to design and deliver social work courses that align with the UDL framework. By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to identify UDL principles and guidelines and understand their benefits to social work education; learn practical approaches for applying UDL in face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses; and recognize how educators may model and mirror UDL approaches in social work education to promote social action in social work practice.

Keywords (separate with commas)

universal design for learning, inclusion, social work education, students with disabilities, inclusive pedagogy