Introduction

This report is a discussion and planning paper on the need for the development of disability-related content for curricula in Canadian schools/faculties of social work. It includes the findings of a literature and policy trends review, and unstructured interviews with 5 schools of social work, 5 social workers working with disabled people and 3 consumer organizations. The paper includes recommendations on the need and feasibility, the appropriate philosophy or model (ie. rehabilitation or independent living), and the methodology for the development, testing and implementation of disability studies material for Canadian social workers.

All social workers encounter people with disabilities in their practice or contribute to policy or research which affects people with disabilities. Many social workers practice exclusively in the disability field. These responsibilities have a significant impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. Our preliminary scan of schools of social work indicate however, that there is a gap in the area of disability studies.Those consulted indicated that disability studies or abilism be given a central place in the social work curricula alongside race, class, gender and sexual orientation. All believe to some degree that awareness, skills and knowledge of disability-related issues be both pervasive (part of core and elective curricula) and discrete (offered in specialized courses). As well, respondents believed that field placements should be developed further in the area.

The literature and trends analysis found that the independent living approach to disability issues is preferred for education in social work. The need for curricula material development within this approach was also emphasized. Finally, given the trends toward increased consumer participation and control, this paper recommends a participatory approach for the development, testing and implementation of social work disability studies material. More specifically it is recommended that a systematic needs assessment and analysis, and a review of what material currently exists be conducted.

It has only been since 1980 that disability issues and the needs of people with disabilities began to receive substantial attention from federal and provincial governments.Prior to this time little was actually known about the needs of Canadians with disabilities, information about the size of the population of people with disabilities was scant and policy development and program planning in the area of disability was often based on ad hoc decision making.In fact, the development of social policies and programs was in such a state of disarray that Joan C. Brown referred to the development of policies and programs for people with disabilities as a "hit and miss affair"(Brown,1977). Although changes in policy and programming for people with disabilities began to emerge in the early 1980's,there still remained a scarcity of information about people with disabilities in Canada.In fact,the majority of statistical information regarding people with disabilities in Canada came as a result of the Health and Activity Limitation Survey carried out by Statistics Canada in 1986.

The HAL survey provided important information about Canadians with disabilities.In addition to providing information about the size of the population of people with disabilities the HAL survey provided information pertaining to housing, education, employment, travel, training, financial situation as well as the health status of Canadians with disabilities.

The 1986 HAL survey was followed in 1991 by the Canada Census which found that 4,169,540 Canadians reported being disabled.This number of Canadians reporting a disability was up substantially from the 1986 Survey wherein 3,300,000 Canadians reported being disabled.(Government of Canada.Health and Activity Limitation Survey. Catalogue Number 11-001 E, 1992). Statistical information from these surveys indicates that Canadians with disabilities represent a very sizeable "minority group". For example, in 1986 people with disabilities represented 13.2% of the overall population and in 1991 people with disabilities represented 15.5% of the Canadian population. ( Government of Canada.Health and Activity Limitation Survey Catalogue Number 11-001 E, 1992)

The information collected in the 1991 Census indicates that disability increases with age and that most Canadians with disabilities are over the age of 65. Senior citizens with disabilities represent close to 46% of all persons with disabilities while children under the age of 15 represent just under 7% of the population of Canadians with disabilities. Long term projections indicate that while the population of people with disabilities is likely to increase, the greatest increase will be in the population of Canadians over the age of 65. For example, studies by Statistics Canada indicate that within forty years, people with disabilities over 65 will represent 25% of the overall Canadian population (Government of Canada: A Portrait of Seniors in Canada, 1990, Catalogue no. 89-519).

The above information raises important debates and social policy issues pertaining to persons with disabilities.To begin, the data debunks the stereotype that a majority of Canadians with disabilities are children.Such a perception is based on the fund raising activities of various organizations who depict children with disabilities as being in greatest need of resources and financial assistance.Indeed, according to present social trends and predictions it can be argued that many of the services and programs will have to be directed increasingly toward meeting the needs of senior citizens who are disabled.

In the 15-64 age group, results of the 1986 Census indicate that the vast majority of Canadians with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed than able bodied Canadians and when employed they are more likely to be employed in the lower paying jobs.For example, studies by the Federal Government found that 40% of persons with disabilities of working age are employed while close to 66% of non-disabled persons in the same age category are employed.

The survey also found that there was a much greater discrepancy between the employment of women with disabilities than men with disabilities. The Labour Force Status of Persons with Disabilities by Sex (1986) reports that only 30% of women with disabilities were employed (Government of Canada: An Economic Profile of Persons With Disabilities in Canada, Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, 1990).

The HAL Survey of 1986 also revealed that the vast majority of Canadians with disabilities were receiving incomes below the poverty line.The survey found that almost 60 % of Canadians with disabilities of employable age received an income of less than $10,000 annually and only 6 % of Canadians of employable age made an income above $ 35,000.

In brief, the HAL Survey of 1986 found that most Canadians with disabilities of working age (15 -64) had high levels of unemployment and high representation in the lower paying jobs.In all aspects of employment,the HAL survey found that people with disabilities fared worse than able bodied persons and women with disabilities had the highest levels of unemployment and when employed women with disabilities got the lowest paying jobs.

For those Canadians with disabilities who are unemployed, their primary means of support comes predominantly from two economic sources.One system of economic support stems from either public or private insurance plans.Income from these insurance plans is based on the amount of money the person was able to pay into the plan. Because these plans are based on the amount paid into the plan, people with better paying jobs are able to collect better financial benefits such as disability pensions.While insurance plans do provide financial assistance to people with disabilities, funds from insurance programs make up the smallest proportion of all funds available to people with disabilities.

In addition to the private insurance, other avenues for financial assistance include insurance through workers' compensation programs, short term financial support through Canada's Unemployment Insurance program and financial support through the Canada or Quebec Pension Plans.Like private insurance plans financial assistance from these programs is based on the previous earnings as well as the amount paid into the plan for the person applying for coverage. Because the financial assistance provided is based on the amount contributed for that individual,those people in the lower income brackets including women,under educated persons and persons from visible minority groups are more likely to form the greater percentage of persons receiving lower benefits. While workers' compensation pension plans do cover most of the costs associated with disability government pension plans such as the CPP and the QPP do not.These latter programs do not take into consideration the daily living needs and expenses of people with disabilities and limited funds often force people with disabilities to apply for supplementary aid as a means of support.

A third category of financial support stems from coverage through the Canada Assistance Plan.The Canada Assistance Plan is a cost shared program with the provinces and can be seen as the last safety net for people with disabilities.The Canada Assistance Plan is meant to provide for the basic needs of all Canadians who have no other means of financial support or whose finances cannot provide for the minimum of life's necessities.Financial and other forms of aid through the Canada Assistance Plan include General Welfare Assistance, (Municipal); Family Benefits,(Provincial);and Canada Pension Plan, (Federal).

The report on the Economic Profile of Persons with Disabilities in Canada sponsored by Secretary of State (1990) found that the education level of Canadians with disabilities was much less than that of the overall population. For example, this report indicates that only 4% of Canadians with disabilities had a university degree and that 37% had only a primary level education.The study did ,however, reveal that the better the education, the better the opportunity for gainful employment for persons with disabilities.

While an increasing number of people with disabilities are attaining post secondary education the fact remains that people with disabilities are under represented in all post secondary institutions.Lack of quality education for people with disabilities has serious long term implications. As the demand for better educated and trained workers increases, it is likely that the under educated people with disabilities will fall further and further behind.

While the above discussion only provides a brief illustration of the present status of Canadians with disabilities, the discussion nevertheless highlights some important findings.To begin,it is safe to say the greatest number of people with disabilities in Canada are represented in the 65 and over population and the percentages of disabled persons increase with age.On the whole the population of persons with disabilities represents a significant disadvantaged population.In every aspect of life, Canadians with disabilities endure greater hardship and have fewer opportunities than their able bodied peers.

In short, Canadians with disabilities are more likely to be under-educated, underemployed and they are likely to have lower levels of income. These factors create numerous hardships for people with disabilities including poor housing, poor nutrition, poor health and poor self esteem. When gender is included as a consideration it becomes evident that women with disabilities fare much worse than men with disabilities.And finally, while there is no statistical information pertaining to disability and race stemming from these reports, it can be expected that race also compounds the level of opportunity that people with disabilities have in becoming integrated into the mainstream of Canadian Society.

When examining the development of social trends pertaining to people with disabilities it is important to realize that social trends are influenced and moulded by broader ideological and theoretical frameworks.Therefore, any discussion of emerging social trends must be carried out within the context of these ideological and theoretical debates.However, the nature of this submission does not allow for a detailed discussion of the various debates and only the highlights of these debates will be included.

In recent years a common trend in the social science research on disability has been to identify disability as a socially constructed category which has become medicalized and dominated by the medical profession (Albrecht, 1981; Scott, 1978; Liachowitz,1990; Gleidman and Roth, 1980; Zola,1983; and Stone,1984). Moreover, the research regarding disability, which has come out of the academic disciplines of sociology, history, psychology and social work, has attempted to debunk the medicalization of disability and in so doing has provided a new emphasis on disability related research (Freidson, Conrad Schneider and Oliver, 1985).

This new direction in disability research is closely linked to a paradigm shift away from the rehabilitative philosophy to the independent living philosophy (Dejong, 1978). In brief, "as a paradigm the Independent Living Movement is intent on redefining the concept of disability and reshaping the thinking of disabled consumers, professionals and researchers." ( Dejong, 1978 ) Basically, this paradigm shift represents the move away from the medicalized model wherein the individual was seen as being or having the problem to a social/political model wherein the problems associated with disability are seen as part of a broader societal context. The shift from a rehabilitative paradigm to an independent living paradigm represents more than just a new way of defining disability, this paradigm shift also represents a new way of defining and researching disability issues. In fact, it can be argued that contemporary disability research stemming from the social sciences represents a continuation of the dichotomy between rehabilitation and independent living and is indicative of the following list.

To summarize, the above analytical frameworks shares some very common themes including a redefinition of disability issues which challenge medical model/rehabilitative ideology. Instead the paradigm shift in disability research promotes the need to address the "politics of disablement" (Michael Oliver, 1990 ) which emphasizes the need for examining disability issues in relation to broader societal and contextual change.

Although the trend towards the integration of people with disabilities into all aspects of Canadian society has been a dominant theme during the past decade, this trend is very much a continuation of the process of normalization which began in the early 1970s (Wolfensberger, 1974). Normalization was first introduced as a theoretical framework aimed at addressing issues pertaining to intellectually impaired persons who were living in institutions.Normalization laid the framework for the change in direction from institutional and segregated programs to community based programs for people with intellectual impairments. The change in direction from the segregated institutional approach to increased community based programming has been part of a long process but the change has been very influential in developing programs for people who are intellectually impaired. Moreover the change has set the direction for policies and services for people with intellectual impairments and the concept of Community Living has been adopted as the primary theme of former Associations for the Mentally Retarded.

In essence,the transition from a medical model of disability to a social/political model of disability has not only led to a different focus on disability research but there has been a significant shift in the development and implementation of disability policies in recent years.Moreover,the underlying theme of this shift has been towards greater integration of people with disabilities into the mainstream of Canadian society. As part of this process towards integration different trends have been developed in recent years and these trends have been supported by various policy changes at both the federal and provincial levels.

Such policy changes have included the shift from a predominantly segregated institutional focus to a more community based focus (Lord,1991). The change in direction from institutional based programs to community based programs in many ways has meant a revamping of policies and service delivery. Significant changes have included the establishment of attendant care programs;the establishment of programs for integrating children with disabilities into nursery school and day care programs; integration of students with disabilities into all aspects of education from primary school to post secondary education; and in the fields of sport and recreation there has been a move toward the development of integrated sports and recreational programs. In short,as indicated in the representation of these examples the trend towards integration has been a dominant theme in recent years and while these programs have been directed primarily at youth and young adults with disabilities, new initiatives have been directed towards employment equity for adults with disabilities and the objective of employment equity has been the integration of adults with disabilities into the work place.

The above discussion points out that in recent years there has been a paradigm shift in the ways of viewing and analyzing disability issues.As part of this paradigm shift there has been a changing status of persons with disabilities from the patient role to the consumer role. This change in social role is more than semantics and represents a deep rooted shift in the manner in which people with disabilities see themselves in relation to society."Consumerism implies buyers challenges to sellers claims. It represents an approach of doubt and caution, rather than faith and trust" (Haug and Levin, 1983).

As consumers, persons with disabilities have under taken to challenge medical dominance as well as professional dominance. Instead of focusing on disability as personal tragedy or pathology, people with disabilities have focused on environmental barriers as the primary cause of their low socioeconomic status,their isolation, and their low status in society". Environment in this sense includes legislation, social attitudes, architectural barriers,programs, communication, and media design, in short all the structures that deny or admit access to disabled persons for full partnership in the life of society" (Enns, 1981).

Above all else the consumer philosophy encouraged people with disabilities to attempt to take control of the decision making process and to be in charge of, or at least have a say in the development of policies and programs. The attempt at gaining greater control over policies and programs has been a long process extending back to the early 1980s. However, it does appear that people with disabilities have been able to make a great impact on legislative decisions and the development of service delivery.Increasingly, we find governments at both the provincial and federal levels consulting with people with disabilities when it comes to the development and the implementation of policy and services. After all, it just makes good common sense! Consumerism recognizes that people with disabilities are their own best judges and they should have a greater voice in the development of policy and the implementation of services.

Consumerism goes hand in hand with consciousness raising and this has led to the demand for civil and human rights by people with disabilities.Defining disability issues in terms of rights and not privileges recognizes a shift from the influence of the charity ethic which is allied with the medical model of disability to an empowerment model of disability which itself stems out of a social oppression model of disability. Notwithstanding important set backs in recent years, including the abolition of the Court Challenges Program and the rejection by the federal government of a very progressive Omnibus Bill,people with disabilities have nonetheless put their concerns on the political agenda and they have redefined disability issues as civil rights issues.

The struggle of people with disabilities for empowerment has been an ongoing struggle since the mid 1970s and it appears that the struggle will continue for many years to come. While there have been some set backs, there have been many important gains and of particular importance has been the application of minority group status by people with disabilities to reframe their present social position. Similar to other changes which have taken root in disability ideology in recent years, the adaptation of a minority group status reinforces the break from medical interpretations of disability and reinforces the importance of a social/political interpretation of disability. Moreover, the reaffirmation of one's self as a member of a minority group instead of a "patient" is in itself an example of empowerment and is not unlike the empowerment witnessed by other minority groups in recent years.For example, from the Black civil rights movement, the women's movement and the gay liberation movement people with disabilities have learned to take pride in their accomplishments. Moreover, people with disabilities learned from the experiences of other minority populations that to bring about broader societal changes required significant legislative reform and this reform came through the establishment of laws promoting equality and justice.

Recognizing that people with disabilities are advocating for greater control over services and programs and considering that people with disabilities have greater insight than able bodied professionals when it comes to their own needs it is paramount that the development of policies and programs be based on full partnership of people with disabilities.In short, this trend involving the partnership and participation of people with disabilities reinforces the trend toward consumer control which in turn challenges the professional dominance.

Consumer participation is not new as far as the development of federal strategies and initiatives are concerned and it is very likely that the involvement of people with disabilities will remain as a predominant trend throughout this decade. Not only are the concepts of partnership and participation fundamental to a consumerist ideology, partnership and consumer participation are important themes which stem directly from the federal government's own position regarding the involvement of people with disabilities in the overall development of policy which pertains to this population. Indeed, the involvement of consumers in the development of policies and programs has represented the direction of the federal government's own position on the funding of new programs for some time and most new initiatives require that the policies pertaining to partnership and participation be upheld.

The following chronology of events will help to contextualize some of the social trends emphasized by the federal government during the past decade and this chronology will also highlight some of the above themes including the themes of integration, consumer input, equality and partnership :

In short, an examination of present trends pertaining to the needs of people with disabilities in Canada provides the following conclusions:

a) greater involvement of persons with disabilities and consumer organizations in the development of policy;

b) the development of programs aimed at greater integration of people with disabilities into the mainstream of society;

c) greater emphasis on disability as a human rights issue;

d) the development of equity programs in areas of employment and education;

e) a deemphasis on institutional based programs and an increased emphasis on community development programs;

f) ongoing challenges of medical professionals by people with disabilities in their capacity as consumers;

g) redefinition of disability concepts to incorporate concerns about inequality, oppression and segregation, and;

h) implementation of programs aimed at broader structural and institutional change.

Although these observations indicate that some progress has been made, this is not meant to suggest that Canadians with disabilities have achieved the same degree of rights and freedoms as Canadians who are not disabled.In fact, many of the trends identified above must be considered as a beginning process. Overall, the move in policy trends is hopefully toward greater equality but this in itself has been a recent historical development and people with disabilities continue to remain on the periphery of Canadian society. Notwithstanding the reality that many Canadians with disabilities justifiably view themselves as an oppressed population which has incurred many generations of discriminatory practices, there has been a growing movement aimed at rectifying this inequality but again this movement is a relatively recent occurrence and the long term impact has yet to be evaluated.

In the preparation of this submission a telephone survey was conducted to obtain an overview of people's opinions regarding social work education and disability issues. Five schools of social work were contacted, 5 social workers presently working with people with disabilities, and 3 representatives of consumer organizations were consulted. The telephone consultation results provided preliminary findings and because of the small sample size the opinions offered cannot necessarily be attributed to a wider population. However, notwithstanding the small sample size the respondents from the consultations consistently provided similar feedback. In short, all of the respondents concurred that social work education is inadequate when it comes to disability, and all concurred that something should be done to rectify the present situation.

As part of this preliminary investigation, schools of social work from across Canada were contacted and faculty members were questioned as to the existence of or support for courses pertaining to persons with disabilities. Through these preliminary enquiries it was found that three schools of social work do provide course instruction in the area of disability. These schools of social work include Carleton University, McGill University and Calgary University. While these preliminary findings do appear to indicate that disability is not well represented in the various schools of social work, further research did indicate that there were many faculty who were involved in research in the field of disability or have been involved in disability issues in the past, and would like to have greater emphasis on disability studies in their school's curricula. For example, while the school of social work at the University of Manitoba does not offer an ongoing course in disability, the school has from time to time provided a field practice instruction course for students doing placements in disability related settings. In addition some faculty members have been involved in community research projects in conjunction with the ILC in Winnipeg as well as with the Manitoba League of the Disabled.It was also found that faculty members at other schools of social work including Wilfred Laurier University, Laurention University, McMaster University, Memorial University and the Maritime School of Social Work have expressed interest in having their curricula address disability issues. Although these faculties may be very involved in disability related research and or disability related community work, the curricula at these schools do not offer any disability social work courses.

This initial survey was able to find that while disability courses are provided at a very limited number of schools of social work there are many faculty who are presently involved in disability related activities from research to being members of provincial government boards or boards of consumer organizations.Through preliminary telephone surveys it became apparent that most faculty members who were actively involved in disability related research were often not aware that there were other faculty at different schools who were also engaged in disability related research or pursuing interests in the field of disability.The predominant finding was that faculty members who were contacted expressed the opinion that the promotion of disability related issues in schools of social work was long over due. Moreover these same people indicated that they would be willing to be involved in any future research or future discussions which were aimed at promoting disability in the curriculum of schools of social work.

In addition to contacts with various schools of social work, preliminary research also included telephone contacts with social workers who are presently working in some aspect of disability including intellectual impairment, psychiatric disability, children with disabilities, and adults with disabilities. This preliminary investigation included discussion with social workers in hospitals as well as social workers in community organizations.

The consultation found that while most of the social workers were very committed to working with individuals with disabilities as well as their families most of the social workers contacted in this telephone survey concluded that their training and education did not adequately prepare them for working with people with disabilities. For most of these social workers their acquisition of knowledge of disability related issues and the needs of persons with disabilities came through their own on the job training. Not one of the social workers contacted for this preliminary research had been offered any courses pertaining to clients with disabilities. This included the lack of courses in both direct intervention as well as social administration and policy. Lack of educational training in the area of disability did not differ between social workers who had a BSW or with social workers who had an MSW degree. In short, the predominant theme uncovered in this survey was that as students these workers were not provided with any disability related courses which may have given them a foundation for working with people with disabilities.The workers also indicated positive support for the development of curriculum in disability. In fact, the common statements heard repeatedly were "It's about time or It's long over due".

Telephone discussions with community based consumer organizations reflected the opinions of social workers working in the field and as well they also reflected the opinions offered by social work academics. For example, people with disabilities working for consumer organizations indicated that while they may have had many contacts with social workers over the years they were not pleased with the quality of the social work intervention. Consistently,the consumers felt that in most circumstances the social worker was not truly cognizant of their needs nor did they feel that social workers in general were in tune with the present day concerns and issues faced by people with disabilities. Moreover, some of the representatives of consumer organizations indicated that they became involved in the disabled persons consumer movement as a result of their dissatisfaction with professionals and their concern about professional dominance.

As people with disabilities and consumer advocates, respondents to this survey indicated their dissatisfaction with social work intervention and they concluded that if social workers were going to be employed to work with people with disabilities they should be properly educated to do so. In short, this survey found that there was support for the development of curriculum to deal with disability issues in schools of social work but there was also the indication that courses should not present disability from a medical model perspective.

The increased politicalization and consciousness raising of people with disabilities has led to increased consumer input and influence over the development of social policies and programs for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are expressing their dissatisfaction with professionals, including social workers and this dissatisfaction is already spilling over into social work education. For example, students with disabilities attending Carleton University School of Social Work have developed their own student caucus as a means of addressing their educational needs. Moreover,funding was recently provided by the Secretary of State of Canada to this caucus as for the purposes of organizing a Persons with Disabilities Caucus within the framework of the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work. A meeting was held in Ottawa on June, 1993, and persons attending this meeting included social workers with disabilities, social work students with disabilities and interested social work faculty members. Following two days of meetings a caucus was established and became a sanctioned body by members of the CASSW at their Annual General Meeting on June 10, 1993. As a result of the establishment of this caucus the CASSW has in effect recognized the need for curriculum development regarding disability and has also committed itself to addressing the educational needs of students with disabilities.

Following present trends, this caucus is consumer based and consumer oriented and it will be up to this caucus to provide direction to any studies pertaining to disability in the curricula of schools of social work in Canada. It is hoped that the caucus will be able to arrange meetings with executive members of the CASSW in the near future as a means of establishing a committee to work in conjunction with the Educational Policy Committee of the CASSW. Hopefully,this committee, when established, will be able to define the parameters of any research or evaluation pertaining to disability issues in schools of social work. However, before this action can be pursued,the Persons with Disabilities Caucus will have to hold further meetings to elect it's own executive and to decide what steps should be taken next.Once a committee has been established to commence examining present social work education, such an undertaking will involve funding from the federal government and any grants for research should include a partnership with the Persons with Disabilities Caucus of the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work. As far as the development of curricula pertaining to people with disabilities is concerned, it appears that things are beginning to move and hopefully substantive and concrete results will be achieved over the next few years. A systematic and participatory examination of social work education needs, and a state-of-the-art review of what already exists will contribute substantially to this process.

Approaches to Disability Studies Needs Analysis and Course Development

Writers and practitioners of educational needs analysis have identified two major approaches (Bucalo, 1984; Birnbrauer and Tyson, 1985; Hiebert and Smallwood, 1987): the objectivist approach and the interpretive approach. Table 1 summarizes the elements of each approach as developed by Hick. This comparison represents a simplified summary of the broad approaches. Hick (1993) has also developed a participatory approach which draws elements from the above approaches and several principles of participatory action research (PAR). We recognize that different intellectual traditions exist within each broad approach area (see Burrell and Morgan (1979) for a discussion of sociological paradigms and their implications for analysis).

Hick's approach is seen as most appropriate for this study given the trends of participation and partnership in the disability field. As well, Hick's research has identified the following advantages of the participatory approach over the objectivist and interpretive approaches. First, the social definitions and constructions of the people being referred to in the educational material reflect lived experience not purely abstract concepts. This would be especially useful in the education of social workers. Secondly, educational materials tend to have more legitimacy for consumer organizations, advocates and disabled people if they see that there was a reaching out for participation and input. Third, the participatory approach generally produces material which is more readily accepted and implemented by educators. Finally, the approach facilitates empowerment of individuals with disabilities, in that the power to define the social work disability education is in the hands of persons with disabilities.

The approach presented here employs parts of both the objectivist and interpretive methods while retaining the assumptions of the participatory approach. This kind of participatory approach recognizes that quantified measures of what social workers believe are their disability education needs is valuable. As well, a systematic review of what is being done now may uncover solutions which already exist. However, the current trends in the disability field and opinions stated in our telephone consultations indicate that the elements of the participatory approach would be appropriate and effective in developing and implementing disability studies for social workers.

Analysis of consultation interviews strongly indicated that there is both a need and strong desire by all groups consulted for the development of appropriate disability studies course materials for schools of social work.

The interviews also obtained information to inform the recommendations on how to proceed with the development, testing and implementation of materials. Two key factors for the success of the development and implementation of materials were identified by all respondents. First, given the emphasis on disability rights and consumer control respondents believed that course material development must be driven by and controlled by a representative group comprised of consumer organizations, schools of social work, and social workers which operates under some kind of official status with the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work (CASSW), Education Committee. Second, a participatory or community based approach should be taken in developing materials, where disability advocacy groups participate in the definition of course materials. This could be accomplished by working in partnership with one or more disability groups interested in this area. In short, the principles and trends around consumer controlled services which we identified in the previous section must also be used in the development and implementation of educational materials.

Full participation of informed consumers in the development and implementation of course materials for social workers is key to its success and acceptance. This principle has been identified repeatedly in the literature and in previous service and material development initiatives with persons with disabilities. The development of the Parameters of Independent Living kit by Coalition of Provincial Organizations of the Handicapped (COPOH) identified consumer control as necessary and beneficial to the success and feasibility of materials being developed.Other initiatives, such as the National Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (NSIPD) also emphasised participation and partnership with disabled people and groups. Throughout recent publications in the disability field, the philosophy of independent living was underscored. The importance of enabling disabled persons to assume greater control over their lives and to facilitate the integration and full participation in Canadian society was highlighted. Those who espouse the independent living philosophy see consumer control and self-determination as central concepts. The emphasis is upon having citizens with disabilities define themselves and how social workers are educated concerning disabilities. To do otherwise, we believe, would hamper, not further, disabled citizens' objective of full participation in Canadian life.

The following recommends appropriate methods for the development, testing and implementation of disability-related course materials for use in the curriculum of Canadian schools/faculties of social work. The methodological details of these recommendations are based on the authors' experience in completing similar past studies. Since the proposed approach emphasizes partnership and participation many of the specifics may change. It is, however, our experience that the procedures do not vary substantially, but participation impacts the content and form of the material to a large degree. It for this reason that we feel comfortable in recommending specific procedures keeping in mind that they will be altered somewhat when a participatory approach is implemented. A detailed proposal for the conduct of the recommendations would follow in a comprehensive research and cost proposal.

Using in-depth interviews and focus groups, identify and evaluate the problems, challenges and opportunities (i.e. needs) of social work students with respect to disability studies.

Assessment of needs will focus on the identification of required skills, knowledge, attitudes and information for working with people with disabilities. Such elements may include sensitivity to particular needs of people with different disabilities (developmental, physical, psychiatric), accessibility resources, issues faced by people with disabilities, policy issues, structural barriers, and so forth.

Two groups will be the focus of this analysis:

The central concern will be to identify the education needs (skills, awareness and knowledge) of policy and direct practice students to facilitate work with people with disabilities or in the disability studies field.

Analysis of identified needs will focus on specifying the major areas to be addressed in course materials for each group, i.e. what are the course material needs of each group in terms of specific skills, knowledge, information and attitudes.

Following the identification and analysis of needs, develop specific course material objectives. This crucial stage would involve persons with disabilities in developing and verifying the content and form of the course materials. This social verification process is essential to ensure that valid knowledge is presented in the course material. A working group of disabled people and representatives from interested organizations would be established to participate in this activity. If such a group was sanctioned by the CASSW Education Committee for providing input on schools of social work curricula, the implementation and acceptance of materials developed would be increased. The CASSW Education Committee is mandated by the Canadian schools of social work to make recommendations around curriculum.

Course material objectives will be specific to the needs of each student group.

Further recommendations will also be explored. These will include an emphasis on incorporating disabled persons in the planning and conducting of course material sessions and a focus on gearing the course material as much as possible to the specific work settings.

Both the policy and direct practice course materials will be summarized for use in two ways:

This will enable schools/faculties to fully integrate disability studies in their curriculum alongside race, class, gender, sexual preference, and to provide students the opportunity to specialize in working in the disability field.

Overall, we will consider the ascribed and felt needs of students and will measure the following:

Conduct of a Pre-Evaluation Assessment (PEA) in consultation with schools/faculties of social work to help ensure that the appropriate information is collected in a credible manner to answer the right questions. To identify existing courses or the need to develop new ones, a meta-evaluation would ultimately need to be done. In order to ensure that the appropriate information is collected and indicators established it is generally accepted that a PEA be done as the first step.

Establish current population of disability studies courses in North America.

Two types of information will be obtained or collected: 1) information which describes courses materials to produce Program Component Profiles; and, 2) information on existing evaluation studies of disability studies course materials in order to make recommendations on the appropriateness and effectiveness of materials.

Analysis of the existing course materials and any evaluations previously completed to determine the potential performance, applicability and potential benefits of various options and whether to acquire or develop in whole or in part course materials for use in Canadian schools of social work. We use the term meta-evaluation to refer to the evaluation of summative evaluations.

The analysis will result in a list of courses, techniques or modules which would be of benefit to the schools. We will present in text and graphic format summaries of course materials, existing evaluations and our meta-evaluation findings. We will recommend how schools would benefit from specific course materials or components. Finally we will recommend whether to acquire or adapt specific materials, components or techniques, in whole or in part, and/or develop a new course materials or components. Recommendations made will integrate the findings from the Needs Assessment and Analysis.

The pre-test of course material, both for integration into core and elective curriculum and specialized courses will involve:

To facilitate widespread implementation of the course material several activities need to occur:

The following is a selected annotated bibliography of articles, books reports and other bibliographies from Canada and the United States Since 1985 which discuss the education of social workers around disability issues. Other materials are included which will inform the develop of educational materials in this area. A comprehensive computerized database literature search was completed.

There are no studies on disability studies for social workers in Canada. The same material for the United States is limited. The literature search found that there are few written materials which specifically discuss disability studies. This indicates that disability studies is a neglected area of research and that there is a strong need for research and consultation for the development of disability studies for social workers in Canada.

This booklet suggests current and appropriate terminology to reflect the increased participation by Canadians with disabilities in society. It is intended to encourage and promote fair and accurate portrayal of persons with disabilities. It is primarily designed for print and broadcast media professionals writing and reporting about issues of concern to persons with disabilities.

In presenting this report, the Committee strives to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities in Saskatchewan. This document contains 49 recommendations which are the results of consultations with 18 advocacy groups and service providers who represent persons with disabilities in the province.

Prader-Willi (P-W) syndrome is among the five most common birth defects, though until 1970, it was such a medical rarity that the vast majority of professionals did not know of its existence. An effort is made here to inform social work professionals about P-W, especially those who work with the developmentally disabled. The characteristics, etiology, & prognosis of P-W are described, & illustrated via a case study. The need for education of all professionals who may come into contact with P-W persons & their families is emphasized, & the social work profession is challenged to develop interventions & support for this group. The future of P-W persons within controlled & supportive environments is considered.

The apparent low priority of the physically disabled in the fieldwork component of social work education is examined via a questionnaire survey of the fieldwork directors of 346 Council on Social Work Education accredited baccalaureate social work education programs. Focus was on special field education problems & solutions, as well as the educational outcomes. Results indicate that physically disabled students are involved in baccalaureate social work education & are able to follow professional career patterns in at least the same %s as their nondisabled counterparts. The majority of problems appear to be of an ecological nature & perhaps require a stronger social welfare policy commitment to the rights of the physically disabled.

The Council's mandate is to advise, report to, and make recommendations to the Government on matters relating to the opportunity for full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in the life of the Province. This document describes the three phases of the action plan.

In view of the passage in 1986 of PL-99-457, expanding US PL-94-142 (1975) to provide individualized educational & other planning not only to handicapped children but to their families, social workers may be expected to have increased involvement with such families. Specific knowledge, skills, & competency are needed to work with these special needs children & their families. Social work education must be responsive to these needs. Competency-based educational responses are suggested.

Review Committee Examining Legislation Affecting Manitobans Living with a Mental Disability, 1991. The mandate of the Committee is to develop options and recommendations on new legislation affecting adult Manitobans living with a mental disability as vulnerable persons. The intent is to provide provisions for protection and an enabling framework for services. This document focuses on proposed new legislation. It includes charts to illustrate the proposed substitute decision making process.

In a review of disabled women's issues in Canada in the 1970s-1980s, the creation of two organizations is traced: the Coalition of Provincial Organizations of the Handicapped (COPOH) & the Disabled Women's Network (DAWN). In the early years, the concerns of women with disabilities were not considered serious issues by either disabled men in COPOH or nondisabled women leading the women's movement. In response to this lack of concern, DAWN was founded in 1985 & later joined COPOH to work together on issues of concern to disabled women.

Describes a program employing masters-level, social-work case managers who serve rural Appalachian families with developmentally disabled children. A case illustration of a girl whose spinal column failed to close during development demonstrates the primary features of case management (family focus, systematic planning, community coordination, concern for continuity of care, counselling services, and cost effectiveness), taking into account the special features of providing case management services to an economically limited, physically isolated rural family.

The quality of 213 institutional & community human service programs serving mentally retarded, psychiatrically impaired, or other handicapped persons in Canada, the US, & the UK between 1983 & 1988 was evaluated using W. Wolfensberger's & S. Thomas's Program Analysis of Service Systems Implementation of Normalization Goals (PASSING): Normalization Criteria and Ratings Manual, 2nd edition, Toronto, Ontario: National Institute on Mental Retardation, 1983) based on social role valorization. Results showed that PASSING has adequate internal consistency & interrater reliability. Average quality of services on the total PASSING scale & five subscales was modest; community group residences were of better quality than community vocational programs, but both were superior to institutional residences. Canadian programs were of significantly better quality than US programs.

Examined the effectiveness of a social work intervention called the Coping Skills Training Program (CSTP) in helping parents deal with the problems they face raising children with developmental disabilities. The CSTP involved training in problem solving, achieving personal goals, interpersonal skills training, and cognitive restructuring presented in a group treatment format. Results from 24 mothers (mean age 38.9 yrs) in the CSTP group show significant improvements in problem-solving abilities, as assessed by the Problem Solving Inventory manual, and the achievement of individualized goals. More modest but statistically significant improvements were noted for interpersonal communication skills and expressions of positive self regard, as assessed by a role-play test.

Physically disabled people belong to a distinctive minority group for whom affirmative action measures in social work education & employment are long overdue. That the disabled have been neglected is reflective of their circumstances generally & of the existence of other priorities for affirmative action in social work. The reasons why affirmative action for the disabled is warranted are discussed, & the issues & needs that must be considered in developing such affirmative action programs are identified. Means for identifying & recruiting qualified disabled students are suggested.

This profile presents information on the incidence of disability by age and jurisdiction, and projections; functional limitations, activity restrictions and dependency; and education, labour force activity and income. It discusses the implications of the issues, the policy context and initiatives of the City, and planning policies for the future. It includes recommendations.

An anthology of short articles - some analytical, some experiential, some both - discussing Canadian women's experience with disabilities. Also contains relevant book and film reviews and an extensive bibliography and resource list.

Replacing individualistic conceptions, a socio- political model implies that disability stems from the failure of the social environment to adjust to the needs of people with disabilities rather than from the inability of disabled individuals to adapt to societal demands. The extent to which Canadian policies have changed to embrace this new definition is examined here, revealing some progress in policies related to shelter, transportation, & recreation. However,policies related to income & employment are still individualistic because policy change in these areas requires a major shift in governmental approach to unemployment & fundamental reform of the Social Assistance system. In a period of high unemployment, people with disabilities are viewed as surplus labour, & the government has found that high unemployment is politically tolerable. Obstacles to an increase in income support include a strong work ethic, the philosophy that social assistance benefits should be less than could be earned in the workforce, & the private insurance & litigation industries that benefit from the current income system. Other barriers to change are the lack of power of disabled groups & the dominance of professionals.

The purpose here is to (1) provide evidence that social work education has not met its responsibility to the handicapped, & (2) to challenge educators to prepare students more adequately for this area of service. Data from a 1979 survey of graduate social work schools (N not provided) illustrate the status of curricular response to the needs of the handicapped. Results of curriculum study conducted in 1959 by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) are used to compare current & past responses to this special population. It is concluded that social work education has, since the 1950s, failed to respond adequately to the needs of this group. Suggestions are presented for enriching curricula & providing leadership in this area.

Reviews past and current concepts from family systems theory as they apply to treatment models. The implications of models of biochemical causation, crisis management, and parent training are discussed as they apply to more supportive (and less confrontative and accusatory) and more didactic models for ongoing care for chronically mentally ill persons. This focus (1) is a major step toward validating the experiences of families with a disabled member and toward empowering them as consumers of service and (2) encourages formation of supportive groups of families struggling with concerns of stigma, daily management of problematic behaviour, and responses to repeated crises. Implications for the training of social workers are discussed.

Article contains the main themes of speeches on disability and women given at the National Women's Studies Association meeting at Spelman College in 1987. Included is Jan Laude's description of a course offered by herself at Indiana University on disability. Key issue was mainstreaming disability studies for students other than those studying rehabilitation.

This document replaces `Children with moderate and severe intellectual handicaps' (1981) as a guide to the provision of educational opportunities for exceptional students in Ontario. The purpose of the document is to assist teaching and administrative staff in developing individual programs for students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities by means of a detailed model of program planning, assist teachers in adapting curriculum to meet student needs, assist teachers in evaluating the progress of students and the effectiveness of their programs. It also provides information and direction for curriculum development in subject areas, and facilitates the process of integrating students with intellectual disabilities into school and community.

Woodlands and Glendale Lodge are scheduled to close in 1994. As the population in institutions for people with mental handicaps is declining, services in the community are being built up. Many parents, advocacy groups and professionals have been involved in planning and developing community services for people with mental handicaps. This paper describes the range of community services today and proposals for the future of services for adults.

Students who have a disability are now being educated alongside their non-disabled peers. This document identifies and discusses three factors connected to achieving school integration: law, a legal and legislative base; advocacy, a vision clearly articulated and effectively advanced; and innovation, creative educational practice that captures the vision and turns it into reality in classrooms and schools.

This report profiles persons with disabilities and their economic and labour-force status, as well as the degree of economic disadvantage they experience. It develops general profiles of all persons with disabilities in Canada who are aged 15 and over and not residing in an institution. It also provides a more detailed economic profile of disabled persons between the ages of 15 and 64. Finally, it presents the results of a statistical regression analysis that attempts to identify some of the factors associated with success or failure in the labour market.

The Integration of intellectually handicapped persons : a human and social imperative : orientations and guidelines, Québec (Province):, Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux, 1989. This document identifies some services needed to prevent institutionalization and to support the process of community reintegration. It also touches various aspects of the regional planning process and the reorganization of institutional services and resources leading to the creation of community-based services.

Suggests that health care agencies as they currently exist have a negative impact on the delivery of mental health services to children. Although systems are attempting to redirect funding to community services, the majority are still focused on restrictive and costly residential treatment and psychiatric in-patient facilities. These services are less cost effective than community services and isolate the child from his/her natural environment. The role of case management and management of a care system are discussed, and the development of an intersystem/interagency network called the Children's Mental Health Advocacy Group, located in King County, Washington, is presented. As more systems develop, it is recommended that they be evaluated to determine which components can effectively maintain children in the community and improve the quality of life for children experiencing mental health problems.

Posits that social policy approaches based on interdependence can help meet the common needs of infants, toddlers, and their families. Infants' needs for healthy psychosocial and cognitive development include (1) care in a family setting capable of responding to the infant's abilities and needs; (2) opportunities to learn cognitive, emotive, and social skills; and (3) facilities for care outside the family in a safe setting providing opportunities for physical,intellectual, emotional, and social growth. Four legislative initiatives (parental leave, child care for infants and toddlers, education of the handicapped, and child development supportive services) at the federal level are discussed in relation to social work concepts.

Discusses how the expressive therapies, which utilize music, art, and creative movement, can be an effective treatment intervention with elderly mentally retarded persons by helping them expand their socialization and communication skills, thereby reducing problems of social isolation and withdrawal. These therapies are designed to encourage participants to interact purposefully with others, assist them in expressing and communicating their feelings and ideas, and stimulate their cognitive processes and thereby sharpen their problem-solving skills. Additional goals centre on sensory and muscular stimulation and gross and fine motor skill development. Exercises for each of these therapy areas are described.

Discusses involving family members who have an older relative with developmental disabilities in the case management (CM) process. In addition to direct care, a primary responsibility of family members is service coordination. While health care and social service agencies generally view the family as an extension of the client, most families are brokers, advocates, and evaluators of services on behalf of their relatives. CM is the most important care-providing service that a family can fulfil on behalf of a relative in need of services. Social workers and family members are encouraged to work together on CM to enhance the autonomy and control of the family unit and to reduce their dependency on the formal service system. Such involvement both empowers family members and reduces burden on professionals with large case loads.

Research problems concerned with the field level social worker in local authority Social Services Depts & the implications for social work education are discussed. Initially intended as a minor provision, the general deterioration of the economic system has led to increased demands for direct financial assistance from the Social Services Dept. An increasing amount of time is delegated to tasks involving negotiations with public utilities. Concern over the employment of less able &/or radical social workers is voiced in reference to the expanding need for aid for the elderly, children, & the mentally & physically handicapped. Increased public anxiety about non-accidental injury to children has resulted in professional anxiety not only on behalf of the child, but also for problems that censure & widespread publicity could cause. Educational concerns discussed include problems associated with carrying a "mixed caseload" of patients, basic generic training, problems of specialization, insufficient training, & rapid promotion.

Examined what could be learned from families that had adapted well to the birth of a child with developmental disabilities and if consistent patterns of coping and adjustment could be found. Results from 36 families indicate that positive adaptation seemed unrelated to degree of the child's disability, and did not seem directly linked to family income level. However, it appeared that 2-parent families with few children were at a distinct advantage. Positive family adaptation appeared to be tied to functioning of the parental subsystem and the skilful utilization by parents of family and friendship network resources.

Although the concept of mental disorder is fundamental to theory and practice in the mental health field, no agreed on and adequate analysis of this concept currently exists. The author argues that a disorder is a harmful dysfunction, wherein harmful is a scientific term referring to the failure of a mental mechanism to perform a natural function for which it was designed by evolution. Thus, the concept of disorder combines value and scientific components. Six other accounts of disorder are evaluated, including the sceptical antipsychiatric view, the value approach, disorder as whatever professionals treat, 2 scientific approaches (statistical deviance and biological disadvantage), and the operational definition of disorder as "unexpected distress or disability" in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III--Revised (DSM-III--R). The harmful dysfunction analysis is shown to avoid the problems while preserving the insights of these other approaches.