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Occupational therapy targeting physical environmental barriers in buildings with public facilities
- Authors:
- IWARSSON Susanne, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(1), January 2004, pp.29-38.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Evaluates an occupational therapy based intervention aimed at increasing the accessibility to buildings with public facilities in a Swedish town centre, which targeted physical environmental barriers. The intervention was occupational therapy based on the environmental assessments of each facility, given to the facility owners in order to ease the removal of environmental barriers. Another aim was to elucidate the attitudes towards and the practical obstacles to the implementation of accessibility measures among public facility owners. Systematic on-site observations of environmental barriers were administered in five buildings with different facilities, at baseline and at follow-up 18 months later, and were complemented by semi-structured interviews with the facility owners at follow-up. At baseline, environmental barriers were found in all five facilities, such as at entrances, and at follow-up only minor improvements were identified. Two of the facility owners had made use of the occupational therapy advice, but the results also revealed scarce knowledge of or negative attitudes towards accessibility measures. Concludes that active occupational therapy, as described in this study, can influence the situation only to a limited extent.
Youth leadership program for changing self-image and attitude toward people with disabilities
- Authors:
- COHEN Ronen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, 11(3), 2012, pp.197-218.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The attitude of society toward people with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities is predominantly negative in nature. Persons with disabilities usually arouse feelings of compassion, and are perceived as being incapable of working, in need of charity, inferior, and even asexual. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of an intervention programme on changes in attitude toward people with disabilities among member of a youth leadership group, and also to assess whether changes occurred in their self-image. The participants were 164 9th-grade students from various junior high schools throughout Israel. Half of the students participated in an integration programme for changing attitudes toward persons with disabilities, and the other half served as the control group. The group participated in workshops that presented information regarding disabilities and were also involved in volunteer projects offering services to people with disabilities. The research examined the existence and the degree of relationship between participation in the programme, changes in attitudes toward people with disabilities, and self-image. The research findings pointed to a positive change in attitudes of the participants of the programme in comparison with the control group, resulting mainly from personal contact with people with disabilities. No relationship was found between levels of self-image of the research group and attitudes toward people with disabilities.
Beyond good intentions: making anti-discrimination strategies work
- Author:
- SAYCE Liz
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 18(5), August 2003, pp.625-642.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article seeks to explore some key questions about effectiveness in anti-discrimination work: what do we know of what works to reduce discrimination faced by disabled people? It takes, as its key focus, current work to reduce discrimination experienced by people who use mental health services, in Britain and internationally. It also looks at initiatives in wider disability communities. It argues on the basis of available evidence that initiatives are most likely to succeed if they effectively challenge the power that underpins discrimination, aim to transform beliefs amongst those with the power to discriminate, intervene carefully in the different components of 'discrimination', drawing on evidence of effectiveness and work within a comprehensive framework for ongoing anti-discrimination work. This means targeting anti-discrimination work at different levels and different sectors, working with a range of different organisations and groups, rather than dispersing resources through ad hoc, one-off mini-initiatives. There is no single solution to discrimination, but different elements of potential 'solutions' exist. What is needed is to bring different strands of work together. In particular, it would be helpful to forge a stronger synthesis between, on the one hand, securing legislative improvement and enforcement, and on the other, promoting the universal benefits of a more inclusive society. Each complements the other.
Can we help you?
- Author:
- VALIOS Natalie
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 27.7.00, 2000, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Some clients refuse to accept help. Yet social services are still blamed when a crisis results. The author unpicks some of the legal, ethical and practice issues.