Managing Community Care, 7(4), August 1999, pp.9-14.
Publisher:
Pavilion
Looks at how services for deaf and blind people are acknowledged to be generally poor. While a national task force is examining new ways to meet the needs of people with disabilities, this article surveys the national picture and argues for the introduction of regional co-ordination.
Looks at how services for deaf and blind people are acknowledged to be generally poor. While a national task force is examining new ways to meet the needs of people with disabilities, this article surveys the national picture and argues for the introduction of regional co-ordination.
Subject terms:
needs, physical disabilities, social policy, social care provision, visual impairment, deaf blindness, deafness;
Rebecca Halliday, a severely deaf nursery nurse has won a court battle so that she is entitled to apply for a disability living allowance to enable her to enjoy a normal social life. Examines the ruling and its implications.
Rebecca Halliday, a severely deaf nursery nurse has won a court battle so that she is entitled to apply for a disability living allowance to enable her to enjoy a normal social life. Examines the ruling and its implications.
Subject terms:
law, needs, physical disabilities, quality of life, benefits, deafness, disability living allowance;
As a social problem, deafness can be variously construed. Each of the primary constructions of deafness today - disability and linguistic minority - has its archetypes but most deaf children match neither of them. Organizations espousing each construction compete to 'own' deaf children and define their needs. As with service providers for blind people, the troubled-persons industry associated with deafness seeks conformity of the client to the underlying construction of deafness as disability. Some spokespersons in the disability rights movement have joined service providers in promoting the disability construction of all deafness. This neglects the fact that the deaf-world has a distinct culture and that deafness is constructed differently in that culture than it is in national cultures of hearing peoples. The implications of a shift toward the linguistic minority construction for deaf children and adults, the obstacles to such change, and the forces promoting change are examined.
As a social problem, deafness can be variously construed. Each of the primary constructions of deafness today - disability and linguistic minority - has its archetypes but most deaf children match neither of them. Organizations espousing each construction compete to 'own' deaf children and define their needs. As with service providers for blind people, the troubled-persons industry associated with deafness seeks conformity of the client to the underlying construction of deafness as disability. Some spokespersons in the disability rights movement have joined service providers in promoting the disability construction of all deafness. This neglects the fact that the deaf-world has a distinct culture and that deafness is constructed differently in that culture than it is in national cultures of hearing peoples. The implications of a shift toward the linguistic minority construction for deaf children and adults, the obstacles to such change, and the forces promoting change are examined.
Subject terms:
needs, physical disabilities, social care provision, children, communication, deafness, cultural identity;
Children with no hearing often feel isolated and excluded. The author discovers a scheme in Bristol where children can be looked after on a short-term basis by carers they might identify with - deaf adults.
Children with no hearing often feel isolated and excluded. The author discovers a scheme in Bristol where children can be looked after on a short-term basis by carers they might identify with - deaf adults.
Subject terms:
social isolation, needs, physical disabilities, social exclusion, short break care, social care provision, carers, children, communication, deafness;
Report looking at the difficulties in recording unmet need, and at the key characteristics of unmet need, focusing on Dorset. Defines need and unmet need; outlines research methods; and presents summaries of findings for disabled people, older people, people with learning difficulties, people with mental health problems, and people with sensory impairments.
Report looking at the difficulties in recording unmet need, and at the key characteristics of unmet need, focusing on Dorset. Defines need and unmet need; outlines research methods; and presents summaries of findings for disabled people, older people, people with learning difficulties, people with mental health problems, and people with sensory impairments.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, mental health problems, needs, older people, physical disabilities, service users, unmet need, visual impairment, assessment, deafness;
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE
Publisher:
Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People
Publication year:
1995
Pagination:
83p.
Place of publication:
London
Report on telephone use by disabled and older people, based on user views. Assesses telecommunications needs, overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with current equipment and services and reasons for this, looks at the level of awareness of specialist services and equipment available, and identifies any aspirations people may have with regard to the telephone service in general and how these could be provided.
Report on telephone use by disabled and older people, based on user views. Assesses telecommunications needs, overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with current equipment and services and reasons for this, looks at the level of awareness of specialist services and equipment available, and identifies any aspirations people may have with regard to the telephone service in general and how these could be provided.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE
Publisher:
Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People
Publication year:
1995
Pagination:
9p.
Place of publication:
London
Summarises points emerging from a qualitative project involving 40 in-depth interviews about the telephone needs of disabled and older people and sets out the action needed based on the study findings.
Summarises points emerging from a qualitative project involving 40 in-depth interviews about the telephone needs of disabled and older people and sets out the action needed based on the study findings.
Northern Ireland. Department of Health and Social Services. Social Services Insp
Publication year:
1995
Pagination:
6p.
Place of publication:
Belfast
Paper outlining the background to a literature review on the support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults. The review highlights the need for services to promote independent living, the importance of equal opportunities for disabled people, and the need for disabled people to be involved in determining the support services to be provided.
Paper outlining the background to a literature review on the support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults. The review highlights the need for services to promote independent living, the importance of equal opportunities for disabled people, and the need for disabled people to be involved in determining the support services to be provided.
Subject terms:
independence, literature reviews, needs, physical disabilities, policy formulation, social policy, social care provision, user participation, visual impairment, cutbacks, deafness, equal opportunities;
Northern Ireland. Department of Health and Social Services. Social Services Insp
Publication year:
1995
Pagination:
147p.
Place of publication:
Belfast
Literature review of major publications and research, 1985-95, of social support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults; and to take account of international and national developments.
Literature review of major publications and research, 1985-95, of social support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults; and to take account of international and national developments.
Extended abstract:
NOCON Andrew, et al. The social support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults: a literature review. Northern Ireland. Department of Health and Social Services. Social Services Inspectorate, 1995.
Summary
Literature review of major publications and research, 1985-95, of social support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults; and to take account of international and national developments.
Context
Review was commissioned by SSI Northern Ireland to inform a task group developing strategies for physically and sensorily disabled adults.
Contents
Chapters address
background
independent living
involving users
organisational tasks
provision of appropriate services
sensory disability
the wider social context
Discussion
New community care arrangements and the demands of the disability movement have potential to improve the care that disabled people receive from personal social services. However, specialist social workers may be drawn into generic care management and professional staff may be unwilling to share power.
Findings
User-directed personal assistance schemes have enabled disabled people to determine what assistance is to be provided, how, when and by whom, and have been shown to be cheaper than services provided by the statutory sector.
Partnership with users calls for a major cultural shift within organisations. Examples of over-investment show that such a shift is possible and can yield valuable results. Users nevertheless need appropriate support, facilities and training if they are to be enabled to contribute fully to the planning process.
Organisational tasks required are a population needs assessment on which to base the provision of appropriate services; an integrated approach by health and personal social services; education and training for professional staff; and outcomes evaluation to establish how well services are meeting users' needs and achieving policy goals.
Existing services have shortcomings, including unsuitable goals and timing, long waits for equipment, imposing of professionals' views, and inappropriate services for young people, older people and people from ethnic minorities.
Services for sensorily disabled people have been especially poor, with little known about needs and inadequate responses by agencies.
Disabled people require more support to gain access to mainstream provision in housing, employment, transport, education and access to buildings, as well as greater financial support to cope with their additional costs. The most successful approaches to equality of opportunity for disabled people involve universally accessible provision and a corporate inter-agency approach.
Conclusion
Accessing needs and providing more appropriate services requires listening to disabled people's views, the involvement of disabled people in individual needs assessment and broader service planning, and major change within tight budgets at the same time as a demanding new set of organisational responsibilities. The challenge is underpinned by the basic principle of a concept of independent living, equal opportunities and a voice in determining how needs are to be met.
See also executive summary
Annotated bibliography 155 refs plus 308 refs
Subject terms:
independence, literature reviews, needs, physical disabilities, policy formulation, social policy, social care provision, user participation, visual impairment, cutbacks, deafness, equal opportunities;