MEANING, TYPES AND FIELD OF

DISABILITY.
BY- RAMYA TAMBE
FY BSW.
ASSIGNMENT- INTRODUCTION
TO FIELDS OF SOCIAL WORK.
TYPES OF DISABILITY
• Disability is an impairment that may be
cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental,
physical, sensory, or some combination of these,
and that substantially affects a person's life
activities. A disability may be present from birth
or occur during a person's lifetime.
PHYSICAL DISABILITY
• Being physically disabled means not having all
the body parts. Or it could also mean that not all
the body parts are functioning ideally.
• Some examples of physical disabilities are-
 THIS BOY HAS

.
NO UPPER
LIMBS. HE IS
PHYSICALLY
HANDICAP.
 THIS PERSON

.
HAS NO LOWER
LIMBS. HE IS
ALSO
PHYSICALLY
HANDICAP.
HAW
PHE
MR.
STE

KIN
G.
N

HE IS A QUADRAPLEGIC. HIS
ENTIRE BODY IS PARALYZED. HE
CANNOT USE HIS HANDS OR LEGS
OR ANY OF THE OTHER BODY PARTS
EXCEPT HIS FINGERS AND BRAIN.
 THIS IS A BLIND

.
MAN. HE HAS
NO SIGHT.
Blindness can be of the result of the
following two-
PHYSICAL DEFORMITY
• If the brain cells and nerves
pertaining to the functions of
the eyes are fully functional
but the parts of the eyes such
as cornea, retina, pupil etc are
damaged, then blindness is
caused.
MENTAL DEFORMITY
• If the brain cells and nerves
pertaining to the functions of
the eyes are not functioning
properly but the parts of the
eyes such as cornea, retina,
pupil etc are perfectly in tact,
then blindness is caused.
Other physical disabilities and their
descriptions.
• Deafness- the sufferer cannot hear anything.
• Physically handicapped- the person might be
missing any of his limbs or other body part.
• Dumbness- the sufferer cannot speak.
What can we as social workers do for
the physically disabled?
• According to Weaver (2006) the commitment to
assisting disenfranchised people has always
distinguished social work from other helping
professions. Social work has always reached out
to those with limited power in society, including
the poor, homeless, children, the elderly and
people with disabilities.
continued…
• Social workers’ roles include preventive, curative
and rehabilitative services for disabled persons.
• Disability care includes improving capacity for
caregivers and parents to care for their disabled
children and facilitating integration of disabled
children into mainstream schools and other
social settings.
Further on..
• Social workers work with mentally challenged
patients and their families by providing
counseling.
• They also help them to persistently take their
medication.
• Social workers usually help the patients and
their families prepare for returning to their
homes after discharge.
Continued…
• In this context, counseling usually involves a
wide range of problems such as personal,
interpersonal, family, financial, vocational
adjustment and educational adjustment.
• Social workers don’t always provide counseling
directly. Instead, social workers provide
counseling to the family of the person with
disability, and other close parties such as
siblings, peers and relatives.
Continued…
• Another role for social workers is to raise
awareness of issues of disability in the country.
• This can also be linked to the advocacy role
whereby social workers can lobby government to
pass legislation specifically targeting people with
disabilities.
NGOs working for the disabled in
India.
• AADHAR FOUNDATION – Maharashtra.
• AAKANSHA LIONS SCHOOL FOR DISABLED-
Chhattisgarh.
• AANCHAL FOUNDATION- Gujarat.
• AKHIL BHARATIYA VIKLANG KALYAN- Uttar
Pradesh.
• AMBUJA CEMENT FOUNDATION- West
Bengal.