Motivation for activity and social participation of young people with disabilities

The idea of the presented text is to show and discuss changes undergoing in individuals of special pedagogy, particularly in young people with disabilities. The article attempts to point out changes of consciousness, directly affecting the ability/competence to defining and overcoming the challenges and barriers, young people with disabilities usually face. It also includes the significance of their motivation for education and employment, as well as variety of undertaken activities and participation in social life.

Perception of opportunities and needs of the blind in Poland and Australia

The research presented in the article was conducted in Poland and Australia. It involved 60 participants: 30 people in Poland (19 women and 11 men) and 30 in Australia (14 women and 16 men). They were all university students (Wroc³aw and Melbourne Universities) aged 18–25. The null hypothesis was formulated as follows: there is no difference in how the abilities and needs of blind people are perceived in Poland and Australia. The findings of a study have confirmed hypothesis that here are many similarities between young people from different countries in terms of their attitudes toward the blind, what can be affected by some social and cultural changes in the world. Openness towards others as a feature of young people makes them a possible target audience for various activities aiming at social integration of the blind. Educational activities for young people should be designed to transfer and construct knowledge of abilities and needs of the blind, encourage the students to reflect on them and eventually deepen awareness and foster understanding of the blind and their problems.

Self-awareness of emotions and social competence of students with visual impairments at the age of early adolescence

The purpose of this article is to present the results of a research devoted to establishing relations beteween self-awareness and social competence of students with visual impairments in early adolescence. There were two questionnaires used in the study: Emotion Awareness Questionnaire – Revised EAS-30-R. Rieffe, P. Oosterveld, A.C. Miers, M.M. Terwogt (2008) in the Polish adaptation of I. Kucharczyk and A. Dłużniewska and Social Competence Scale (SCS) P.M. Valkenburg, P.M, J. Peter (2008) in the Polish adaptation of I. Kucharczyk and A.Dłużniewska . The research group consisted of 30 students with visual impairments and 30 students without visual impairments at the age of early adolescence.

On patriotism, patriots and patriotic values in conversations with adults with intellectual disabilities. Reflections on the margins of a particular master’s thesis

The presented paper refers to a student’s qualitative research conducted in the master’s thesis. It was devoted to a poorly recognized problem of patriotic values in adults with intellectual disabilities. It is therefore the more to be regretted that really methodical research on this problem is rarely undertaken, especially within the group of adults with moderate and severe intellectual disability. Thus, it has been found desirable to report the findings of a student’s study. Unfortunately, performing of this task was thwarted by a sudden and untimely death of a student, shortly after her final exams at the university. Being a supervisor of this particular master’s thesis, I decided to write a paper somehow in behalf of a student, but to show some excerpts from her results section in my own perspective and following my individual way. I intended to describe how adults with intellectual disability view and communicate meanings ascribed to patriots / being a patriot; how do they manage with the concept of patriotism and patriotic values. The issue appears especially important in the context of adults’ with intellectual disabilities access to social, employment and civic pursuits within active supporting their full inclusion and participation in social and civic life.

Image of “Self” and the social world in narratives of students with phisical disability

The issue mentioned in the title of the article devotes to a social world, whose immanent part are persons with a physical disability. The presented paper is a short report based on a wider research and reveals the picture of every day life of students with physical disability. The insight into narratives presented in the text directly indicates the qualitative model of a research in which individual experiences of people with motor disabilities have been explored, involving the assumption that social world remains in a mutual relationship with the structure of “Self”. The main factor, strongly affecting a social world of research participants, is a category of disability, emphasizing physical disability, which is immediately evident to “Self” and to surrounding community, resulting in attachment to stigma and its obvious dominant character. The valuable theoretical basis employed to analyse everyday life of students with physical disability was the concept of mirror reflections that provide the information individuals use to define their own sense of self. One’s self-concept is a mirror reflection of how one has been seen by the others in a society. According to the applied theory, student with a disability is located in the ecological centre.

Organizational (re)construction of a disability concept within social, organizational and physical environment of people practicing sport

The article is based on a case study conducted in one of the sportsmen's organizations (in a sports club), where interactions between a person with body dysfunctions and her able – bodied colleagues were observed. The initial aim of the study was to understand and describe the problems experienced by sportsmen with disabilities, functioning within social, organizational and physical environment, which was not designed to meet the needs of the disabled. However, within the course of a study some additional matters have been raised. Hence, the main finding was that being a disabled person seems socially and organizationally constructed even before it becomes a biological or physical handicap. The paper gives a detailed description of the organizational process, through which "being the person with body dysfunctions" is slowly and routinely constructed.

Hearing impairment as social problem

The hearing loss can occur at any stage of life - from prenatal to late old age. Etiology of hearing defects is varied: genetic load, congenital malformations, prenatal intoxications, perinatal injuries. The important causes of hearing impairment in young children could be diseases. In adulthood, hearing loss is caused by hearing cell degeneration and systemic diseases. Newborn hearing screening enables early detection of defects occurred at this stage of life. However hearing impairment could also be detectable at preschool and school age, as well as at over forty-year-olds or sixty -year -olds. Therefore, auditory screening should also be applied at these stages of life. The early detection of hearing loss does not however guarantee a rational approach to diagnosis and rehabilitation. The lack of effective control system causes undue delays, meaningfully reducing the results of rehabilitation. Due to the aging of the population in the developed world, hearing impairment is a growing problem that has been reported to reduce quality of life, particularly reducing one’s social activity and relations as well as the sense of value. Furthermore, hearing loss still remains a shameful and embarrassing problem in a society which eventually should be hidden even within the immediate family.

The role of social media in the process of educating about disability

This paper is an attempt to discuss the need of educating about disability, either in order to increase the knowledge about this phenomenon or to eliminate the persistent social stereotypes and prejudices towards people with disabilities, which have been held in contemporary societies. The authoress formulates the hypothesis that development of the new information technologies and in particular – the social media – can raise the Polish students’ awareness of disability. In order to verify the above hypothesis an empirical study was conducted. The methodology of the research and the obtained results are presented in the article.

People with disabilities in network – emancipatory context of the Internet

The article is devoted to the significance of Internet in life of people with disabilities, pointing out variety of particular roles Internet plays, as well as underling its multidimensional and complex nature. In reference to data of Polish Statistical Centre people with disabilities represent 19% of the entire Polish society, hence they should participate in social life as far as possible. It also means an access to modern technologies offering an opportunity for inclusiveness. As the global network develops, the necessity to improving persons with disabilities‘ access to the Internet is emphasized. If the appropriate Internet tools are available, people with disability can participate equally in society.

Disability in TV cartoons for kids

The article presents the results of the analysis of TV cartoons for kids “Reksio” and “Clifford – the Big Red Dog”. The study was focused on the analysis of disability depicted in both films. The initial part of the article is a discussion about the importance of mass media as the important factor of socialization and education, including the researchers’ views on this particular aspect. The next part of the paper is a results section, where we report the findings of the analysis of the films “Reksio” and “Clifford – the Big Red Dog”, pointing out the ways disability plot is featured in children’s animated movie. Eventually, emphasizing the impact of children’s animated movie on socialization and education, the authors show how to use a performed results of the study in practice.

The Type of Assistive Hearing Devices and Subjective Assessment of Chosen Aspects of Biopsychosocial Functioning of Adult People with Hearing Disorder

This article presents the results of a research on the sense of the quality of the biopsychosocial functioning of adults with hearing disorder, fitted with conventional prosthetic appliances such as hearing aids and modern technologies using the neurosciences achievements – cochlear implants systems. The analysis takes into account the following factors: quality of life, health, self-realization, self-perception. The conducted study showed the level of patient satisfaction conditioned by the type of prosthesis, in case of deep symmetrical cochlear hearing loss.

Unhealthy eating behaviors in people with physical disabilities

The problem of abnormal eating behaviour is a phenomenon grounded and considered in theoretical issues of varied scientific disciplines, as well as verified in a purely empirical way. In the source literature one can find data pointing out the coexistence of eating disorders with other disorders of mental or developmental nature, addiction to  substances and activities or self-destructive behaviours. Unfortunately, one can hardly find authors who take into consideration the problem of eating disorders in people with physical disabilities, despite the source data clearly indicate eating disorder as quite frequent in them. The presented paper is an attempt to show the current knowledge on the scope, discuss physical disabilities as a risk factor for symptoms of eating disorders, outline the treatment recommendations and directions for eating disorders therapy and psychoprophylaxis.

Maladjustment functioning of the minor with Tourette Syndrome. Case analysis

This article will provide the overview of Tourette Syndrome, its symptoms and impact on the functioning of a child. The theoretical basis of the article will be exemplified by a case study - diagnosis and analysis - of a boy with Tourette Syndrome

Spatial localization of sound in visually disabled persons

In the article the author attempts to show a new possibilities of applying and exploiting the electroacoustic system at working with people with visual impairment. The text exemplifies how to employ electroacoustic system and specific auditory capabilities in everyday life of people with visual impairment. The problems undertaken in the study merely shape only a small part of a broader and multi-faced issue, referred either to sound experience or training the auditory assessment of the sound in people with visual impairments. The accurate schooling, employing specific auditory skills of the visually impaired, as well as the use of special electroacoustic system may increase safety in their everyday life, either in the open or closed spaces.

Creative activity as a way towards self – acceptance and self – realizing in person with visual impairment since birth (the case of Szymon Wasiłowicz)

For people with disabilities, including those with visual impairment, creative activity could be the opportunity for psychosocial activating, self-realizing, as well as performing skills and talents compared to people without disabilities. Creative activity helps in identifying and improving talents and aspiring to a set of goals, eventually improving the quality of disabled people’s life and satisfaction. The paper presents a single case study of Szymon Wasiłowicz, a young man with visual impairment; in particular it emphasizes the impact of creative activity on Szymon’s life. Despite his visual impairment Szymon performs a high level of individual activities and achievements, being awarded a prestigious prizes in music, poetry and sport. Szymon’s life is an outstanding example how recognizing the importance of making effort and being empowered to realize potentials one may perform very creative style of life, as well as obtain its highest quality, that eventually leads to meaningful results and successes, regardless of the impact disability imposes on life.

Art brut artists. From social exclusion to co-creating the meanings of the symbolic culture

In 1945 French artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) began his search for examples of art brut, art produced by untrained, isolated, or illiterate individuals unscathed by artistic culture. After decades of semi-clandestine existence Art brut is moving from the margins to the centre and is gaining triple recognition from museums, universities and the market. The article presents reflections on the presence of art brut in culture in the context of human disability.

Changes in psychosocial functioning of people with psychic and intellectual disabilities and their personal creativity

For many years, scientists of various fields and disciplines have been trying to explain the phenomenon of the creativity of the mentally ill, as well as intellectually disabled people. The communicative role of patients’ creativity is not reduced only to contact between the patient and his therapist. Creativity is becoming increasingly important for an ill person and plays a significant role in her contact with society, helping her to break the barriers of social isolation. People’s with disabilities creatiwity could become a source of change in their psychosocial functioning. They are no longer perceived as made up of his illness, but of the creativity of their own works.

Lifelong, scientific and creative activity of A.W. Suworow as an example of individual and social ability of a deaf – blind person since birth

Disability, no matter how hopeless and misfortune it seems, need not mean to give up on life and supposing it no longer worth living. Even facing severe or profound disability directly effecting in a serious and complicated life situation, a person could benefit from joyful experience and comapassion that lead to self expansion and many more amazing results as well self-realization and autonomy. Undoubtedly creative activity appears an important factor to overcome limitations and barriers imposed by serious hearing and vision impairment. Aleksander Suworow, a deaf – blind person presented in the paper, shows how to successfully overcome disability by performing creative activity. For Suworow creative activity is an important form of communication. It enhances his self-image and gives him an chance for expression that transcends cultural and physical boundaries. Creative expression is not only enjoyable, but also connects people to the world and helps them convey the uniqueness of who they are, what they reason and feel, and how they learn about themselves and live a fulfilled life.