Activities for protection rights of the people with disabilities – propositions of changes

An aim of the paper is presentation of the international legal acts (with different character and effective power, as well as with discrimination for general and particular acts), made by General Assembly of United Nations Organization and European Union related to the rights of the people with disability. A goal of the paper is also presentation of the  structure of legal acts what is justified because of the different character of particular documents. In the legal acts there is placed special interest related to the following issues: health protection, medical service, rehabilitation, employment and education, into these spheres legal acts especially provide protection of the needs of people with disabilities, to help them functioning in the social roles, in the legal acts there also indicated legal tools of exercising and enforcing specific rights. The aim of the paper is also analysis of the situations and problems connected with the lack of possibilities related to the taking advantage of the specific rights in the different spheres of life of the people  with disabilities in Poland. This data are presented in the documents: Information related to the Activity of Commissioner for Human Rights and Information related to the Activity Commissioner for Childrens’ Rights in 2015. Important part of the article are propositions related to changes of Polish legal acts in relations to the civil law, family and care law and social law.

Legal circumstances of social policy towards people with disabilities

The subject of disability is of significant importance in social policy of every country. Statistical data show that 1 in 10 people in Poland suffers from this problem. Although there are evident efforts to make disabled people’s lives better, to remove barriers and to change mentality of society, bigger efforts should be made to modify the regulations of social policy. That would allow to incorporate the disabled to the mainstream of different areas of social life, increase the efficiency of practices of institutions supporting people and strenghten the subjectivity of people with disabilities. The text presents definitions of social policy, its objectives and significance towards disability. Presented concepts of social policy consider global, European, state and private subjects. Legal conditions of disability in social policy are presented in the international, European and state context.

Supporting of self-determination of persons with disabilities as an important element of rehabilitation

Researches show that people with disabilities are less self-determined than their non-disabled peers (they have fewer opportunities to make choices and express their preferences). On the other hand, multiple research studies find that level of self-determination of person is connected with his or her quality of life. Self-determination is one of the important element of rehabilitation process and it needs to be encouraged throughout the lifespan. Although The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) guarantees the right to an independent and selfdetermined life, there are still a lot of problems and barriers with promoting and including assumptions of it into everyday practice. Directions for future research and practice are discussed.

Family situation of persons with disabilities and Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities

Families of people with disabilities are not only the primary place of their lives and the closest group to meet a range of biological and psychological needs of individuals. They are also recognized as the “institutions” most important in the process of supporting and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Although The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD 2006, p. 4] “convinced that the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State, and that persons with disabilities and their family members should receive the necessary protection and assistance to enable families to contribute towards the full and equal enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities”, there are still a lot of problems and barriers with promoting and including assumptions of it into everyday practice. Directions for future research and practice are discussed.

Social rights of people with disabilities – towards redefinition of the concept

The article presents a ways of understanding social rights on the basis of people with intellectual disabilities. The theoretical framework of analysis is the ideas of Hannah Arendt and the concept of citizenship proposed by Thomas H. Marshall. The author argues that the current system of social policy changes the perception of social rights. These rights are based on two basic forms of resilience. Firstly, on independence and self-determination in creating one’s own life biography, secondly on effective participation in the public sphere. The author appraises the implementation of the idea of resilience in the practical and normative dimension and uses theoretical concepts of Amartya Sen oraz Seyl Benhabib.

The qualitative analysis of the style of workplace management in regard to the conditions facilitating the employment of people with disabilities

The article aims at the issue of human resources management at workplaces in the open labour market in regard to the conditions created by employers who are open to recruit people with disabilities. It focuses on some aspects of work organization such as: requirements for employees, the work culture as well as the recruitment experience and support schemes that follow. The qualitative methodology, that has been used, resulted in showing a diverse picture of the subject employers in regard to their characteristics and the hiring conditions they apply. A qualitative analysis of the workforce environment in terms of selected aspects facilitating the recruitment of people with disabilities may serve as an advisory tool for professionals dealing with the disabled, the disabled themselves, career development specialists, managers and social workers in searching for conditions that apply to the needs of people with disabilities in the open labour market.

Colors and meanings of cooperation in early childhood developmental support

The article we present contains reflection on meanings of cooperation in early childhood developmental support. It especially focuses on those parts of cooperation, which are connected with institutional laws and arrangements. We introduce four important fields of cooperation: family support, therapeutic teams, institutions working simultaneously and subsequently. We describe contemporary tendencies observed in those areas.

Family and child functioning of children with alergent diseases

Skin diseases are not usually a direct threat to humans’ life. Nevertheless they decrease its quality [K³udkowska, Nowicki 2013]. Owing to the fact that Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic disease, often occurring in early childhood and its symptoms are visible, it has psychological and social consequences that are noticeable by both patient and its family. A permanent growth in the number of Atopic Dermatitis illnesses and its chronic character make it not only a clinic but also a social problem. That is why a child’s chronic disease may be the cause of the parents’ stress, and its symptoms influence building relationship with people and bonding. The purpose of the thesis is on one hand an explanation of how, in terms of cognitive aspects of the disease, coping with stress and family relations, the families with a child ill with Atopic Dermatitis function. On the other hand collection of presumptions being a base for creating a family support system for those families with children who suffer from Atopic Dermatitis. The study involved 30 families with  children ill with Atopic Dermatitis, 30 families with children ill with Atopic Dermatitis occurring with Bronchial asthma and 30 families with children ill with Atopic Dermatitis occurring with Seasonal Allergic Rinitis. The interviewed people fulfilled an amount of pencil – paper questionnaires. They included Disease - Related Appraisals Scale (DRAS),  The Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale exploring the aspects of family life and Personal Data Sheet. Quantitative results of the research allowed the author to create a model of relations between the analyzed variables in all clinical pictures of Atopic Dermatitis.

Social support in mothers and fathers of children with developmental disorders

The aim of the research presented in this article was to determine the level of subjectively perceived social support at mothers and fathers of children with autism. The research involved 74 parents of children with autism (39 mothers, 35 fathers), 77 parents of children with Down syndrome (40 mothers, 37 fathers) and 80 parents of children developing properly (40 mothers, 40 fathers). The results indicate lower satisfaction from social support at fathers of children with autism than at fathers of children with typical development. In addition, mothers of children with autism and mothers of children with Down syndrome rate satisfaction with the received social support significantly higher than fathers of these children. Besides, mothers of children with Down syndrome estimate the quantity of available social support network higher than fathers of children with this disorder.

Informational support for parents at the moment of receiving a diagnosis about the child’s condition

Coming a disabled child into the world is a burdensome moment for usually not prepared parents. The information about the child’s condition is generally communicated by a doctor and demands tactful and understanding attitude. The support provided by the medical personnel just  after the birth of the child often determines the course of emotional crisis which all the parents of children with disabilities undergo. This article involves the research results concerning the range of informational support for parents having a child born with disability and the manner and circumstances of communicating such a diagnosis. Furthermore, the paper embraces the expectations of parents with regard to a comprehensive help which repeatedly decides about the rehabilitation process of a disabled child.

Social support in the narration of an adult who experienced sudden loss of vision

In the process of adapting to permanent severe impairment an important role is played by social support which helps reduce stress, strengthens mental toughness, and facilitates developing constructive coping strategies. Professional texts emphasize the need to develop an ability to perceive and utilize social support. The article presents a biographical case study of a person who suddenly lost his vision as an adult due to a road accident. The narrative interview of Dan McAdams is a basic research technique. The analysis of the narration aims at learning about the role the subject attributes to the perceived social support as a factor in the process of adaptation. The subject focuses on informal support provided by his family members, friends, acquaintances, as well as by professionals. He points out to some gaps in the rehabilitation service system. The statements of the subject indicate that it is very important that the support offered in the situation of vision loss is subject-oriented and helps empower the supported individual.

Social support in the case of vision loss in adulthood

Becoming blind in adulthood, which is a serious permanent disability, is considered to be a critical life event that lowers a person’s well-being and increases the need for social support. The effectiveness of support depends on many interrelated factors, among which the following are of fundamental importance: the nature of the problems experienced, individual traits of the person with acquired blindness and social networks’ characteristics. Effective support facilitates the process of adaption to vision loss as well as prevents mental disorders and a permanent deterioration of the quality of life. Lack of or inadequate social support as well as support that is not adapted to the current needs and capabilities of the person losing his or her vision in terms of its scope and type has a negative impact on the coping process. This article’s purpose is to review and analyze selected research on relationships between various aspects of social support - emotional and tangible support in particular – and adaptation to vision loss in adulthood. It presents studies whose findings have high application value in designing effective rehabilitation models for adults with acquired blindness and in supporting their family members.

Assisted-living residence as an element of ecosystem – the analysis of the „Perfect World” original concept

Housing for people with disabilities is one of the basic areas of normalization. Such independence of the intellectually disabled is still rare in Poland. The text tries to capture the significance of adults with intellectual disabilities finding their independent housing, as a part of „The Perfect World” original concept focusing on the lifelong support of the people with more severe mental dysfunction.

Social networks and social support networks of families with autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders constitute a problem that affects the afflicted people themselves, as well as their families and society. They are the cause of disability which has a negative effect on all spheres of human functioning. People who are diagnosed with these disorders experience difficulties throughout their lives. The care and support of a child and then an adult with autism is a challenge for his or her family. For a person with autism spectrum disorder, adulthood may become a particularly challenging time in their development and may cause many new problems. Another factor that helps to cope with such a difficult situation is the presence of other people. This article undertakes to discuss the topic of social networks and social support for families of adults with autism spectrum disorders as well as changes that occur in these structures.

„Open dialogue” – an environmental model for supporting people in psychic crises and their families

In Poland for many years there have been ongoing debates on changing system of treatment and support of people in psychic crises. The current model of institutional treatment meets with numerous reservations of patients and their families as well as psychiatrists. More and more reports from the world as well as domestic experience argue for implementation of environmental model. „Open Dialogue” is one of the newest approaches to the therapy of mentally ill people and their families, that is currently being introduced in Poland. It is based on so called “open therapeutic meetings”, in which there participate: person in crisis, their close relatives and friends, other people important for the patient and professionals, who moderate over meetings. The work is based on the activities of mobile crisis intervention teams, and therapeutic process focuses on psychological resources of the patient and the resources of their social networks.

General sensitivity of hearing impaired students

General educational sensitivity is the child’s ability to perform tasks related to the role of the student. The overall sensitivity of the instrumental processes and the overall educational sensitivity of the directional processes are distinguished. The study included 74 children with profound hearing impairment who were enrolled in primary school. The research was conducted in the first semester, in central Poland, in integration and special schools. The aim of the study was to determine the level of general sensitivity of hearing impaired students who started school. The results of the study indicate which of the best and least developed ranges can be used to guide rehabilitation and therapeutic impacts on hearing impaired students.

A student with Asperger's Syndrom in the aspect of the public school environment in self-narrative and teacher opinions

The article presents the conclusions drawn from the narrative discourse of public school students who have been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. The article describes problems with interactions between AS students and their peers and teachers. Views of the AS  students on the functional framework provided by the educational institution are presented. The conclusions are, regrettably, that the process of integrating the Asperger Syndrome students into social interactions is less effective than it could theoretically be.

Opinions of the Dutch community regarding the Foundation for Contacts Alternative (Suchting Alternative Relatiebemeideling, SAR) – a report from pilot studies

The sexual revolution, which began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has led to increased interest in the sexuality of people with disabilities. Researchers and practitioners have begun exploring the sexuality of this group with particular emphasis on support and assistance in this area. Western countries, much faster than the countries of the Eastern Bloc, have developed a number of social, systemic and legal solutions in this area. In the West, the law permits marriages of persons with disabilities, so that there are not only marriages that “consume” their relationship, but also the so-called. “White marriage”. The solutions for the solitary were the ones created in the 1980s, organizations supporting the sexual sphere of people with disabilities. For example, in 1982 the Netherlands created Foundations for Alternative Contacts (Suchting Alternative Relatiebemeideling). This article presents the results of pilot studies conducted in two Dutch towns. The diagnostic survey method was used in the studies. A survey questionnaire was used, which contained 11 closed questions. The research concerned Dutch opinion on the Foundation for Alternative Contacts and its activities. The results of the research indicate a rather liberal approach to the type of intimate support provided to people with disabilities. The Dutch community knows about the workings of such an organization, and welcomes and accepts such forms of support for intimate life of people with disabilities.

A Continuity or A Change? About Homelessness and Support Dedicated to the Homeless

Homelessness is one of the most important social problems in Poland. According to statistics, the number of people without a roof over their heads is steadily increasing. The scale of the phenomenon presents questions not only about the reasons but also about the scope and effectiveness of conducting activities: what are the forms of assistance dedicated to the homeless and which of them need improvement? In the article were presented definitions of terms: homeless and homelessness, there were also shown the costs incurred by the state, the main tasks for people without shelter, and suggestions of those tasks' changes.

Social support and counseling for seniors

Disability becomes a constant companion of an elderly person. No care for diet, physical activity and healthy lifestyle are reflected in a variety of psychosomatic dysfunctions in late adulthood. The article includes the main theses of the three development projects for seniors, implemented since 2010. It points methods of work with seniors with different needs and personalities to build their influence on reality. Applied methods: mentoring, tutoring and coaching fit into the overall teaching trends and also represent an interesting alternative in promoting the idea of lifelong learning and personal development of seniors, their competence and identity.

Accessibility of selected public service websites to the needs of people with disabilities

This article is dedicated to the issue of accessibility of public Internet services to the needs of people with disabilities. Shows the need to customize the way information is conveyed online for every user, emphasizing the essence of universal design. In addition, it outlines the principles and guidelines to be followed when designing websites and the results of research showing the availability of public Internet services in Poland to the needs of people with disabilities

Deconstruction of meanings given to demands by teachers working with students with intellectual disabilities

In a wider sense, education becomes a vague and informal process allowing freedom to the student. Is that freedom possible to achieve for a student with intellectual disability? The student is a subject in the educational process. The teacher strives to realize the student’s potential, to support the student in becoming a better and wiser person. To this end, the teacher acquires knowledge and skills while educating him/herself, achieving successive professional advancement levels. And thus, equipped with the right tools, The teacher confronts the student, providing opinions, dispositions, directing the task requirements, giving the student the chance to follow his/her guidelines with a hope of rising the heights of student’s intellectual, emotional and spiritual development. Does the teacher know what to demand from the mentally challenged student? Is it not that being a teacher means he/she should know what tasks to require? How does the teacher perceive those required tasks students must undertake? The explanation of demands in the educational process through the eyes of a teacher and the emancipative challenges in education and support for students with intellectual disabilities – these are the areas covered by this article.

Changes in parenting an ill and a disabled child

Over the past twenty years, parenting roles, with regard to children with disability, have undergone major transformations. Those changes came into being after a social-political breakthrough in Poland. Parents, who until the end of 1980’s did not have much influence neither on treatment and rehabilitation methods of their disabled child nor their education, now are actively involved parties in those processes. Their role has evolved from a passive one, subjected to specialists dealing with their child, to an active one. Parents have become rightful partners with doctors, with the right to be involved in all decision-making processes, concerning their child’s treatment methods. They are instantly informed about medical approaches adopted in the treatment and can be actively engaged in hospitalization of their disabled child. Most often, they became continuators of rehabilitation started in medical institutions. Nowadays, parents are in power to decide which educational approach their children is going to be subjected to, whether it is going to be a special needs school, an inclusive school or a public school. Pedagogical-psychological dispensary consultants’ suggestions need not to be taken into account by parents any more. This shift in parenting role can also be noticed in the sphere of parents’ involvement in organizations serving disabled children. They represent their children in associations and foundations, actively struggling for improvement of their child’s life conditions.

Positive changes in perception of mothers of children with disability – structure and determinants

The article presents the results of own research on posttraumatic growth of mothers of children with disabilities. In the analyzes, the structure of this growth was defined in its basic areas, such as changes in self-perception, relationships with others, appreciation of life and the spiritual changes. Also checked the relationship between growth (in the general and specific areas) and the involvement in the growth process, including confidence in making changes, planning and 1 Termin stosowany zgodnie z obowi¹zuj¹cymi ustaleniami APA (DSM-5, 2013). realizing goals, striving for life balance, searching for new opportunities. Analyzing the character of the relationship between growth and growth initiative (involvement), the moderating variables – basic hope and self-efficacy were examined. 102 mothers of children with intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders and with mobility impairment participated in the research. The following tools were used: The Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, Kwestionariusz Nadziei Podstawowej BHI-12, Skala Uogólnionej W³asnej Skutecznooeci, Skala Zaanga¿owania w Proces Osobistego Wzrastania. Significant positive correlations of growth in its general dimension and some areas with selected involvement indicators have been shown, as well as the predictive contribution of some involvement indicators in determining the growth process. The moderating role of basic hope and self-efficacy in shaping the relationship between involvement in the growth process and positive changes in mothers of children with disability was confirmed.

Risk of change in the process of supporting the disabled child’s family

The article is an attempt to identify existing threats in the implementation of the support process for families with children with disabilities, resulting from the assessment of the content of the „For Life” Program. The purpose of the topic is to indicate whether and to what extent the programmatic solutions contribute to the postulated comprehensiveness of the support of the families.

Tasks package requiring the use of knowledge about basic emotions – presentation of the WE06 measurement tool

The aim of the article is to present the authoring measurement tool WE06 for the assessment of knowledge about basic emotions: sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise and fear. The target group for which the tool is dedicated are children with mild or moderate intellectual disability, whose specificity in the area of knowledge about emotions has been characterized. The theoretical base of the tool has been presented, which is the concept assuming that one of the possible forms of representing knowledge about emotions are mental codes and processes occurring between them. Based on this assumption, a package of 9 tasks was created for each of the basic emotions that refer to the appropriate triad: code, function and process, i.e. image code – perception, verbal code – expression – symbolization and semantic code –understanding – conceptualization. A successive procedure of tool construction has been described, including the particular stages, such as: creation of individual tasks, pilot studies and expert verification. A full  set of tasks containing test material, the instruction and the criteria of the assessment has been provided. There has been described the course of the test with the use of the tool and possible areas of its application concerning, among others, social and educational practice.

Universal design – landscape planning for people with disabilities

Architect designing new buildings or modernising old ones should not only pursue meeting esthetics and safety requirements, but above all ensure that the facility or housing is available for all users. Space, within each human is moving should be designed in such a way that satisfy users’ needs regardless of their physical and mental abilities. Designing space for disabled persons involves the concept called universal design. Its aim is to provide access for each person to all facilities in urban environment. The inspiration of conducting research on planning space availability for people with disabilities was seeing engineering design, which included designing the hall of residence of Gdañsk Medical University. Then, I began to wonder if architecture students take into consideration needs of disabled people while designing housing and public facilities and what knowledge they have in this field. In order to provide an illustration of designing space for people with disabilities, I have decided to present the concept of universal design that is space planning for disabled persons.