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with Disabilities
Ancient Beliefs
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17th-Century Beliefs
The rise of capitalism during the Industrial Era
presented unprecedented labor needs and social
problems. With the codification of the Elizabe
than Poor Laws in 1601, England endeavored to
deal with the dilemma of caring for needy people
while maintaining a labor force for its developing
industries. Stone (1984) suggested that the Poor
Laws were England's attempt to reconcile this di
lemma by creating a "system of categorical ex
emption" (p. 51) by classifying poor people into
deserving and nondeserving categories. Or
phaned, blind, and "crippled" people were
deemed deserving and received charity less be
grudgingly than so-called nondeserving poor
1986).
Judeo-Christian Beliefs
Judeo-Christian tradition, prevalent among Euro
peans during and after the Middle Ages, taught
that people with disabilities were expressions of
God's displeasure (Livneh, 1982). Although
Judeo-Christian philosophy did not advocate kill
ing, people with disabilities were ostracized and
stereotyped. Disability signified "sinner" to the
ancient Hebrews, and people with disabilities were
thought to be possessed by evil demons. People
who were deformed, "crippled," or of short stat
ure were forbidden to become priests. The Old
Testament forbade people who were blind or lame
from entering the houses of believers (Wright,
1960). In the New Testament, people with mental
disorders were believed to be possessed. It was
thought that people with disabilities had them
because of their own or their parents' sins. Treat
ment centered on spiritual redemption (Albrecht,
people.
18th-Century Beliefs
By the mid-1770s, a new perspective on the hu
man situation, the Enlightenment, was making its
impact on Europeans and Americans. Out of the
tenets of the era came the idea that perhaps hu
mans could be perfected. Within this environ
ment, a model of treatment began to emerge that
defined people with disabilities by their biological
inadequacies. In the United States, institutions
dedicated to perfecting the imperfect sprang up
(Rothman, 1971) with the hope that professional
intervention could cure these inadequacies. When
a cure was not possible, people with disabilities
could at least be trained to become functional
1992).
19th-century Beliefs
The 1800s began with the continuing belief that
humans could change. Professionals held great
hope that "deviants," which included people with
disabilities, could be molded into assimilated, less
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(p. 6).
ing that they were innately un- The medical model views
productive and thus endemi- physicians as treatment direc
cally without worth. No inter- tors and nurses, therapists,
vention could bring about The Stereotype of people social workers, and other
ture deemed people with dis- With disabilities dS assistants who help direct pa
abilities unfit (Longmore, nonproductive and socially tients' lives. Patients are pas
1987a). People with disabilities abject was prominent sive recipients of treatments
20th-century Beliefs
Early 20th-century America offered little attitudi
nal progress. People with disabilities were objects
of shame and disgrace. Parents, often on the ad
vice of professionals, hid disabled children from
society in their homes or in institutions. Gallagher
(1985) recounted the prevailing attitudes of the
time in the experiences of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt as a person with a disability. Roosevelt
was continually forced to compensate for
their lives.
Mackelprang and Salsgiver /People with Disabilities and Social Work: Historical and Contemporary Issues
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and isolation.
10
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consumer.
Mackelprang and Salsgiver / People with Disabilities and Social Work: Historical and Contemporary Issues
11
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tion her social worker facili- movement S disturbing evidence of the effectiveness
tated the procurement of Med- because both have much to ofth,ei,r relationship,
12
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Conclusion
Mackelprang and Salsgiver / People with Disabilities and Social Work: Historical and Contemporary Issues
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THE FIELD
of ADULT
SERVICES
SOCIAL WORK
WORK
PRACTICE AND
Brown.
ADMINISTRATION
ADMINISTRATION
Gary M. Nelson,
Ann C. Eller,
Dennis
Dennis W.
W. Streets,
Streets,
Longman.
Salsgiver, R. (1993, January). The Americans with Dis
abilities Act, ableism, and social work. NASW Cali
Editors
fornia News, p. 4.
or fax 301
301-206-7989
-206-7989#FA$8
,FA$8
Pergamon Press.
Weick, A., Rapp, C., Sullivan, P., 8t Kisthardt, W.
14
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