The author is a Junior Expert Social Worker at the Directorate\nGeneral of Social Rehabilitation, Ministry of Social Affairs, currently\npursuing a Master\u2019s degree in Social Welfare at Padjadjaran University\nin Bandung. Their interest in disability issues stems not only from\ntheir professional background but also from the learning process of\nunderstanding who persons with disabilities are, what their needs are,\nand how the family and community environment influences their\nbehaviour.<\/p>\n
Persons with disabilities are often viewed as having limitations that\nare then seen as deficiencies. These deficiencies are considered to\naffect their social functioning, rendering them dependent on others.\nYet, human beings cannot truly be understood solely from visible\nconditions. Behind every limitation lie life experiences, the role of\nthe environment, needs, desires, potential, and the capacity to\ndevelop.<\/p>\n
Therefore, when discussing interventions for persons with\ndisabilities, it is not enough to focus only on what they cannot do. It\nis also necessary to identify why a person behaves in a certain way, how\nthe environment plays a role, and what potential can still be\nempowered.<\/p>\n
One way to understand persons with disabilities as whole human beings\nis through three perspectives:<\/p>\n
Psychoanalysis: Understanding Wounds and Past Experiences<\/p>\n
This perspective is important because some individuals may have\ndifficult life experiences. From childhood, they may have experienced\nstigma, bullying, discrimination, excessive treatment, or even rejection\nfrom their social environment. Such experiences can shape a lack of\nself-confidence, anxiety, a tendency to withdraw, or difficulty building\nrelationships with others. This can lead to reluctance to communicate,\ndifficulty establishing social relations, fear of participating in\ncommunity activities, obstacles in fulfilling family roles, or an\ninability to take advantage of available educational and employment\nopportunities.<\/p>\n
Current behaviour cannot always be understood separately from the\nexperiences a person has gone through. When seeing a person with a\ndisability who is passive, withdrawn, or lacking in confidence, we need\nto be careful not to immediately label them as \u2018incapable\u2019 or\n\u2018unwilling\u2019. There may be a long history that influences how they view\nthemselves and their environment.<\/p>\n
Behaviourism: Building Independence through the Environment<\/p>\n
This approach views behaviour as something that can be formed,\nmaintained, or changed through experience, stimulus, response, and the\nconsequences a person receives. For example, a person with a disability\nwho always depends on others is not necessarily unable to carry out\nactivities independently. It may be that for years the environment has\nalways provided full assistance and has not given the person the\nopportunity to try on their own. As a result, dependence can become a\nbehaviour formed through a learning process.<\/p>\n
Conversely, if the environment provides positive support,\nindependence can develop. A person with a disability who was initially\nunaccustomed to performing daily activities can learn to become more\nindependent through consistent practice and appropriate support.<\/p>\n
Humanism: Placing Persons with Disabilities as Subjects<\/p>\n
This perspective views persons with disabilities not as passive\nobjects, but as active individuals in determining the right intervention\nfor themselves. This approach can motivate persons with disabilities to\nbecome more empowered so that they can fulfil their roles, build social\nrelationships, and participate in society.<\/p>\n
The humanistic approach encourages social workers to place persons\nwith disabilities as subjects who have the right to determine their own\nlives and futures. They need to be given space to express their needs,\ndetermine the goals they want to achieve, choose appropriate services,\nand make decisions relating to their lives.<\/p>\n
The Three Perspectives: Not for Choosing, but for Complementing<\/p>\n
The three perspectives offer three different ways of understanding\npersons with disabilities. Psychoanalysis invites us to look at past\nexperiences and psychological wounds that may influence behaviour.\nBehaviourism helps us understand how behaviour is formed through\nlearning processes and how the environment can reinforce or change that\nbehaviour. Humanism reminds us to see human beings in terms of their\npotential, needs, choices, and capacity to develop.<\/p>\n
None of the three should be chosen exclusively. In the context of\nsocial intervention, they can be used to complement one another to\nrestore the social functioning of persons with disabilities. In addition\nto providing skills, we need to understand their life experiences,\nobserve the behaviours that have been formed and the environment that\ninfluences them, while also discovering the potential and strengths that\ncan be developed.<\/p>\n
Through these three perspectives, social intervention does not only\nfocus on fixing individual problems but also on preparing an inclusive\nenvironment without barriers, giving space for persons with disabilities\nto live independently and participate fully in society.<\/p>\n
So, have we truly understood the human beings we seek to empower?<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-perspectives-in-supporting-the-social-functioning-of-persons-with-disabilities-1787237577", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }