REPRESENTATION OF THE INTERESTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN SOCIAL WORK

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of the method of representation of interests in social work with people with disabilities. The purpose of the paper was to characterise the representation of the interests of people with disabilities as a method of social work. On the basis of domestic and foreign scientific literature on the issue of research, the content of the notion representation of interests is analyzed. It has been found out that in foreign literature this method is defined as advocacy and is largely aimed at changing the policy regarding the protection of a particular group of clients. In domestic literature, this method is determined more often in the area of protection of specific social rights. This method can be used in the area of protecting the individual interests of a particular person associated with helping in the establishment of life, treatment, education, professional development, social adaptation and integration into society, etc. Social workers can use advocacy strategies aimed at changing the attitude of the environment towards people with disabilities, protecting rights to resources, reducing segregation, protecting the culture, identity, and eliminating barriers. It has been determined that individual representation has a more local range of actions (legal, professional, public, self-representation), while social and collective policy envisages changes in policy, development of programs and projects promoting integration of people with disabilities into society, the practice of providing social services and professional interactions. Steps in work with people with disabilities underlying the method of representation of interests are defined: formation, analysis, strategy, action and result, evaluation.