Eliminating Stereotypes

Catherine Radler's article, Going Beyond the Disability - Eliminating Stereotypes, brings emphasis on professionals working with individuals with physical disabilities and ways to facilitate the helping relationship. What can hinder the helping relations is by ''using generic labels emphasizes the disability and not the uniqueness of the person'' (1999). With this regard,  Radler mentions how by referring the person by their disability or by saying a person is ''suffering'' or is a ''victim'' of a disability implies that the individual is helpless. As a professional it is important to make the clients feel strong, powerful, and confident enough to reach their goals. Meanwhile, when creating goals and objectives it is crucial for the client to be involved with this decision of what they also believe is a need that they may want to develop. Not making assumptions of what they should need, but what they truly need to facilitate integration and it will benefit them the most.

Reference:

Radler, C. (1999). Going Beyond the Disability: Eliminating Stereotypes. Received May 1, 2011, from  http://www.itforpwd.com/articles/inspirational/34-going-beyond-the-disability-eliminating-stereotypes.html