Caracterización fenotípica del mutante ∆ftsI de S. Typhimurium

Persons perceived as less valuable by society have a tendency to adopt the way others see them. Consequently, they perceive themselves as negatively as the rest of their society. This results in low self-esteem.

Based on the presented understanding of the mechanisms of devalorisation and mar-ginalisation of certain social groups, and taking into account the negative effects of social devalorisation, in 1992 Wolfensberger introduced the new concept of social role valorisation (SRV).

Social role valorisation is a process whereby a person acquires a socially valuable role through socially valued means.

Assignment of socially valued roles

In order to assign socially valued roles to persons and in order to avoid the negative effects of social devaluation, it is necessary to once again analyse the process of devalorisation and consider the ways of preventing the process from occurring.

Initially, we can try to change the looks or characteristic features of the person as these two factors initiate the devalorisation process. In the past, persons with disabilities were easy to recognise thanks to specific uniforms that each institution used, and thanks to their specific haircuts. This aspect can be changed in a relatively easy way. However, it’s much more complicated to alter the characteristic features of a person. Although plastic surgery is common among individuals suffering from some conditions that lead to bodily

looks/appearance

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deformation (e.g. people with Apert syndrome have their fused fingers split surgically and their skull malformations are corrected), these operations are for practical reasons rather than aesthetic ones.

Of course, changing the looks of persons with disabilities is not always possible or wel-come. Another way to counteract the process of devalorisation is to change the way persons with disabilities are perceived by others. This doesn’t necessarily imply any change in the person with disabilities; often it is enough to change the environmental context and the situation of the person.

For example, a young man getting off a bus with a logo reading “Sunny Bus of the Associa-tion of Persons in Wheelchairs” is much more prone to social devalorisaAssocia-tion than a person with disabilities getting off a regular city bus. A woman with Down’s syndrome who is chatting with four other women with disabilities and one disabled person’s assistant will be perceived differently to the same woman chatting with four non-disabled women. A person in a wheelchair who needs help to enter a sheltered workshop is perceived differently to the same person who works at the reception desk of a law firm.

The third and fourth stages of devalorisation are associated with the characteristic features of persons with disabilities. When these features are perceived as negative, the person him-self/herself is typically treated as a person of little value.

In each culture some features are perceived as valuable while others are seen as less valu-able. The particular sets of features vary depending on the culture and the times. For in-stance, some cultures value being overweight as a sign of affluence, while advanced age is seen as a sign of wisdom. Our culture, in turn, assigns no value to being overweight or old.

A century ago light complexion was associated with beauty – hence the popularity of large broad-brimmed hats and umbrellas. Nowadays, tanned skin is much more valued, which leads to the popularity of exotic travel destinations, tanning lotions and sunbed studios.

Physical or intellectual disability and mental illnesses are not valued at all: nobody wants to be affected by them and nobody wants their children to be disabled or ill. It is therefore difficult to find a way to change the negative perception of disability. The situation may change with time, but only if disability is associated with other positive features rather than only with negative ones – just like old age can be associated with wisdom and experience rather than with wrinkles, sagging skin and deteriorating health.

The fifth stage of devalorisation is the assignment of a low-value and low-status social role to a person who has so far been perceived negatively by society. Persons with disabilities are placed in closed and segregated institutions and are treated as clients, patients, dependants of the welfare state, beneficiaries of charities, etc. If we want to change this state of affairs we must assign new, socially valued roles to such people and start recognising them as friendly neighbours, employees, members of committees, fundraisers, local football team members,

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etc. It is this fundamental change that forms the main strategy of the SRV process. Through this change we can prevent the negative consequences of social devalorisation that occur at the sixth stage. When we help persons with disabilities acquire socially valued roles, we give them the opportunity to achieve a better quality of life, learn new skills, earn better money and make new friends. Persons with disabilities can also be perceived in a positive way – as persons with a certain skill set and as contributors to society.

In summary, social role valorisation is an extended version of the normalisation con-cept. It analyses the mechanisms responsible for social exclusion and discrimination and investigates the reasons why some people are assigned lower social status than others and consequently become socially excluded and discriminated against.

SRV also claims that the methods we use when we help persons with disabilities acquire socially valued roles should be natural to the particular situation, commonly used, and that they should meet the standards and expectations that are binding in society. In other words, we should act naturally, just as we would if we were interacting with a non-disabled person.

The more often we use new methods and systems, the more we underline how different the person with disabilities is, and how much he or she needs specialist support and treat-ment. This is what we need to remember, not just in the context of the difference between supported employment and sheltered employment, but also with reference to the practical mode of implementation of supported employment. Whenever possible, we should try our best to help persons with disabilities make their own choices and find and maintain employment in the most natural way possible.

EXERCISE 10

Based on the information you have about the key principles of supported employment, think about why SRV is a fundamental aspect of supported employment. Write down your thoughts on the subject in your notebook.

The final two values fundamental to supported employment (which you are already aware of) are social inclusion and the empowerment of a disadvantaged group.

Social inclusion. Social inclusion is the opposite of division into social groups and in-volves including a group or an individual in society at each level of that society.

We must remember that:

Social inclusion is more than just integration.

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When the concept of supported employment was in its early days, support was some-times provided to groups of persons with disabilities who worked together in one work-place; this was the way to include them socially.

For example, a group of ten persons with disabilities were employed at an English duvet and bed linen factory. Altogether the factory employed 200 employees. The ten employees with disabilities were all employed in one department of the factory and were supported by two job coaches. The supported employees were an integral part of the staff and performed regular production tasks. Significantly, all the employees with disabilities worked right next to one another. They were trained and supervised by one job coach. Their coffee and lunch breaks were arranged at different times to the breaks of the rest of the staff. The owner of the factory was very happy with the arrangement because he claimed that it reflected the preferences of the employees with disabilities. In his view employees with disabilities only got on well with other persons with disabilities.

This situation is a good example of physical integration that did not necessarily mean social inclusion. The employees with disabilities from the example were the factory’s mar-ginalised group and they did not interact in any way with non-disabled staff members.

Empowerment of marginalised groups. Empowerment of disadvantaged groups means empowering people to make their own choices and control their lives. Empowerment is one of the key values underpinning supported employment. Persons with disabilities should be able to choose the place where they want to work, the job they want to do, how many hours they want to work, what environment they want to work in, what kind of support they need, and who is to provide the support.

The role of supported employment experts is to facilitate the decision-making process for persons with disabilities by providing the necessary support.

EXERCISE 11

Based on the information you have about the key principles of supported employment, think about why social inclusion and engagement of disadvantaged groups are fundamental to sup-ported employment. Write down your thoughts on the subject in your notebook.