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Interactive Workshop

Disability Issues

Advancing Disability Identity, Belonging and Justice in Social Work Practice and Education

"True inclusion moves at the speed of trust." This session empowers social workers to dismantle ableism by exploring disability identity, belonging, and justice. Through critical dialogue and reflective practice, participants will deepen cultural competency and develop strategies to cultivate trust and inclusion, advancing social work's commitment to equity and justice.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, attendees should be able to:
  1. Identify the unique aspects of disability identity, definitions, and belonging compared to other intersectional identities. Recognize how ableism, stigma, and internalized biases influence identity development. Critically examine the under-representation of disability identity in social work education and cultural competency, exploring how social and medical models shape perceptions of disability.
  2. Engage in reflective and interactive activities to examine personal biases and experiences with disability. Analyze social work roles, values, and competencies in micro, mezzo, and macro-level practice. Critically reflect on how practitioner assumptions and organizational norms impact inclusion, belonging, and justice for disabled individuals in professional settings.
  3. Develop strategies to apply disability belonging and justice principles in diverse practice roles and settings. Recognize the necessity of intentional inclusion for disabled individuals, aligned with social work’s commitment to dismantling ableism. Collaboratively generate action plans that cultivate trust, promote equity, and foster authentic belonging in organizational and community contexts.