REHB110W Sensitivity to Disabilities
Fall 2021
During the fall 2021 semester, I took a class called Sensitivity to Disability taught by Craig Galvin. Mr. Galvin is a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant (QRC) and works with individuals who have acquired a disability and are navigating the rehabilitation process. He is also the parent of a child with a Traumatic Brain Injury. In this class, Mr. Galvin taught us about disability theory and invited speakers from the disabled community to talk to us about their experiences. This class was my first introduction to disability theory.
In this class, I learned that there is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to disability. No two disabled individuals need the same things, and it is harmful to assume so. During this class, I reflected on the “respectful” practices I had been taught as a child, and I learned about why they may not be the best way to approach understanding and respecting those with disabilities. In school, we were always taught to live by the golden rule, which is to treat others the way you would want to be treated. But in this class, I learned that the platinum rule may be better.
The platinum rule is to treat others the way they want to be treated. It highlights a prominent theme in this class, and that was the fact that we cannot understand what others need unless we ask them. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to supporting an individual with a disability. It’s also important to respect that you do not need to know every aspect of an individual’s disability to support them. It’s important to ask the individual what they need and allow them to share what they are comfortable sharing. In my professional life, I have learned what is and isn't okay to ask. In caring for those who are disabled, I've found that it is better to ask how you can support them instead of asking why they need that support. You don't always need to fully understand their disability in order to support them properly. The people I support have voiced that they appreciate not having to explain why they need support in order to receive it.
Throughout the class, we wrote papers reflecting on what we had learned and how we can apply it to our lives and careers. Mr. Galvin taught us several different methods we can utilize to approach disability and rehabilitation in a way that is both holistic and respectful. The method he uses is called the Whole Person Model. It focuses on all aspects of a person’s life, from their physical condition to their career. This method ensures that every aspect of an individual’s culture and identity is being considered when supporting them. He also taught us a method of learning that I hope to take with me to my future career. The method is called “Theory-Application-Internalization.” This highlights that while learning these theories is important, it’s equally as important to see them applied in real life and internalize them as just a normal way of doing things.
Hearing from the numerous speakers was also eye-opening. They didn’t just speak about their disability; they spoke about their entire lives. This really solidified in my mind that the best way to approach rehabilitation is to look at the individual’s entire lives. Knowing what is important to them is equally if not more important than focusing on ensuring that their physical rehabilitation goes smoothly. This holistic mindset and knowledge of the Whole Person Model is something I will take with me into graduate school and my career. I hope to be an Occupational Therapist that embraces the parts of the profession that are so uniquely holistic, and I will utilize the tools I have learned in this class to do that.
