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Keywordsdisability, placement, social work

IntroductionThere are two main aims of this paper. Thefirst is to demonstrate that supervising astudent with a disability on a fieldworkplacement is beneficial to all involved and tohighlight that a social work student with adisability can bring as much to a placementas a student without a disability. Such

benefits are discussed in detail at a laterstage. Secondly, the paper also aims toraise awareness of some of the issues thata student with a disability may face andincludes ideas and possible solutions toobstacles faced by students, supervisorsand organisations. By improving theawareness of all groups involved we arehoping to ensure that students with adisability have the same opportunity tosuccessfully complete fieldwork placementsas students without disabilities.

Background

The idea for this Paper was developedthrough discussion of what appeared to bea lack of written information regardingsupervision of Social Work students who

Ditching the ‘dis’ in disability:Supervising students who have adisabilityBelinda Cooley1 and Ross Salvaggio2

Many ‘helping’ professions, such as Social Work, require students to perform anumber of fieldwork placements to obtain their formal qualifications. The challengefor these students is to make the transition from theory to practice and from anacademic environment to a work environment. These challenges are often magnifiedfor students who have a disability with evidence that problems with training andpractice placements are commonplace (Baron et al. 1996). These students may haveto make physical and emotional/psychological adjustments to the environment ofthe fieldwork placement in order to gain maximum benefit.This paper examines the planning and implementation of a social work fieldworkplacement for a student with a disability from the perspective of four major groups:the student with the disability, the social work supervisor, the educationalinstitution and the agency/organisation offering the placement. Practicalinformation, including a checklist and a case example, are provided to demonstratethe issues facing the above groups.

1 Belinda Cooley is a Social Worker at The Corner YouthHealth Service, BankstownEmail: belinda.cooley@swsahs.nsw.gov.au2 Ross Salvaggio is a Social Worker at Centrelink,LeichhardtEmail: Ross.R.Salvaggio@centrelink.gov.au

have a disability. Ross had recentlypresented a session at the University ofNew South Wales on Teaching aboutDiversity (specifically focusing onsupervision of social work students with adisability) and Belinda was interested inreading further on the subject forprofessional development.

Literature review

Our suspicion about the lack of informationon the topic was later confirmed when wecarried out an extensive internationalliterature review, in preparation for writingthis paper. The literature review highlightedthat there was extensive informationregarding school aged students who have adisability and information relating tostudents with a disability attendingUniversity and other adult learninginstitutions. However, there was anoticeable absence of material relatedspecifically to supervision of students whohave a disability (both students onplacement and workers). There is even lessinformation when focusing specifically onsocial workers. Aside from the 1996 articleby Baron et al. the information that did existhad no relevance to the topic. The lack ofliterature related to our topic meant that inresearching and writing our paper we hadto largely draw on our own experience asfieldwork supervisors and our experienceas practicing social workers who have adisability.

Gap in information

If a student who has a disability is in aUniversity setting there is an abundance ofinformation to assist the student while atUniversity (including assistance from

Student Disability Officers). Likewise, oncethe student has made the transition fromUniversity to paid employment, informationregarding the employees rights and otherrelated issues is usually (and should be)available. However, a social work studenton placement is no longer exclusively in theUniversity setting and is not technically anemployee of the agency where the studentplacement is taking place. A lack ofinformation may mean that both studentsand supervisors, while committed to theimportance of fieldwork, do not feelconfident in the placement process and arenot sure what issues need to be addressedbefore and during the placement. This mayresult in the student’s placement experiencebeing compromised, not as a result of theirdisability but due to lack of planning andcommunication.

Challenge and importance ofsupervision

There is a danger in supervising a studentwith a disability that the disability maybecome the focus of the placement. While itis important to acknowledge and supportthe student’s needs, the focus shouldremain on student learning and the practiceof social work. Listed below are a numberof characteristics of supervision compiledby social workers who attended the StudentSupervision Certificate course at theUniversity of New South Wales in 1999.Workers were asked to reflect onsupervision characteristics theyremembered as being helpful and unhelpfulwhen they were students. Thesecharacteristics are important to all studentson placements regardless of whether theyhave a disability or not (Table 1).

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Planning: What you need toknow

What is a disability

According to Section 4 of the DisabilityDiscrimination Act of 1992 a ‘disability’means: (a) total or partial loss of theperson’s bodily or mental functions; or (b)total or partial loss of a part of the body; or(c) the presence in the body of organismscausing disease or illness; or (d) thepresence in the body of organisms capableof causing disease or illness; or (e) themalfunction, malformation or disfigurementof a part of the person’s body; or (f) adisorder or malfunction that results in theperson learning differently from a personwithout the disorder or malfunction; or (g) adisorder, illness or disease that affects aperson’s thought processes, perception ofreality, emotions or judgement or that resultsin disturbed behaviour; and includes a

disability that: (h) presently exists; or (i)previously existed but no longer exists; or(j) may exist in the future; or (k) is imputedto a person (Human Rights and EqualOpportunities Commission – DisabilityRights: Guide to the DisabilityDiscrimination Act 1992).

It is important to remember that in theabove definition ‘disability’ does not meanvisibility – you cannot ‘see’ all disabilitiesand should never assume you can tell whohas a disability and what it is.

StatisticsGiven the broadness of the above definitionit is clear that under the Disability Act quitea number of students may fit in to thecategory of having a disability. According tothe most recent Australian Bureau ofStatistics (ABS) figures, at least 18% of theAustralian population has one or more

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Table 1. Characteristics of supervision

Helpful Unhelpful

• being challenged (in a supportive way) • inadequate or no feedback from supervisor• opportunity for student to explore new • lack of planning and/or direction• challenges • no clear guidelines• using constructive feedback to aid • unclear and/or clash of expectations• learning and development • supervisor not listening to student• use of contract • not allowing student responsibility• clear and realistic expectations and • unavailability of supervisor• responsibilities • insufficient tasks• asking student how they learn best • not recognising student’s previous • being trusted to work independently • experience or linking with current learning• good communication• valuing student• empowering student• sense of humour• clear and regular feedback• availability and access to supervisor

disabilities (although this is a conservativefigure as the ABS did not count short termdisabilities in these figures). This meansthat almost one person in five living inAustralia has some form of disability. Thisalso means that it is highly likely that as asupervisor you will at some stage supervisea student with a disability (ABS 1998).

Impact of the disability

Like many other areas of a student’s life thedisability and its impact will vary. For eachindividual the differences may cut acrossmany factors including the type of disability,coping styles and support that the studenthas. While on placement the impact of the

disability may be minimal, it may beextensive or somewhere in between.

It is also important to keep in mind thatthe impact of the disability may shift. Forthe student this shift may occur within aday, week, month, year-to-year etc. (see Fig. 1). It should also be acknowledged thatthe impact of a disability may also dependon the placement – for example, where it is,what the student is doing on the placementand/or the environment they are in.

Shifts of impact may also happen in oneday and within one hour. For example, astudent with chronic asthma whencontrolled may have minimum impact.However, if the same student has an asthma‘attack’ the impact could be 100% due to

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Fig. 1. Impact of disability

being unable to breathe. Then after the‘attack’ the impact of the disability mayreduce to low or possibly zero (see Fig. 1).

Flexibility in placement and tasks

In being aware of the shifting impact of adisability the supervisor may need to reviewand change the placement tasks accordingto the student’s requirements and needs.For example, if a student has diabetes andis well at the beginning of the placement itmay still be helpful to discuss ideas andplans if the student’s diabetes changes orbecomes worse.

If the student becomes unwell it may bethat the student can continue placementand rather than having to make up dayscan work from home (phone calls, writingup research, reading, etc.). This planningand flexibility will ensure that the student’splacement will not be jeopardised due to ashift in their disability.

Increasing felixibilitythrough creativity insupervisionLike most areas of supervision, the idea ofbeing creative in supervision and flexiblewithin the placement is not confined tostudents who have a disability. Creativitycan be as broad as your imagination andinventiveness. It is important in usingcreativity to be clear about why you areusing ideas and what you are wanting toachieve. Creativity can assist in increasingand improving flexibility in tasks forstudents, increasing student enjoyment ofsupervision, providing a different way ofdoing and viewing supervision and

hopefully improved confidence for thestudent.

Listed below are some ideas that maybe useful – they have not been directlylinked to a particular disability but are ideasthat may be of assistance to a student whohas a disability and may find a different wayof doing things more helpful and flexible.• diagrams• art – drawings, posters, etc.• photography • audio equipment• video equipment• utilising whiteboard/butchers paper/cardboard, etc.• use of Internet • different setting for supervision (e.g. park)• use of journal or diary• scrapbook• presentations and/or role play(Studdy 1999)

Possible obstacles forstudents with a disabiltiyThere are a range of possible obstaclesthat can be identified and should beconsidered to ensure that the optimumplacement is able to be offered. Theseobstacles may include the following.• Community attitudes towards peoplewho have a disability (some disabilitiessuch as mental illness may have morestigma than others).• Labelling the student and stereotypesrelated to this label (e.g. a social workstudent who is blind will not undertakeeffective casework as they are unable tomaintain eye contact with clients).• With a general shortage of placementchoices, for a student with a disability

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placement choices are narrowed evenfurther (Baron et al. 1996).• The student may be seen by theorganisation or the supervisor as a ‘client’rather than a student.• The organisation may view the studentas an occupational health and safety‘problem’.• Negative attitudes from staff. In theirresearch on ‘Barriers to Training forDisabled Students’ Baron et al. (1996)found that problems were encountered bystudents including administrative andclerical staff making patronising comments.• The student may not be taken seriouslyby fellow students or staff if placementtasks are modified due to the student’sdisability. There may also be a problemwhere fellow students or a supervisor,‘overcompensate’ for a student with adisability.• Physical environment in a public areamay be adjusted for clients, however, not tothe same level for workers therefore staffareas may not be accessible for a studentwith a disability (Baron et al. 1996).

Case study: Sam’splacementBy examining a particular case study wecan explore these issues further, identify thespecific problems and begin to strategiseways to overcome the obstacles.

Sam is a third year social work studentattending a first fieldwork placement. Samis visually impaired and requires visual aidsfor reading and uses other specialisedequipment. Sam, along with other socialwork colleagues was allocated a placementby the University. Sam contacted the Social

Work supervisor for the placement who wasunaware that Sam has a disability. TheSupervisor informs Sam that there is nospecialised equipment at the Agency andstates that Sam will be required to provideequipment. Sam contacts the Universityregarding the obstacles of the placementand is informed that all placements havenow been filled.

Sam is forced to transport the visual aidequipment between home and theplacement daily. Also because there is nodirect transport link to the placementorganisation, Sam consistently has difficultyarriving on time. During the placement Samdiscovers that many of the social work tasksallocated are very basic and non-challenging. Sam is struggling with some ofthe placement tasks (e.g. reading extensivewritten material). However, as this is the firstplacement Sam does not feel confident tospeak up about these issues. Theplacement visit by the University has beencompleted but these problems were notbrought up for discussion. Again, Sam didnot want to appear to be ‘making a fuss’ orcomplaining and just wanted to pass theplacement. The clerical staff during theplacement displayed concern at Sam’sdifficulty in meeting certain expectations(e.g. unable to use vehicle for home visits)and Sam was aware that staff wereapproaching the Supervisor to allocate work to Sam, rather than going to Samdirectly.

‘Going in blind’: problems that canoccur from Sam’s placement

• lack of access to equipment andresources• lack of understanding of the impact ofthe disability

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• not recognising the abilities and skillsthat the student already has and brings tothe placement• transport to and from placement• mobility during the placement• inflexible working arrangements withinthe placement• limited or no planning• staff attitude re: disability andstereotyping• student wanting to prove themselves, donot want to complain or be seen to ‘make afuss’While the above factors represent practicaldifficulties that may get in the way of Samhaving a successful placement they arealso related to issues of access and equity.These issues, which are fundamental tosocial justice, constitute an area in whichsocial work is explicit in its commitment.Social justice, in this case, is related to therights of all students, regardless ofdisability, to have an equal opportunity toachieve their full potential during a fieldworkplacement.

Overcoming obstaclesRemember, the student’s disability is onlyone part of the student. The student bringstheir own unique skills, personality andperspective to the placement. It is importantto focus on what the student can achieveon placement not the disability.

Like any other staff member, a studentwith a disability needs a period of time tosettle in to their new role and the student isentitled to reasonable adjustment. TheDisability Discrimination Act (1992) makes itillegal to discriminate against peoplebecause they have a disability orimpairment. It defines an employer’s

responsibility in terms of making‘reasonable adjustment’ to the needs of aperson with a disability. This involvesemployers examining the physical andorganisational barriers which may preventthe employment, limit the performance orcurtail the advancement of people withdisabilities. Wherever it is possible,necessary and reasonable to do so,employers are required to makemodifications or adjustments to theworkplace to meet the particular needs ofthe person with a disability.

As with any student placement it isimportant to develop a comprehensive planof action. This forward planning andpreparation is the responsibility of all fourmajor groups: the social work supervisor,the educational institution, theagency/organisation offering the placementand the student.• It is important that you do not assumewhat provisions or arrangements will beneeded or beneficial.• Support services may be helpful to allfour groups involved with the placement(the student, the social work supervisor, theeducational institution and theagency/organisation offering theplacement). Services such as The DeafSociety can provide invaluable assistance.However, students need to be consultedregarding contact and intervention by theseservices.• The student must always be in control ofchoices related to their disability.• Confidentiality should be respected(recognising the usual limitations and/orexceptions). • It should not be assumed that a studentwho has a disability will choose to work inthe area of disability.

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• The role of supervisor also involveseducating other workers in the agencyabout possible issues facing students whohave a disability.• When providing supervision it isimportant that the student on placement isprovided with the opportunity for arewarding and positive learning experience.A student with a disability has as muchright to this as a student without a disability.To ensure this, it is the responsibility of allfour groups involved in the placement to beclear about their requirements andexpectations.• It is also important to acknowledge thatdespite all efforts made by each of the fourgroups discussed in this paper and fromthe various support services, there may besome placements which are not suitable forsome students with certain disabilities. Thisis a reality for all students, whether theyhave a disability or not.

Forward planning and increasingawareness of the variable impact ofdifferent disabilities on students can assistin reducing and/or eliminating obstacleswhich can then enhance the chances of thestudent successfully completing theirfieldwork placement.

Benefits of supervising astudent with a disabilityAlthough we have focused on a range ofobstacles it is also critical to highlight theenormous benefits that students with adisability can bring to an organisation.• The student with a disability may havebeen both a worker and a client so canbring a unique perspective to theplacement.

• The student may be able to provide theorganisation with valuable information andideas to improve service delivery to theirclients, especially those with a disability.• The student may assist in reducingbarriers between the worker and clientwhich can be very useful in direct clientservices.• The student can raise awareness ofdisabilities and how people overcome them.Staff, supervisors, other students and thestudent who has a disability can all benefitfrom this awareness.

There is a whole range of informationand support available through organisationsthat have expertise in the area ofdisabilities. For more information regardingthese services refer to ‘UsefulOrganisations’ list included in this paper.

ConclusionThe information presented in this paper hashighlighted a number of issues which needto be considered when a student with adisability is undertaking a fieldworkplacement. This paper has concentrated onsocial work placements. However, theinformation provided can be applied morebroadly to all professions which requirestudents to perform fieldwork placementsas part of their education and to workers insupervisory roles.

It is clear that while there may be someobstacles and challenges for all four groupsinvolved in the placement (the student, thesocial work supervisor, the educationalinstitution and the agency/organisationoffering the placement) with good planning,consultation and flexibility a student with adisability can bring as much to a placement

Australian Social Work/March 2002, Vol. 55, No. 1 57

as a student without a disability. One verypractical use of this paper may involveincorporating the key points into FieldworkHandbooks/Guidelines (written by theuniversity) that both students andsupervisors receive when a fieldworkplacement begins.

We believe that there is still a huge gapin research and literature focusingspecifically on fieldwork placements andfieldwork students who have a disability(with even less information available whenfocusing exclusively on social workstudents). This lack of information highlightsthe need for further research into the needsand experiences of students who have adisability undertaking a fieldworkplacement. We hope that this paper beginsto reduce these gaps through thepresentation of practical information andideas for further discussion.

Students who have a disability have aright to expect the same opportunity tosuccessfully complete fieldwork placementsas students without a disability. In the SocialWork profession, which is explicit in itscommitment to social justice, we should becommitted to putting theory into practice.

ReferencesAUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (1998),Disability, Aging and Carers: Summary of Findings.Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

BARON S, PHILLIPS R, STALKER K (1996), Barriers totraining for disabled social work students. Disabilityand Society, 11, 361–377.

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission:Disability Rights Website – www.hreoc.gov.au

LYONS M (1993), Disabled earn a place in the ranks.Business Review Weekly, 15, 46–48.

MEEKOSHA H, JAKUBOWICZ A & RICE E (1991), Aslong as you are willing to wait: Access and Equity inUniversities for Students with Disabilities. HigherEducation Research and Development, 10, 19–39.

STUDDY L (1999), ‘Creative Teaching andSupervision’, Supervision Certificate, University of NewSouth Wales.

Article accepted for publication January 2002

Appendix I:Useful organisations(including websites)Some of the organisations listed below areNew South Wales based services. Fordetails of organisations available in yourState you can contact these services forreferral to appropriate services in yourState.

Anti-Discrimination BoardTel: (02) 9268 5544www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/adb

Asthma FoundationTel: (02) 9906 3233www.asthmansw.org.au

Australian Quadriplegic Association LtdTel: (02) 9661 8855www.aqa.com.au

Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service(CRS)www.crsrehab.gov.au

Deaf Society of NSW IncTel: (02) 9893 8555 or (TTY) – (02) 9893 8858www.deafsocietynsw.org.au

Diabetes AustraliaTel: (02) 9660 3200www.diabetes-australia.com.au

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Disability Access Service, State Library of NSWTel: (02) 9273 1583 or (TTY) – (02) 9273 1541

Disability Information Referral Centre (DIRC)Tel: (02) 9375 1444

Disability Officer (usually part of StudentServices)Universities throughout Australia

Human Rights and Equal OpportunitiesCommissionwww.hreoc.gov.au

People with Disabilities (NSW) Inc(including Disability Complaint Service)Tel: (02) 9319 6622 or (TTY) – (02) 9318 2138

Royal Blind Society of NSWTel: (02) 9334 3333www.rbs.org.au

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