ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the potential for anti-discriminatory practice with disabled people. The key to this is whether social workers are able to help disabled people to achieve the goal of independent living. The conflicts between the functional and civil rights interpretations of independence are explored and related to models of disability, social policy developments and changes in social work practice.
The paper asserts that acceptance and understanding of the social model of disability is a pre-requisite for anti-discriminatory practice. It also argues that despite the clear influence of the individual model of disability in the formulation of social policy, the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 offers the best opportunity for independent living since 1948 and that social workers are potentially influential in its implementation. However, it will be necessary for them to make some changes in practice if they are to assist in the removal of disabling barriers, including their own history of oppression.
