Discrimination And Inequality In The Community

Critically discuss discrimination and inequality in the community, identify, and discuss how this may affect your role as a Social care worker

Discrimination and inequality in the community still plays a major role within our society, discrimination is defined as the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people (Simple Definition of Discrimination (2015). There is nine grounds in which someone can be discriminated which is being a member of the Traveller Community, Sexual Orientation, The Civil Status Ground, Racial Group / Ethnicity, The Age Ground, The Religion Ground, The Family Status Ground and Gender. Inequality can be defined as an unfair situation in which some people have

A person who has a disability should have the same basic rights as everyone else, but this is not the case in today’s society as some individuals are treated unfairly. For example, an individual with an intellectual disability living in residential care who is being abused by the carer. This can be in many different forms some of which can be done physically and emotionally. In this case the client is not receiving their basic human rights and this can leave the individual being vulnerable and afraid, everyone has the right to have a free life that doesn’t involve violence and abuse. This shouldn’t take place just because the individual has a disability they deserve the same rights. One way to protect and promote the rights of people with an intellectual disability in care is to provide for the regulation of residential services. Regulations describe the essential standards of quality and safety that people in disability services should expect. Services are monitored on their compliance with the regulations (Neglected Citizens? The situation of people with an intellectual disability in residential care (2012). If I was a social care practitioner in this situation I would make sure that the client receives all their basic human rights and that they have freedom and choice within the residential home, in Ireland today this is law and I would make sure

Even by the government we can see inequality as they still have the obsolete Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act, 1871, which means that a person with an intellectual disability is not able to have the same rights as an individual who doesn’t have a disability this includes being able to vote and being able to marry etc. From this the social needs of the clients is not being met, I believe this is a law that should be changed to allow people to see the person and not the disability and that they are human beings just like them. I also looked at a survey which was conducted by the national disability authority(NDA) which showed that people with an intellectual disability is being treated differently within society and the local community in which they live in. it showed that public attitudes towards people with an intellectual disability is still very negative. The results of the survey was that One in five people surveyed say they would object if children with intellectual disabilities or autism were in the same class as their child and nearly half (49%) believe people with an intellectual disability do not have the same right to sexual relationships as everyone else (Disability attitudes survey should be a wakeup call to government - Inclusion Ireland (N/D).