WHEELCHAIR ASSESSMENT

Have you ever considered how your physical ability gives you privilege? Often this privilege is dependent upon how society designs its public spaces and whether your body type and ability was considered. When planning for social spaces, many people assume others are as able-bodied as themselves and may not think of the barriers that may block access to the most common areas or things often taken for granted.

The goal of this assignment is to assess your community for accessibility. For those who do not normally use a wheelchair, the secondary goal of this assignment is to experience what it might be like to have a different ability.

The Assignment

• Conduct an accessibility assessment in your daily life.
• Go one day using only a wheelchair-accessible route.
• Avoid steps, curbs, or other uneven surfaces.
• Consider accessible entries and pathways.

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper in which you do the following:

• Briefly describe your experience.
• Explain any barriers to accessibility that you experienced.
• Describe what you had to do to overcome that barrier.
• Reflect on any insights you gained about individuals living with disabilities.
• Describe specific recommendations to improve accessibility in your home, at work, and in your community.
• LEARNING RESOURCES
  Required Readings
• Sue, D. W., Rasheed, M. N., & Rasheed, J. M. (2016). Multicultural social work practice: A competency based approach to diversity and social justice (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Chapter 4, nderstanding the Sociopolitical Implications of Oppression and Power in Social Work Practice/li>
  • Chapter 14, õlturally Competent Social Work Practice with Native Americans/First Nations Peoples and Alaska Natives(pp. 42030)
  • Chapter 14, õlturally Competent Social Work Practice with Persons with Disabilities Individuals(pp. 48591)
• National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers Links to an external site.. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of…

Required Media

• TEDx Talks. (2014, July 23). Changing the way we see Native Americans Links to an external site.: | Matika Wilbur | TEDxTeachersCollege [Video file].