[HumanSer] Request for feedback

[43210 at Bellsouth.net]

Hello Anny:

It is a terrible truth, in my limited experience, that social work agencies are not sensitive to people with disabilities.  When I was in social work school at Boston University in 1978-80 the school arranged field placements for students, seems things have changed.

I recall one job interview where the interviewer met me at the door and explained that this was a high pressure position and I would do well to look for something easier.  No interview, just a look at my white cane told her that I would be inadequate to fill their opening.  

More recently I interviewed a man for a student internship who had MS, I thought he would be an asset and welcomed him, however the manager saw me walking him to the lobby and called me into a meeting.  She told me that she has no prejudice, but that the children we work with would be frightened by him due to his uneven gate and told me not to accept him as an intern.  I located a more friendly placement for him, but never forgot that my agency was so discriminatory.  After 20 years with that agency with a very positive record they fired me on issues that centered around my blindness.

My suggestion is to go directly to the Dean.  Describe your situation and identify this as a civil rights issue and that as social workers it is in our Code of Ethics to confront and eliminate discrimination based on disability, that by it's actions the university and school of social work are complacently allowing this to continue.  Ask yourself if someone was denied a field placement for reasons of sex or race if the school would blame the student and cause them to miss a semester of classes?

Without making waves we are allowing unjust systems to continue.  Make waves.
 

JD Townsend, LCSW
Helping the light dependent to see

-----Original Message-----
From: HumanSer <humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ericka via HumanSer
Sent: Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:45 PM
To: Human Services Division Mailing List <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ericka <dotwriter1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [HumanSer] Request for feedback

While I cannot give you any good advice, I will be sending you good vibes for success. It’s tough to have tacked sometimes when you’re so frustrated and administrators don’t always try to understand where you’re coming from. I am sad to hear that this is still going on, perhaps and I hope this isn’t right, they aren’t telling you because the report back is she’s got a disability and we don’t want to spend the time on her. 

Ericka Nelson


> On Aug 6, 2024, at 11:40 PM, Anny Safier via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello, my name is Anny Safier and I am an incoming MSW student at 
> Binghamton University. I was recently informed by the field department 
> in my school that because I have had three interviews without success 
> in finding an internship for this year, I will not be able to start 
> field instruction in the fall. Out of the three interviews I had, one 
> did not get back to me for months which wasted time for me and another 
> place ended up not having enough room for interns. Timing is 
> unfortunate, with the term beginning in two weeks. While I was 
> applying to different internships, I received no feedback from the 
> department who was setting up the interviews, until they explained to 
> me that I would have to wait either until the spring to start field or 
> another year. My internship last year was significantly impacted by 
> issues within the agency, causing me to have between three and five 
> months worth of practical experience instead of a full year. If anyone 
> has had similar experiences and/or could give ideas about how to move 
> forward in applying to internships for the spring or figuring other 
> ways of approaching these kinds of issues, I would appreciate it. 
> Thank you. Anny Safier _______________________________________________
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