Empowering the Individual
Section 1 Introduction

Definition of Empowerment
Definition of empowerment is to equip individuals to take control of their own destinies. To make their own decisions, and take control and responsibility of their lives. To become self-determined and exert control in their life by promoting goal settings, problem solving, decision making and self-advocacy skills and have a full understanding of the consequences of their choice.
5 examples of different people in society who are empowered and why? A Judge: I feel a Judge is empowered because they have taken control of their lives to become self-determined people and are able to make decisions in their life and are able to solve problems and set goals and be impartial so they are able to compare facts and determine the truth. They are also regarded by society for their impartial views.
Taoiseach: Is a highly educated person that is able to make and give informed choices. They are responsible and take control of the state, and are regarded as a powerful and influential person.
Garda: Because of the out come that comes with breaking the law, people generally fear and respect the Garda, this makes them, I feel powerful and controlling. They are responsible for the up hold of the law and order.
College Student: These students choose to further their education, therefore opening up their employment opportunities and enabling them to further their own careers and to pick and choose the job that they wish.
Doctor: Because they are in a position to help others to empower themselves by helping people to set goals and promote self-advocacy. They also have the confidence in their ability to do good and are respected in the community.

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5 examples of different people in society who are disempowered and why?

Prostitute: Is disempowered probably because a “Pimp” makes them work and takes most of their earnings making it harder for them to get out of that type of business and find more respectable employment.

Alcoholic: Because of the need for alcohol people with this dependence generally have little money, no family support, and little respect for themselves and are looked down on by the community.
Homeless: Because of having no fixed address, they don’t receive social benefits, so have very little, if any money, generally have an unkempt appearance which makes people avoid them.
Drug addict: People look down at these people and have the belief that they will mug you or steal from you. They have no choice or control over their life due to their dependency on drugs.
Non-National living in a hostel: Generally earn a basis wage, with no prospects of rising up the career ladder, or are on social benefits. Generally others in society think very little of them.
4 examples from my own personal and working life where I felt empowered and why?

When I choose to become a Hairdresser: I felt empowered because I had finally chosen a career that I was interested in and happy to see myself doing for years to come.
When I decided to learn to drive: I felt empowered because of the freedom to go places without having to ask my father to drive me all the time. Public transport was very limited in rural areas at that time.
When I got married: I felt empowered because it was my choice; I understood my options and the consequences of my choice. I acted on my choice, but also had the support and skills that I needed from family and my future husband.
When I choose to change career: I felt empowered because I knew my options, I had thought out my decision and I felt happy and comfortable with my choice.
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4 examples from my own personal and working life where I felt disempowered and why?

When I was 14 years old my parents told me we were moving to Ireland: I thought this was great at first because we had been to Ireland plenty of times before, but then I realised that I would have to leave my school and all my friends and felt really angry and thought it was so unfair as my older brothers didn’t have to move with us.
When my marriage ended: I really felt disempowered because I had no choice, there was nothing I could do to change the situation I felt very upset, sad and angry.
When I became unemployed: Felt I could do nothing about it, because the salon I was working at was closing down. I had feelings of helplessness and fear of the unknown.
When I was employed at a chemist many years ago: The owner wouldn’t let me serve male customers when they came in looking for contraception. The owner would come rushing over and make it very clear to me and the customer that I was to go away while he served them. I felt very embarrassed and stupid and thought the owner made me look like a fool.
Section 2
Describe the ways in which people with learning disabilities are empowered and disempowered in our society.

People with learning disabilities are empowered and disempowered in our society by our actions, the way we talk and the way we view a person with disabilities.
Empowered

Person with learning disability is empowered when they get employment; this gives them a sense of responsibility and control over their lives, and for the majority of people control of their own finances, to have the choice about how they spend their money.
Disempowered
But at the same time society can disempowered individuals in employment because
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they don’t give the same career prospects to people with learning disabilities as they would to other “normal” people. This also means that their wages stay at the minimum rate of pay, which only increases at the governments say; this could be classed as discrimination to the individual.
Empowered

People with learning disabilities have been empowered now due to the change in building regulations, all newly built homes must be made to wheelchair standards.
Disempowered

But people with learning disabilities are disempowered with old built houses, because most old homes if needing to be converted for wheelchair access the ramps are generally built to the back of buildings, which could make the wheelchair user feel inferior to everyone else, this is mostly due to preservation orders that are put on most old homes, that determines if you can deface the front of the building.
Empowered

People with learning disabilities are empowered with the choice of freedom to travel on buses and trains, because they are entitled to a travel pass which includes the individual to bring a companion with them if they choose or need one. The new Town Link bus service makes it easier for people whom live in rural areas of the country to travel into towns, which gives the person more choice of shops and amenities to choose from.
Disempowered

It can be disempowering to people when individuals obstruct pathways with illegally parked cars, beer barrels and other such objects, because people with learning disability have to make the decision to walk on the road so as to avoid such obstructions which can be quiet dangerous and nerve racking for them and it could cause embarrassment to the wheelchair user when there is no way around for them and they have to ask for assistance.
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Disempowered

Some store assistants may ignore service users at the counters and look for the person that is with them to ask what they would like. This in my opinion is very rude and ignorant of them and disempowers the service user by making them feel invisible or not worth bothering with. Or the service user is spoken to as if they are little babies or nice and slowly as if their deaf and cant understand. This attitude is quiet annoying and frustrating to the service users.

When society sees buses with the logo of the organisation on the sides, for most, the attitude is “how lovely to see those poor things out for the day” and stop and stare at them. This must make the service users feel very aware of themselves and embarrassed.

Conclusion

In my opinion society still disempowers people with learning disabilities through the way they think and feel about them. Most towns in Ireland enable people with learning disability through there physical needs for example, gaining access to buildings with the aid of ramps. But I feel in some age groups mainly the over 50’s their attitudes towards people with learning disabilities need to change for example, they think people with learning disabilities are unable to do anything for themselves, that they should never be let out on their own in society; but in my opinion they can do mostly the same things as you and me, but they might need some form of support and extra time to accomplish these tasks. We all have a certain amount of discriminating opinions in us, as you can see from my last remark about ageism.

Section 3 Empowerment/disempowerment within KARE
KARE’s approach and commitment to empowering their service users as an organisation.

KARE’s approach and commitment to empowering their service users is to have them seen as equals and take part in society along with everyone else.
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KARE is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect. They will support individuals to
• Make choices
• Develop and use their abilities
• Grow in relationships
• Share ordinary places
• Having valued social roles
(KARE’s Strategic Plan 2009-2011)

Guided by the service users individual plan, KARE is committed to empower each individual to have roles and relationships that are valued in the community, and empower each individual to make choices to live the life that best suits them and work with each individual to plan and obtain the supports that they need. KARE will use the approach to develop in a way that continues to meet the needs of the service user by including them at all levels of decision making. To involve families and carers in supporting the individuals to lead a fulfilling life.
KARE are committed to ensure staff have the attitude, knowledge and skills to do the job being asked, KARE as an organisation will work to give their staff the training they need on an ongoing basis.
KARE, support local communities to develop their ability to include people with a learning disability. The way in which your unit empowers/disempowers service users using concrete examples.

Empowered

Within our unit service users are empowered through supported employment. The service users are supported to make the decision on what type of employment they would like; this is done through work experience. Their supported in their employment with a job coach, to gain confidence and develop and gain new skills. With employment service users can gain control of their lives, it gives them responsibility and enables them to develop relationships within their community. An example of one service user making a decision and taking control and developing
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relationships within her community is when she finishes work, she sits down with other work colleagues and has lunch and a chat once a week.
All our services users mix with their local communities either through employment, residential or socially. Some service users would need support accessing the towns amenities, for example shops, banks, credit unions and public transport. But with support the service users gain independence, confidence, and self-esteem and learn new skills. This can be seen when the service users go up town to buy their lunch and approach the counter and ask for what they want confidently and are full of self assurance of their own ability.
Everyone should have the choice to carry on learning and developing and within KARE these opportunities are available to every service user at all levels of ability.

All service users have or are attending self-advocacy classes, and with some service users it is quiet evident that they understand what the class is about in the way they express their needs and wants. Their very confident in themselves and their choices and the consequences of their choice. One or two service users actually will tell you its their choice to do something, like eating unhealthy foods every day, but their reminded to think of the consequences of their actions, generally they do stop to think about it and the next day their back eating health foods again.
Service users are empowered through their Person Centred Planning (PCP). PCP is an approach to working with individuals and their families, carers and key workers to establish that person’s hopes, wishes and dreams and sets goals for them to achieve in the short term and to set goals towards their visions for the future. The PCP is all about the individual taking control of their future.

Disempowered

Our unit disempowered its service users recently because we were short a bus that would normally be used to take them to their daily activities. This was beyond the control of the centre, but the service users were annoyed that they had to miss their activities until other arrangements could be made.
Service users that come and go to the centre on the bus, are disempowered because they have to get up early for the bus to pick them up and are told the time in Course code L22266 PPS 5126237E.

the afternoon for when they will be going home, these times may not suit all service users and some have to travel on the bus for a long time as well, which can make them a bit cranky and miserable in the morning time.
All service users have a key worker that supports and works closely with them, but the service users are not given the choice to choose their key worker, and they can be told that their key worker has been changed even when they don’t want them too. This was evident recently when a service users key worker was changed, they didn’t like this and made it quiet clear to staff, but they were asked to give their new key worker a chance. Service users have daily programmes out lining their daily activities and classes. These programmes are changed each term, and what the service users have chosen as in their sporting activities and courses/classes are planned per term. The problem arises when a service user has picked something they decide they don’t want to do, for one reason or other or they want to swap and do another activity; but because the daily programme is set for all service users there may not be anything for them to do, because the other activities may be full. This either leaves the individual with nothing to do or in an activity they don’t enjoy which could leave them feeling fed up with things.

Sometimes it’s not actually the unit that disempowers service users but their families. Recently a service user was disempowered when he was told he had to shower in the centre because his family thought his personal care had deteriorated at home. Staff had no choice but to ask the service user to comply with the wishes of the family. The service user was very embarrassed at having to do this in the centre.

Conclusion

Times are changing for people with learning disabilities within their communities. Especially with the younger generation, due to individuals attending main stream schools, FETAC level courses and employment; acceptance and integration in the community is slowly becoming the norm. People with learning disabilities are becoming more aware of their choices and the consequences of their choice and more confident and dependant with their choices.
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