Professional Development
for Human Services
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"Respecful support begins with the recognition that individuals with disabilities are not abnormal or deficient but, instead, reflect the normal diversity of the human community." | 
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THE RIGHT TO BE DISABLED
A keynote or workshop in which Norman Kunc challenges the commonly held assumption that individuals with disabilities are deficient. He maintains, instead, that physical and mental disabilities reflect the diversity of the human community.
EVERYTHING WORTH KNOWING, I LEARNED FROM BEING DISABLED
A keynote or workshop in which Norman Kunc and Emma Van der Klift point out some of the unexpected benefits of being disabled.
THE HABITS OF EXCLUSION
A keynote or workshop which discusses how our society’s habitual reliance upon exclusion as a generic solution to social problems keeps us from discovering more creative and effective alternatives.
Norm Kunc and Emma Van der Klift combine powerful story-telling skills, "ah-hah" humor, and keen, biting insights into the roles of professionals. They speak about disability in a way that both exposes our knee-jerk "desire to be normal," and opens the heart to deep down disability pride. And, while many others preach effectively to the choir, Norm and Emma thoughtfully persuade others to harmonize with "our song." Diane Coleman |
THE OTHER SIDE OF THERAPY: Disability, Normalcy, and the Tyranny of Rehabilitation
In this workshop, Norman Kunc contends that rehabilitation and remediation programs often tyrannize people with disabilities by attempting to eradicate their disability. He suggests that we need to focus on improving a person's "physical well-being" rather than trying to "fix the client."
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"Never do physio-therapy with a therapist who's on a diet. If she hates her body, I don't let her get anywhere near mine!" |
PATERNALISM, & PROFESSIONALISM
HELL-BENT ON HELPING: Friendship, Benevolence, and the Politics of Help
A keynote or workshop which explores how support workers can provide assistance to people with disabilities and facilitate their friendships without falling prey to benevolence and condescension.
BAKING A CAKE IN A WASHING MACHINE: Exploring The Intrinsic Problems of Human Service Bureaucracies
This workshop examines many of the problems which seem endemic to human service agencies and suggests that they arise because we are trying to meet the needs of people within an organizational structure that was never intended to be used for people.
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"A central problem in the human service system is that it is founded upon a non-disabled perception of disability. This often leads professionals to respond with remediation or benevolence rather than equty and respect." |  |
DISABLING PROFESSIONALS: The Social Construction of Deficiency
A workshop which examines how the creation of the human sciences and an increased belief in professionalism has led "diverse citizens" to be classified as "deficient clients."
LEARNING TO STAND STILL: Supporting Individuals With Difficult Behavior
A workshop which describes non-coercive ways of supporting individuals with disabilities who are expressing the difficulty in their lives through non-compliant or aggressive behavior.
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"It's relatively easy to learn how to work with people. The challenge is knowing how to work with people who won't work with you." |  |
"If This Is The Right Thing To Do, Then Why Is It So Hard?" Managing Conflict In Human Service Organizations
A workshop which outlines how direct care staff and managers can constructively respond to the contentious issues which often arise in human service organizations.
INTERPERSONAL ALCHEMY: Turning Resistance Into Co-operation
A workshop which outlines some pro-active and constructive ways of responding to "resistant" individuals.
THE 3 R’S OF SUPPORT
A co-operative learning workshop in which participants explore how they can promote and maintain a sense of belonging and trust within a residence or workplace .
Dear Norman and Emma, Lettitia Clay |
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"If you’re in favour of legalizing euthanasia, be very, very, very nice to your children." | |
Killing Me Softly: A Disability Rights Perspective On Legalizing Euthanasia
A keynote or workshop which outlines many of the serious concerns that the disability rights community has about the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide.