Valued Roles
Introduction
When a person with disability has valued roles, the person's life experience often changes for the better. Roles such as employee, tennis player, dog owner, or choir member are easily recognisable by others. Valued roles can shape how a person is seen by others. Roles can also shape a person's ‘identity’ so that they're seen as sharing similar interests, rather than just being seen in terms of their "diagnosis". The more valued roles a person has, the more likely they will be welcomed into the heart of community life.
The roles a person holds can provide opportunities for conversation and for establishing common interests. The more valued roles a person has, the more likely they are to build connections and belonging. Homeowner, tenant, housemate, and neighbour are valued and empowering roles. Where as only being known only as a 'resident of a care facility' can create the perception that a person is dependent on care, needs 'expert assistance' and has little to contribute. This may lead to other negative assumptions such an older person or person with a disability is an eternal child, object of pity, burden and even deviant.
If a person with disability currently has few valued roles, it's essential to help them find some. There is an abundance of roles within the community. If we are serious about supporting a person with disability to thrive in community life, then we need to focus on supporting a person to genuinely contribute and participate through valued social roles. A person's unique interests can be used to identify potential and actual roles.
Key Points
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It's critical for the person with disability to hold valued roles.
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Roles provide purpose, responsibilities, expectations, and ways to contribute.
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Homeowner, tenant, housemate, and neighbour are highly valued roles.
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Sharing interests and passions can be a starting point to developing valued roles and building relationships.
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Valued roles can be extended to roles of contribution e.g. a football club member becomes the ticket taker at the front gate.
Watch Videos
Our Roles Matter
by Cameron Skinner (Produced by Belonging Matters)
In this video we reflect on why Valued Roles for people with intellectual disability matter in the community. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19 “…the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others…and facilitate their full inclusion and participation in the community.” In this video, narrated by Brodie McElroy, Belonging Matters talks with a variety of people with intellectual disabilities who are prospering in their respective communities through valued roles.
Click on the Video to watch ->
Our Roles Matter
by Cameron Skinner (Produced by Belonging Matters)
In this video we reflect on why Valued Roles for people with intellectual disability matter in the community. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19 “…the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others…and facilitate their full inclusion and participation in the community.” In this video, narrated by Brodie McElroy, Belonging Matters talks with a variety of people with intellectual disabilities who are prospering in their respective communities through valued roles.
Click on the Video to watch ->
Our Roles Matter
by Cameron Skinner (Produced by Belonging Matters)
In this video we reflect on why Valued Roles for people with intellectual disability matter in the community. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19 “…the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others…and facilitate their full inclusion and participation in the community.” In this video, narrated by Brodie McElroy, Belonging Matters talks with a variety of people with intellectual disabilities who are prospering in their respective communities through valued roles.
Click on the Video to watch ->
Our Roles Matter
by Cameron Skinner (Produced by Belonging Matters)
In this video we reflect on why Valued Roles for people with intellectual disability matter in the community. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19 “…the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others…and facilitate their full inclusion and participation in the community.” In this video, narrated by Brodie McElroy, Belonging Matters talks with a variety of people with intellectual disabilities who are prospering in their respective communities through valued roles.
Click on the Video to watch ->
Our Roles Matter
by Cameron Skinner (Produced by Belonging Matters)
In this video we reflect on why Valued Roles for people with intellectual disability matter in the community. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 19 “…the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others…and facilitate their full inclusion and participation in the community.” In this video, narrated by Brodie McElroy, Belonging Matters talks with a variety of people with intellectual disabilities who are prospering in their respective communities through valued roles.
Click on the Video to watch ->
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Read
Patricia, neighbour! The significance of a valued role, well crafted
by Janet Klees
Through the story of Patricia, Janet Klees takes us on a journey through the thoughtful process of crafting valued roles. She carefully illustrates how by thinking in terms of Patricia’s unique identity and roles, her life turned around. When living in a group home, Patricia was seen as a woman who did not speak, could not be challenged and rarely strayed from home. Today she is a valued neighbour, friend and contributor to her local neighbourhood.
Valued roles and their likely benefits
by Michael Kendrick
When we focus on what people are not or cannot do, it draws attention away from who people are and what they could conceivably do with their lives. In other words: who they might become if the opportunities to do so were put in place. In this article Michael Kendrick explores the likely benefits and opportunities that arise through valued roles in community.
On becoming: Developing and acting on a vision for valued social roles
by John Armstrong
Without the dream of what we can be and become, we would never harness the impetus and the courage to seek answers to the question. In this article John Armstrong explains how to develop and act upon a vision to achieve valued social roles in the community as a pathway to attaining our dreams.
More roles more community life
by Jane Sherwin
Most people would agree that being excluded to the margins of typical community life brings little reward to the individual and depletes our society. This article draws on a theory called Social Role Valorisation (SRV) and illustrates that being in valued roles can be a path out of exclusion and into a community lifestyle that others without a disability take for granted.
Valued roles for all
by Bianca Schultz and Ronda Held
This handbook helps to explain one of the key concepts that are crucial to helping people who require support to have a good life in the community — the importance of valued social roles.
Exercises
Lifelong Learners
by Resourcing Inclusive Communities
The power of high expectations and what happens when people are given the chance to learn: whole world of possibilities! This book shares real life positive stories of people with disability at all ages with valued social roles, such as homemaker, housemate and business owner.
