What Are We Up Against and How Might We Better Respond?

Thursday, September 2, 2021 — 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern / 12:00 noon-1:00 PM Central / 11:00 AM-12:00 noon Mountain / 10:00–11:00 AM Pacific

The reality and impact of social devaluation plays out in the lives of people with disabilities in a whole host of ways and on a daily basis, however, most formal and informal providers of support either do not recognize it or don’t know how to address it. This session, derived from Social Role Valorization theory, will explore what the impact of devaluation is and what service providers can do to combat the ill effects of it.

Presenter

Hope Leet Dittmeier has devoted the last 40 years in a variety of roles, all investigating the question, “What would it take for people to enjoy ordinary lives in lieu of life in segregation?” As a family member, Hope has walked alongside her sister-in-law who experiences intellectual disability, supporting her to have a career, own a home, become an integral part of her church community, fulfil the role of doting Aunt, and enjoy a rich personal social network. In professional roles, she has focused on designing robust supports unique to each individual person. Hope’s life and work have been informed on a consistent basis by Social Role Valorization theory.

Hope is currently Executive Director at Mattingly Edge where she has been instrumental in transforming a large, legacy day program that utilized a medical model into a service that provides only individualized supports, designed to help people enjoy the same good things in life that most people take for granted.

This is the first episode in a six-part webinar series on community living. For the complete series, click here.