F103: Values and Attitudes

F103: Values and Attitudes

Our personal values and beliefs have a huge impact on our day-to-day interactions. The way we treat people, including the way we react when we see people with disabilities, has much to do with our personal values and beliefs. Our personal values come from many sources, including our family, friends, and schools as well as the media and our life experiences.

Professional values are the values that are commonly held by people in a particular job or field. The values may be informal, or they may be formalized through codes of ethics or policies and procedures. For example, physicians ascribe to the belief that they should “do no harm.” In the field of Community Disability Services there are commonly held beliefs about people with disabilities. You must understand and adhere to these beliefs in order to be successful in your work.

In this module, you will examine your personal values and explore how they have developed and changed during your life. You will also learn about the key professional values that provide a foundation for helping people with disabilities to achieve their goals.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, you should be able to:

1. Describe the principles of normalization and social role valorization, and explain how they are related to your role as a community disability service worker.
2. Identify the principles of person-centred approaches and explain how they apply to your work as a community worker supporting people with disabilities.
3. Identify the elements of professional codes of ethics and apply them in your work.
4. Describe your own value system and personal beliefs about people with disabilities, and explain how they affect your interactions with the people you are supporting.

Registered student: Go to F103: Values and Attitudes.