Rhoda Olkin

Women with Physical Disabilities Who Want to Leave Their Partners

Abstract Four domains of barriers for women with physical disabilities who are considering leaving a partner are outlined. These obstacles include (a) physical needs; (b) financial needs; (c) custody concerns; and (d) relationship issues. Disability policies can have direct bearing on the lives of women with disabilities, and hence on their freedom to choose to remain with or to leave a partner.

The Rights of Graduate Psychology Students with Disabilities

Abstract Students with disabilities in graduate school have requirements additional to those of non-disabled students, and face barriers to retention and graduation. This paper addresses the issues facing students with disabilities in clinical graduate programs, and outlines a dozen specific rights for students with disabilities. The legal and social contexts for considering these rights are examined. Three legal tenets (separate is not equal; equality versus equity; assumption of innocence until proven guilty) are discussed as they apply to disability. Twelve suggestions for making the application process more accessible to persons with disabilities are offered.

The Three Rs of Supervising Graduate Psychology Students With Disabilities: Reading, Writing, and Reasonable Accommodations

Graduate students in clinical psychology and other mental health fields with disabilities are disadvantaged in seeking field placement training. Barriers are both physical and attitudinal. This article addresses the nature of both types of barriers and ways that field placement supervisors can minimize both, providing equal access for students with disabilities. Recommendations related to specific disabilities are given as well as more general ones.

When is differential treatment discriminatory? Legal, ethical, and professional considerations for psychology trainees with disabilities.

PURPOSE A supervisor may tell graduate trainees with obvious disabilities to disclose the disability to potential clients. Legal and ethical guidelines only partially address whether this requirement is permissible. Here we examine such disclosures from several vantage points. BACKGROUND Professional judgments guide supervisors in deciding whether to request that a trainee disclose a disability. The law provides little guidance to supervisors in making this decision. Instead, professional ethics and beliefs about disability drive decisions, and these beliefs may be prejudicial. METHOD In this article, we examine whether it is good practice for a supervisor in a practicum or internship to require a trainee with an obvious disability to disclose the disability to potential clients before the first meeting so that the client has freedom to request a different therapist. We use this situation to examine the pertinent legal standards; ethical guidelines; and clinical, professional, and social justice issues. CONCLUSION The requirement of disclosure may not be in the best interests of the client and has deleterious repercussions for trainees with disabilities, their peers, and the profession. Unless addressed without prejudice, differential treatment becomes discriminatory and is an obstacle to successful completion of professional education by trainees with obvious disabilities.

Disability as a Dimension of Diversity

I review the qualitative evidence related to therapy with people with disabilities. I begin with a definition of evidence that emphasizes the lived experiences of people with disabilities. Following is a brief discussion of the conceptual factors related to research about people with disabilities. Five models of research in two paradigms (Olkin, Newsletter of the American Family Therapy Academy, #67, 27–32, 1997; What psychotherapists should know about disability. New York: Guilford Press, 1999) are described. The main focus is on a review of over 50 articles describing qualitative research related to people with disabilities as the articles pertain to therapy. Over three-quarters of the research emanates from outside the USA and is spread over a wide variety of journals, making it difficult for clinicians to locate qualitative research related to therapy with people with disabilities. Overall, there is a paucity of research on the topic. Ten factors that constrain research on disability are outlined. Research on disability has not emphasized social justice, oppression, discrimination, or microaggressions. Suggestions are given for different levels of qualitative research that would provide evidence for culturally competent therapy with people with disabilities.

Relationship of depression and medications on incidence of falls among people with late effects of polio

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine if falls in polio survivors, with or without post-polio syndrome (PPS), are related to number of medications taken, use of anti-depressant or psychoactive medications, or self-report of depression. A survey was sent to 300 members of a regional polio support group, asking them to document their fall history, medications used, and the presence of depression. Depression was measured by self-report and with the Geriatric Depression Scale, short form (GDS-15). One hundred and seventy-two usable surveys were returned with 146 of those completing the medication list. Sixty-two percent reported at least one fall in the past year. The multiple logistic regression was significant (p = 0.023), and it indicated depression to be a significant predictor (p = 0.012) of falls in polio survivors with and without PPS. The number of total medications or anti-depressant or psychoactive medications used was not related to fall incidence. Routine screening and treatment for depression may be one aspect of fall prevention which can be implemented through primary care.

What Should We Teach When We Teach about Women with Disabilities

This article describes a semester-long course on women with disabilities. The overall sequence for the course, and the progression of concepts presented to students are outlined. The course is divided into eleven modules and I recommend a specific film and assignment for each module. A distributive justice lens permeates the course. The overarching goal is to increase competency in working with female clients with disabilities, including those who are women of color or diverse in sexuality.