Psychological problems of disability: Models and solutions

There are highlighted the socio-psychological problems of people with disabilities, which are important not just as they are but, first of all, in the context of studying the mechanisms of integration of persons with disabilities in society, the ways to create equal opportunities for persons with special needs, to create optimal conditions for disclosure of their compensation opportunities, for effective adaptation and socialization. There are overviewed the reasons for social integration complications in persons with disabilities that relate to sociopsychological problems. The assumption is made that such a situation is largely promoted by the medically oriented model of disability, which prevailed in our society recently. According to this model, the corresponding stereotype – social stigma – is emerged in society. It represents people with disabilities as “patients” who require constant thirdparty care, and whose fate is to stay in boarding-house-like institutions. Attention is also drawn to the negative outcomes of another model of disability – socially oriented one. According to it, persons with disabilities were perceived as “socially weak” ones who are incapable of independent life, and in this connection, the control over their lives had to be intensified, which frequently led to the hyper-care. It is substantiated the idea that the paradigm in helping people with disabilities shifts today to the new, the biopsychosocial one. It is emphasized that discrimination by society leads to the emergence of physical and social barriers that hinder, limit the personal choice of persons with disabilities. But the effectiveness of the social adaptation process among persons with special needs depends not only on the environment but also on the efforts of the person with a disability, on his/her desire to participate in the situation, to involve in the system of social relations. It is stated that the psychological aspect of disability reflects both the individual-psychological orientation of a person with special needs, as well as the emotionpsychological perception of the problem of disability by society. Social insecurity of persons with special needs is also associated with the presence of a psychological factor that forms such persons’ attitude towards society and makes it difficult to adequately contact with it. It is outlined that the overviewed psychological problems of persons with special needs hinder the normal relations with others, negatively affect the work capacity and the worldview, and increase their social isolation. It is expressed the idea that in solving the main social problems of people with disabilities experts need to consider such items as improving their social status, financial position, professional demand, etc