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About

The Disability & Well-Being In Social Work (DWSW) project was organized as a US-based advocacy initiative in the spring of 2023 and focuses on providing resources for supporting disabled social workers, advancing accessibility and improving well-being in the social work profession.

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A few examples of completed and in progress projects are listed below. If you have a project that DWSW can support, please get in touch to discuss it.

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The DWSW logo incorporates the 6 colors from the Disability Pride flag, learn more about the history and what the colors represent on the Disability Pride Resources page.

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Partner Resources

DWSW is proud to partner with other groups and organizations that work to support social workers and a more disabilty-affirming profession.

 

If you're interested in partnering with DWSW, please get in touch!

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The Social Work Neighborhood

Learn more about the partnership

Website

Financial Transparency

​​DWSW is a volunteer project and not currently organized as a business or nonprofit, scholarship donations use a fiscal sponsor arrangement. The project is currently administratively supported by one volunteer and includes other volunteers for specific projects as they arise. 

If you'd like to contribute financially, you can: 
 

  1. Donate to the Disability In Social Work Scholarship - a tax deductible donation that directly benefits disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent social work students.
     

  2. Purchase merchandise from the store - Orders are fulfilled through a third-party print-on-demand supplier and 50% of the proceeds go toward the Disability In Social Work Scholarship and other causes. The remaining proceeds go towards funding the website expense.
     

  3. Buy me a coffee - Buy Me A Coffee is a mutual aid option to support the creation and maintenance of this website.

Theory of Change

Issue

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  • Collective action is need to advance disability equity and affirming practices in the social work profession due to barriers in academic programs, employment and professional associations.
     

  • Further, social workers as a whole experience significant stress and burnout related to the systems and structures within the profession (such as low wages, unsafe working conditions and heavy workloads).

Vision

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  • DWSW envisions a more accessible and supportive social work profession.

Assumptions / Stances

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  • DWSW defines disability as a broad spectrum which may include for example, anyone who identifies as disabled, as having physical or mental disabilities or disorders, d/Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision, mad, neurodivergent, or chronically ill.

 

  • DWSW defines well-being as a person's overall mental, physical, emotional, and economic health.

 

  • We know there are many models of disability and align our work primarily with the social model of disability (though we support moving toward an interactional model).

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  • We align our work with supporting disability justice, especially highlighting that disability is intersectional.

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  • DWSW is operated from the United States and so most content and resources take on a US perspective. However, international perspectives and participation are welcomed.

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Main Strategies

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  • Resource Provision

    • Position the DWSW website as a source of educational materials and offer scholarships or other financial assistance programs to support social workers in accessing education and professional development opportunities.​

 

  • Community Engagement Through Partners

    • Promote and support events that facilitate networking and sharing experiences, resources, and support.​

    • Promote and support work groups that facilitate projects related to disability and well-being in social work.

 

  • Advocacy and Awareness

    • Promote advocacy, research and campaigns to raise awareness about the barriers and experiences of disabled social workers

    • Collaborate with other organizations, groups, and policymakers to promote policies and practices that support social workers and disability equity.​

Impact

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  • Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

    • Social workers, agencies, administrators, educators, institutions, employers, researchers and advocates gain access to educational materials and social workers gain access to scholarships, both leading to improved professional skills and career advancement.

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  • Strengthened Community Support

    • Participation in networking and collaboration fosters stronger relationships, peer support, and a more cohesive community of social workers.

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  • Raised Awareness and Advocacy Success

    • Advocacy campaigns result in greater public awareness and collaboration with policymakers, leading to the implementation of supportive policies and systemic changes that reduce barriers for disabled social workers and move toward a more accessible and supportive social work profession.

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