According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide are significantly disabled. This makes up 16% of our population, i.e., 1 in every 6 individuals.
Such numbers are enough to highlight the need and importance of disability social workers. So, let’s jump into some of the relevant questions in this field to help you understand the career of a disability support worker better!
What is the role of a disability support worker?
A disability support worker’s role is to provide emotional, mental, and physical support to the disabled and cater to their needs to improve their quality of life.
This is done by providing necessary support and increasing accessibility for them in different aspects of life on a day-to-day basis.
Here are some of the responsibilities of a disability social worker –
1. Providing personal care
One of the most commonly faced difficulties of a person with disabilities is maintaining and living a normal life. It’s challenging to keep up with life’s demands and necessities without assistance or support.
One of the primary responsibilities of this profession is to provide personal care in terms of – helping with personal hygiene, getting them places (like school, work, or hospitals), helping them get in and out of their supporting gear, and other such needs.
2. Help with household work
This is another of the most sought assistance required for a disabled individual. They often rely on their support workers to help them get things done around the house for optimal survival.
These chores include shopping and stocking up groceries, helping them get places, sanitary checks of the house, cooking, and other such chores.
As a support worker, you’ll have to communicate with this person and fix a schedule or procedure to get things done optimally.
3. Catering to emotional needs
Disability can affect a person’s emotional well-being and stability to a great extent. You will require to work closely with them (either in a group or individually) to establish relationships based on trust to provide them with emotional support and company.
This has a major role in their perception of their quality of life and helps them look past their disabilities and live fulfilling lives.
You must provide resources to support mental health and implement skills such as interpersonal communication, empathy, patience, and being a good listener.
4. Providing educational assistance
This applies to individuals who are still in an educational system. Your role will be to ensure that the material and resources being used to teach are accessible and manageable for your client or not.
You must communicate with both ends to determine the most conducive way to provide them with educational support. Your role will also include you to help them with homework, assignments, or other things relevant to their learning program.
How can you make a career in this field?
To be recognized as a disability support worker, you must have a general education of at least 10 years. However, that might not be enough for you to land this role.
So, step up your game by applying for nationally recognized certificate courses in this field at institutions like Apex Training Institute.
Most employers seek people with relevant certifications since these courses include teaching strategies, skills, and practices that will benefit your work.
How much will you earn in this field?
This career choice is very rewarding in terms of the change you are making to someone’s life and the monetary incentives.
If your interest lies in helping someone give them a better life, this career choice will remunerate you well.
As of 2023, the national average salary of a disability support worker is $60,000-70,000 annually or $34.20 hourly. However, the amount can differ based on location, work timings, specialization, and employer.
Added certifications and training will benefit you as a whole to aim for higher salary packages. Your work can be based primarily in an educational, medical, or residential environment.
Final Thoughts
With good interpersonal communication, patience, innovative thinking and problem-solving methods, teamwork, and empathy, this career might be the perfect match for you. So, don’t wait any longer and chase your dream job now!
