Contributions of the Disability Studies for the Psychologist's performance in the Brazilian Social Assistance Policy

Abstract

In this essay, we present contributions from Disability Studies to the construction of psychosocial practices aimed at guaranteeing human rights in Brazilian Social Assistance Policy. By addressing disability critically, among the contributions of this field of study to the practice of psychologists, we highlight: a) criticism of the biomedical model and the deconstruction of logics that produce exclusion of people who diverge from the normative standard; b) the understanding of disability as a category of analysis, based on an intersectional and political perspective; c) the criticism of ableism and its effects on the marginalization of people deviant from the ideal of normality; d) ethics of care and notions of dependence and interdependence as guiding principles of the Social Assistance Policy. It is considered the relevance of promoting psychosocial practices aimed at a perspective against the pathologization and discrimination of people with disabilities and with other expressions of social inequality.