D

Demogrants - These are universal flat-rate payments made to individuals or households solely on the basis of demographic characteristics such as number of children or age rather than on the basis of proven need, in the case of minimum income programs, or contributions in the case of social insurance.

Deserving poor - This refers to those who are seen to be deserving of relief. This is a concept historically underpinning charity relief that continues to influence income security provision today.

Diagnostic approach - In the diagnostic approach, the emphasis is on understanding the condition of the individual by reference to causal events in his or her early life. This approach requires a skilled worker who could diagnose the problem and establish and carry out a plan for treatment.

Digital divide - It is important to bear in mind that most of the world's peoples do not have access to computers, the internet and advanced communications technology - a problem sometimes referred to as the digital divide, an important social justice issue in its own right.

Direct social work - This involves working directly with people as individuals, in families or households and communities in a direct face-to-face way, i.e. counselling role.

Disability - Any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.

Disability organizations - Organizations that provide services to disabled people. For examples, see Chapter 12 on Social Work with Persons with Disabilities.

Disability rights organizations - The rise of disability rights organizations in Canada is rooted in the rise of the Consumer Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Peace Movement, the Gay Rights Movement and the Women's Movement of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. As did these movements, disability rights activists attempted to redefine their social status. Rather than be labeled defective or handicapped, they argued that they be seen as members of a minority group.

Discrimination - The unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their personal characteristics, which may include age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnic or physical identity.

Disk list system - One gross example of the nature of state intervention in Inuit lives was the disk list system. As bureaucrats could not or would not formally acknowledge the Inuktitut names for individuals, the disk list system assigned a numbered disk to each Inuk in order to identify them.

Duty to report - Not only child protection workers have a responsibility to report suspected instances of child abuse or neglect. Every member of society has a responsibility to report child abuse or neglect when there are reasonable grounds for believing a child may be in need of protection. People in professions that bring them into contact with children have a particular responsibility to ensure that young people are safe.

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