English Title

Abstract

Oppression is a complex social phenomenon, whose effects could become devastating for people with disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the various forms of oppression towards this sector of the population and to analyze how social policies have encouraged the institutionalized oppression in Puerto Rico. For social work and related fields, it is important to understand how social policies use helping professions as ameans to exercise social control, so that people with disabilities adapt to the rules, procedures and services of the institutions. Understanding the reason why and how itisacted, facilitates the transformation of social policies that serves persons with disabilities.