What Social Role Valorisation Means

Social Role Valorisation (SRV) is a social theory developed by Wolf Wolfensberger. At its core, it explains something simple and confronting: society assigns value to people based on the social roles they hold.

Leaders, professionals and contributors are treated with respect. People positioned as “client,” “burden” or “case” are often treated as less capable, less influential and less powerful, not because of who they are, but because of the roles society assigns them.

People who are socially devalued, including people with disability, trauma survivors and marginalised communities, are at greater risk of exclusion, being underpaid, overprotected, and losing access to ordinary life opportunities.

The Core Principle

If we want people to be valued, we must support them to hold real valued roles, not symbolic or token ones. SRV is about intentionally designing environments, services and opportunities that increase the likelihood of people being seen and treated as valuable.

What SRV Is Not

It is not charity, pity, lowering standards, special treatment, segregation or inspiration narratives. It is not about making people “feel included.” It is about shifting real social positioning.