Course Title: Introduction to Disability (Education)

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Introduction to Disability (Education)

Credit Points: 12.00

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
TCHE2150	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010

Course Coordinator: Dr Kerrie Lante

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7362

Course Coordinator Email: kerrie.lante@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 201.3.04

Course Coordinator Availability: Please email for appointment time

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course is designed to be an introduction to disability and presents an overview of principles and practices for service provision for people with a disability. Various themes related to disability ranging from prescriptive definitions through to current social and alternative definitions will be examined. The course will enable students to gain a historical perspective into the attitudes and past ideologies that underpinned services provided to people with intellectual disability. The course will introduce students to the paradigms of disability and will examine the effects of these models and paradigms on service provision. Issues regarding social attitude, stigma and labelling, integration and social roles will be discussed in relation to current approaches to service delivery. The course will allow the student to examine how disability affects the person, their families/significant others, and the community across a range of areas. Working with families, issues relating to siblings and carer’s issues will be explored. Quality of life will be discussed as will cultural aspects which may affect the person. Importantly, the course will allow students to examine their own attitudes to disability, explore how attitudes are formed, and how they can be challenged.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

See learning outcomes

At the completion of this course students who have attended lectures and actively engaged in class debate and completed the self-directed readings and other assigned work will be able to:
• Critique historical and contemporary philosophies to understand trends.
• Describe different approaches that have been taken to conceptualise and define disability.
• Use sensitive language in reference to disability.
• Discuss basic human rights and legal rights in relation to community participation, integration, and quality of life.
• Articulate the issues regarding social attitude, stigma and labelling, integration and social roles.
• Enhance community awareness about disability.
• Demonstrate an awareness of how your own practice can impact on the life of a person with a disability

Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities will be based around lectures/lecture notes and associated activities, online and other reading materials, media critiques, and case studies that provide students with an opportunity to appreciate both historical and contemporary issues facing people with disability and the disability sector.

Overview of Learning Resources

The students will be able to access course information and learning materials through the Learning Hub and will be provided with reading lists and other sources of information in lecture and through the learning hub. Students will also be expected to use library resources.

Overview of Assessment

1. Multiple choice test (30% of total mark)
2. Contemporary Snapshot (20% total mark)
3. Exam (50% of total mark)