Units
People, Community and Disability
Unit code: SWB306
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
This unit builds on concepts and issues introduced in the Disability Services: Introduction unit and is designed to promote understanding of the knowledge required to undertake policy and service development activities within the disability sector. It explores the range of service models relevant to people with a disability across their lifespan. Additionally, it examines the quasi-legal and policy aspects of working in disability service organisations, along with some of the ethical dilemmas inherent in human service provision with particular relevance to people with a disability. [SWB306 is incompatible with HHB306]
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Social work and human service practitioners must have the relevant professional knowledge and skills to understand the impact of disability, chronic conditions and health-related issues experienced by people and encountered in the community. The experience of disablement, chronic conditions or health-related issues can universally impact on people of any age or culture at any point during life course transition. This unit provides a platform for developing and integrating knowledge and skills to effectively respond to disability issues and challenging social constructions located in international, national and local community contexts. Because of its importance in preparing student for working with people and communities around issues of disablement, chronic conditions or other health-related impacts, this unit is strategically located in the third year.
Aims
The unit aims to provide students with knowledge of disability, chronic conditions and health-related issues encountered by people during the life course and within the community. It also encourages students to build professional skills relevant to the design of appropriate responses to disablement and health impacts across international, national and local communities. This unit uses a real world learning approach to assist students to develop an appreciation of people, community and disability experiences.
Objectives
On successful completion of this unit students should be able to:
- describe the contemporary theoretical, legislative and administrative frameworks underpinning professional practice with disability, chronic conditions and health-related issues (GVS1 - 1.1, 1.2, 1.10);
- apply the disability perspectives and practice skills to the design of an intervention or program response situated at the international, national or local community level (GVS1 - 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 1.10);
- critically analyse disability perspectives, impacts of disablement, social constructions and intervention or program response located at the international, national and local community level (GVS1.5, GVS2 - 2.4; GVS3 - 3.1); and
- demonstrate a critical awareness of your own developing professional practice style in the response to issues of disablement and health-related impacts, including social and cultural values (GVS3 - 3.2; GVS4 - 4.2, 4.6).
AASW Education and Accreditation Standards: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3, 4.1.4, 4.1.5, 4.1.6
AASW Practice Standards for Social Workers: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3
AIWCW Core Competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
Content
This unit provides an introduction to integrating knowledge and developing professional skills in order to practice with people and communities around issues of disablement and health-related impacts encountered in diverse practice settings. The unit has six core areas of focus:
· Contemporary theoretical, legislative, and administrative frameworks underpinning professional practice with disability and health-related impacts at international, national and local levels
· Trends in practice, service delivery and community responses across international, national and local contexts
· Conceptual disability perspectives, including disability groupings, health and chronic conditions, disability experiences and specific typologies for intervention and program responses
· Principles and practices of disability inclusive development and research in the design of disability-inclusive activities
· Life-course transitions, community dynamics and the nature of professional-client relationships
· Social constructions and discourses of disablement, chronic conditions and health
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
This unit will be offered in a blended learning mode via integrated campus and virtual online learning (including Blackboard, Facebook, multimedia and podcasts) to explore real world issues relating to practice located at the international, national and local community levels. In the week preceding the start of semester, you will attend an intensive three-day workshop. In mid and at the end of semester you will attend further one-day on-campus workshops. You will engage in online activities between workshop sessions. Learning and teaching will incorporate a discussion of material relevant to practice, multimedia presentations (power point, video, podcast and online material), and class activities.
Assessment
There are two pieces of assessment for this unit. The first involves a poster presentation and abstract. The second is a project report involving a case study. Workshop activities are also designed with an emphasis on planning for the assessment tasks. Students will work collaboratively in project groups and individually. There is an expectation that student work is of a high standard commensurate with third year professional practice knowledge and skills development.The unit has formative and summative assessment pieces. The first piece of assessment has a formative and summative component whereby formative feedback is provided through workshop sessions, group discussions, engagement with campus based and online learning activities and individual consultation. The final assessment is summative, and has a formative component whereby feedback on key learnings for professional practice will be offered in workshop sessions, on-campus and virtual learning activities and student consultation.
Assessment name:
Poster Presnttn & Workbook
Description:
Students will work in small project groups to:
" identify a core aspect from a disability specific piece of legislation (e.g. CDSA, 1986 or UNCRPD) relevant to practice involving a specific disability experience or health impact and develop a profile of the target group;
" identify a good practice response based on evidence in the adaptation of a program to meet the needs of the profiled target group;
participate in a group poster presentation of their profile and innovation.Students will then submit an individual abstract (200 words) that contains a synopsis of the poster presentation, summary of participation and bibliography.
Group work (poster presentation) and individual work (abstract).
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group with Individual Component
Due date:
Mid semester
Assessment name:
Project Report
Description:
Students are required to examine a real world international, national or local community case study (provided by the workshop leaders during the workshop), develop an evidence-base, and plan a program response relevant to the specific socio-cultural context and disability / chronic condition or health impact. Students will then submit a 2500-3000 word written professional project report
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3, 4
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
End semester
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Prescribed Text::
Eide, A. H., & Ingstad, B. (Eds.). (2011). Disability and poverty: A global challenge. Bristol, UK: Policy press.
Recommended Texts::
Davis, J. (Ed.). (2010). The disability studies reader (3rd ed.). NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
Oliver, M. (2009). Understanding disability. From theory to Practice (2nd ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave, Macmillan.
Priestley, M. (2012). Disability: A life course approach. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Risk assessment statement
There are no particular risks associated with this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 12-Oct-2012
