Disability Studies and Human Development
This concentration provides an interdisciplinary focus of study in areas such as independent living, employment, adults and children with disabilities, and health and community issues. This is an excellent concentration of study for those students interested in applying to a graduate program in Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (DPT), Speech Language Pathology (SLP), and other fields associated with rehabilitative services that benefit from a foundational understanding in disability studies. Job opportunities for entry-level professional and managerial positions may be found in developmental or physical disability services agencies, independent living centers, mental health centers, the geriatrics and vocational rehabilitations agencies.
Curriculum
HAN 443 Aging and Disability (3 credits): Provides comprehensive overview of aging and disability. Includes introduction to the field of geriatrics, age related disabilities, and the experiences of people with disabilities as they age. Presents an interdisciplinary perspective. Incorporates social, environmental, cultural, economic and historical issues related to disability and aging. Film, narrative, biography and guest speakers provide students with first-hand accounts of elders with disabilities. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 444 Disability and Popular Culture (3 credits): Recognizing that media images are integral to a socially constructed views of identity and that people with disability are affected by significant societal barriers, this course uses a critical disability studies lens to analyze how popular culture frames disability and neurodiversity for the general public. This course focuses on mass media representation of disability including representation in adult and children’s literature, journalism, television (TV), film, advertising, documentary, and social media. The course offers the opportunity for students to critically examine the role of privilege, power, and systemic oppression in society and its impact on people with disability. Topics will include media models of representation, inspiration porn, disability blogs and social media, advertising, the inspirational autobiography, common stereotypes found in TV and film, and the impact of media on attitudinal barriers to access. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 446 Disability Health and Community (3 credits): Presents a comprehensive view of health and community concerns experienced by people with disabilities. Explores historical analysis, biomedical discourse, cultural critique, and field research to understand the evolution of medical practices, cultural beliefs, and social structures influencing the treatments, services, and opportunities available to people with disabilities in the United State and internationally. Includes gender, sexuality, race, poverty, “invisible disabilities”, eugenic sterilization, assisted suicide topics. Guest speakers will facilitate a multi-layered understanding of the issues faced by people with disabilities and their families. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 447 Children with Disabilities (3 credits): Provides a comprehensive overview of the theories of child development and issues related to children with developmental spectrum disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and communication and learning disorders. Includes behavioral, developmental, language, medical, motor and sensory needs of children with developmental disabilities. Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
HAN 449 Project in Disability Studies (3 credits): Students will develop an independent capstone project in a topic area of individual interest within disability studies and human development. They will be required to develop a set of readings in this topic area, write a comprehensive paper, and give an oral presentation of their project. Students will integrate experiences from an internship or lived experience (the site) with the literature on their selected topic. The course instructor will mentor students to complete the project. The site can be drawn from two sources: an internship (HAN 441) or a lived experience (a previous or current position the student has arranged separately from class; can be past or present; must be approved by the instructor). Restricted to students approved for appropriate senior year track in the Health Science major.
