Courses in Disability Studies are taught by Texas Center for Disability Studies faculty and staff and are currently offered through the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. The course number for each course is SW 387R for the graduate level and SW360K for the undergraduate level class.

Text:  
You will have readings for the course made available to you by the Texas Center for Disability Studies. The readings will be uploaded on the Blackboard Web site. You can either read them online or print a copy.

Format:
This course will be conducted entirely on the Web, using software called “Blackboard.” This software is fully accessible, but if you have difficulty in using a screen reader to access any information on the Web site, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. According to university policy, if you need any accommodations to successfully complete this course, you must notify the instructor of your needs in advance.

Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to explore the meaning of Developmental Disabilities from an empowerment model.  To that end:

• The student will consider definitions and aspects of a variety of developmental disabilities, in order to understand the socially-conferred status of the label.

• The student will identify how attitudes and beliefs about individuals with developmental disabilities have evolved throughout history, as well as consider the current society attitudes toward developmental disabilities.

• The student will identify and consider issues that occur throughout the life span of individuals with developmental disabilities.

• The student will identify and discuss ethical issues that influence individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the life span.

• The student will examine the tenets of Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy and the impact on the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Schedule:

Syllabus lesson: This lesson will orient you to the structure of the course, the software we'll use for the course, as well as elements of learning online.

Lesson 1: This lesson gives us a basis for understanding the social context of Developmental Disability.  We'll discuss and compare definitions and models of understanding disability, consider the impact of language on our understanding of disability, and understand the premises of Self-Advocacy and its relevance to this course.

Lesson 2: We will focus on the specific disabilities that fall under the category of Developmental Disabilities, as well as consider some components of the service delivery system for children in this country. This will allow us to appreciate some of the issues, concerns, and the impact of a child with a disability on a family.

Lesson 3: This lesson focuses on issues for adults with Developmental Disabilities. The first area covered is Self-Advocacy; the second area is on Sexuality and Marriage; and the third area is on Guardianship.

Lesson 4: This lesson is designed to consider specific issues surrounding aging with a Developmental Disability. We will discuss various perspectives of individual needs, policy issues and concerns, health care, quality of life, care giving, community resources and support, as well as independent living. We will also take time to discuss recreation and leisure! You will get the chance to read various personal testimonies, research various issues in depth, and discuss these topics with your colleagues.

Requirements:  
This course is designed in a Web-based environment that gives us a certain kind of flexibility in creating learning opportunities for you. The course is designed to give you some flexibility in choosing how you best learn, and what topics are of primary interest to you, within a structure. There are six lessons in this course (not counting what you will do the first week). Each lesson will last two weeks. There is one "project" that will last one week. At the beginning of each lesson or project, there is a "map" to tell you all of the learning activities for that lesson.  Some of the activities will be required, and some will be optional.  The map will clearly state what you need to do to complete that lesson. If you have any doubts or questions, be sure to ask the instructor.

Grades:
You will acquire points by doing the tasks associated with each lesson.  Each lesson has basic requirements equivalent to the time you would physically spend in a classroom, plus the time you would normally spend outside the class doing readings or working on papers.  Each lesson clearly states how many points you can earn, and the grade per point total. There are different point requirements for the graduate and the undergraduate students. There will be points for doing the project during the project week. There are no mid-term or final exams, only quizzes at the end of each lesson, and activities to support your learning.