Introduction to Disability Studies: Legislation, Advocacy, and Leadership SW 360K and 395K Fall 2003 Penny Seay, Ph.D. Office Hours: (virtual and real) Tuesday 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (or in person by appointment) 4030-1 W. Braker Lane, Suite 180 [email protected] 512-232-0745 This course provides an overview of disability policy. Topics include the history of the disability rights movement, relevant federal and state legislation, legal and ethical issues, services and supports through federal and state programs, the political economy of disability, and disability culture, advocacy and leadership issues. Text: You will have readings for the course that will be made available to you by the Texas Center for Disability Studies. They will be mailed to you, or you can pick them up from the Center. 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 website, please contact me as soon as possible. As is University policy, if you need any accommodations to successfully complete this course, you must notify the instructor in advance of your needs. Course Objectives: The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the history of the disability movement, and how this movement affected the development of federal and state legislation, legal and ethical decisions, policies, agencies, services, including those delivered through waiver programs. Finally, a discussion of disability culture, advocacy, and leadership, and how these issues aid our understanding of Disability Studies will complete the course. To that end: � The student will understand the major events in the history of the disability movement and their relationship to current legislation, policy, legal issues, and service delivery affecting people with disabilities. � The student will understand the content and intent of recent legislation and court decisions that affect people with disabilities.� The student will identify how attitudes and beliefs about disability may affect the development of legislation, legal decisions, and policies. � The student will explore and critically evaluate the complex issues related to the political economy of disability. � The student will examine federal and state agencies providing services to people with disabilities and their families. � The student will examine the complex process of obtaining needed services through federal and state waiver programs. � The student will identify qualities of the disability culture and how it is perceived by mainstream culture. � The student will critically evaluate the importance of disability advocacy and leadership, and consider ways to support this movement. Requirements: Since this course is offered for both graduate (SW 395K) and undergraduate (SW 360K) credit, there are different requirements for you, depending on what class you signed up to take. If you are not sure what class you are in, please ask me. Essentially, the graduate students have more reading and writing to do, although the same content will be covered. The 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 primarily designed to give you some flexibility in choosing how you best learn, and what topics are of primary interest to you, within a certain structure. There are six lessons in this course (not counting what you will do this first week), and one project. Most of the lessons last for two weeks, one will be three weeks long, and you will have one week to complete the project. At the beginning of each lesson, there is a map that will 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 the lesson, but if you have any doubt or questions, be sure and ask me. One of the biggest hazards in a distance learning environment is getting behind, and although I do have some flexibility in this course, you must complete your lessons on time! The lessons will be open for a certain time period only, and you must complete the activities within that time period to get credit. If you find yourself getting behind, due to unexpected circumstance or poor planning, let me know as soon as possible. This is not a course where you can ignore everything until mid term and cram and catch up. The content will be measured out and paced, not crammed. Before you start, ask yourself whether you are willing to devote time each week to this course, just like you would If you were going to a classroom and sitting down there. You have to make yourself sit down; even though you get to choose the time, you still have to put in the time.Each lesson is broken down into learning activities. These are the parts: The Map To make sure everyone knows what to expect for any given lesson, there is a map of the tasks and assignments. The map will list the tasks, identify which are required and which are optional, and give you the number of points you can earn for doing them. You should review the map of every lesson at the beginning, with your day planner, so you can plan when you will work on the class that week. The map will also specify which assignments are REQUIRED and which are optional. Within each lesson you will have options about the activities you engage in to get information. Some activities will be required and the optional activities will be your choice. The Lesson This would be the lecture I would deliver if I were standing in front of you in a class. Read it, and I hope it will feel like I am talking to you. You will notice that I pose a lot of questions when I teach; that’s just how I teach, and I do that because I want you to think, to stay engaged in the material. The lessons are always required, along with the document that you produce with each lesson. You will see a sample in just a minute so that you know what I am talking about. Activities These will be things I will ask you to do to support your learning in the class. Most will be required, some will be optional, but you will know each time by looking at the map. These tasks will involve you in “doing” something. Readings You will have a reading packet for this class of articles, book chapters, etc. I will supply this to you,