Courses in Disability Studies

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. Each course is taught either by an individual with a disability or a family member, and has a community “partner” to maintain the personal perspective of disability in all aspects of the courses.

SW 360K/SW 387R Introduction to Disability Studies: Making Systems Work for People with Disabilities.   This course is an overview of an empowerment and advocacy-based model of Disability Studies. 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, and 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.

Syllabus 

SW 360K/SW 387R Introduction to Disability Studies: The Social Context of Disability.   We focus on the social and cultural context of disability, with an emphasis on how disability is defined and understood at the micro and macro levels. Attitudes, language, and adjustment theories will be considered from a personalist view. A deep understanding of the longstanding social oppression of the disability community, as well as ways to initiate social change, are integral to the course.

Syllabus 

SW 360K/SW 387R Family Support, Self-Determination, and Disability. This course provides teachers, professionals in the disability field, self-advocates, and families strategies for working with, and supporting families who have a member with a disability. Originally developed by family members, it has been updated with input from individuals with disabilities. Topics include: philosophy of family support and self-determination, cultural competence in supporting families, assessing needs and determining supports, identifying and coordinating resources, skills for working together with families and self-advocates, and evaluating family support.

Syllabus 

SW 360K/SW 387R Aging and Disability. This course studies individuals who are either chronologically older or who may be experiencing functional changes typical of older persons. Because some individuals, i.e. those with Down’s Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy, may experience changes typical of the aging process as early as 25 years of age, it is essential this information be covered in core courses on Disability Studies. This course identifies strategies for supports for families, friends, service providers, organizations, and members of the community to improve the lives of older persons. Topics include the aging process, a paradigm for dementia care, specific medical concerns, community membership, community building, team building, decision making, and family supports.

Syllabus 


SW 360K/SW 387R Women and Disability. The voice of women in multiple minority statuses is largely missing from discussions of disability. This course examines the meaning and experience of being female and disabled and/or a cultural/ethnic minority member. An in-depth examination of
the intersection of sex-roles stereotypes, disability stereotypes, and cultural stereotypes occurs through readings, interviews, and research.

Syllabus 

SW 360K/SW 387R Developmental Disabilities and Self-Advocacy. This course covers life-span issues for individuals with developmental disabilities. Topics include the impact of social and cultural values, including attitudes toward children and adults with developmental disabilities, institutionalization, service options, sexuality, forced sterilization, self-advocacy movements, and aging. The social context of developmental disabilities are examined using images from popular culture.

Syllabus 

SW 360K/SW 387R Psychiatric Disabilities: From the Inside Out.   The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the world of individuals with severe mental illness. This course is not designed to show you to how to work with people with severe mental illness, rather, the goal is to enhance your ability to BE with people with this diagnosis.

Syllabus