DSAB 602 - Embodiment and Disability (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
This course focuses on issues related to embodiment and the biological and medical aspects of disability. Students who complete the course will be knowledgeable about: the relationship between Disability Studies, medical sociology and the concept of the “lived body;” the difference between an understanding of the disabled body as a social construction and as a medical problem; the health care needs and experiences of people with disabilities; public policies related to the access of people with disabilities to quality health care; identification, prevalence, clinical manifestations, cognitive, behavioral and social implications and interventions associated with genetic causes of disabilities and acquired disabilities due to traumatic events; the relationship of Disability Studies and bioethics in areas such as prenatal testing, the genome project and assisted suicide; the value and possibilities of non-verbal communication and sign language to improve the quality of life of people with sensory disabilities; language development and educational options for children with cochlear implants; modes of communication with individuals with hearing impairments and other sensory disabilities; advances in our understanding of issues related to the sexual life of people with disabilities; the value of universal design and the physical accessibility of the built environment to people with disabilities and the broader community; and the potential for assistive technologies to improve the quality of life of persons with impairments and disabilities.