Redefining Disability
Addressing Perceptions
Course Description
Disability is a term that in reality should be defined in diverse ways but in reality, when we are asked to define disability we move towards pathologized definitions guided by the medical model which defines disability as an illness to be cured or a problem to be solved. in this course, we will be unpacking and dismantling these ableist definitions and moving towards redefining disability in contexts of every day life, education and multiple other settings and keeping in mind that disability is an individual experience.
Accessibility Statement
in this course not only is disability an individual experience, but access and accessibility is something that means different from one person to the next. In this course, access must not only defined as an individual experience but must also be meaningful and experienced as meaningful by that individual. Students are encouraged to reach out to the course instructor about their access needs and if they feel that they are not experiencing meaningful access to their education in this course.
Ghofran Alyass
Ghofran Alyass is a disabled woman and the Founder of Beyond Abilities International, formerly known as Beyond Abilities. This organization provides online programs and services to youth and adults with disabilities. She holds a Master of Education in Social Justice Education specializing in Disability educational policy from OISE, University of Toronto. She also has an honour Bachelor of Arts in Disability Studies from the Toronto Metropolitan University, a college certificate in preparatory in Liberal Studies, and a college diploma in Community Services from George Brown College. She is a disability advocate, program facilitator, and author of a recent book, "You Have 24 Hours to Live”. Ghofran is interested in and pursues research that explores persistent barriers for students with disabilities within academia. Her research seeks to find the policy's role in current accommodation practices and how student voices can influence better change. Ghofran is also interested in researching alternative non-medicalized ways students can access accommodations, particularly in higher education.
Contact the course instructor
If you have any course-related questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best,
Ghofran Alyass
Course curriculum
Reflection one: What does Disability mean to you? What do you think of when you see or hear the word disability?
Lecture One: Disability through the medical model
Reflection Two: How do you know about Disability?
Lecture Two: Disability through the Social Model
Reflection Three: What is the difference between the medical model and the social model in the way the two models define disability?
Lecture three: Barriers to access in education for students with disabilities
Reflection four: What is access to you, and what makes meaningful access?
Lecture four: What is a reasonable accommodation? What is meaningful access? Exploring post-secondary student definitions
Reflection five: Challenges in employment for people with disabilities
Lecture Five: Disability and Employment
Reflection six: What did you learn from this course?
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1Course Content