Course
Description
The stage will be set by first considering
how societies throughout history have typically regarded people with disabilities.
We will then investigate the history of vocational rehabilitation in the United
States by reviewing rehabilitation legislation and the various social, economic,
and political forces that mold legislation. The current and emerging role of
the rehabilitation counselor will be covered with particular attention to
certain areas of recent emphasis in the field of rehabilitation like supported/customized
employment, assistive technology, private rehabilitation, consumerism, intersectionality,
advocacy, civil rights, demand-side work with employers, and serving youth who
are in transition. During the course,
students will be introduced to some of the agencies that exist in the community
to serve people with disabilities and the funding sources that support these
agencies. We will also investigate the ever-evolving status of rehabilitation
counseling as a profession and review the many ethical considerations in the
practice of rehabilitation counseling.
Finally, through various activities students will have an opportunity to
personalize disability and become familiar with some of the real-life
circumstances of people with disabilities.
Course
Objectives
To
enable the student to:
1. Recognize the typical societal
responses to people with disabilities;
2. Identify the major pieces of
rehabilitation legislation in the United States;
3. Understand the importance of social,
economic and political forces in the evolution of rehabilitation legislation
and practice;
4. Identify how the rehabilitation
counselor’s role and functions vary depending upon the context within which the
rehabilitation counselor works;
5. Understand how the role of the
rehabilitation counselor may evolve given emerging areas in the field;
6. Identify a variety of community
agencies, the services the agencies provide and how services are funded;
7. Understand the status of rehabilitation
counseling as a profession and how to participate in the advancement of the profession
in collaboration with people with disabilities;
8. Identify ethical dilemmas in the practice
of rehabilitation counseling and how to explore satisfactory resolutions to these
dilemmas.
Textbooks/Journals
Articles/Manuals
Rubin, S. E.,
Roessler, R. T. and Rumrill, P. D. (2016). Foundations of the Vocational
Rehabilitation Process. Austin, TX: pro. ed.
Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (1992). A Technical Assistance Manual on the
Employment Provisions (Title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Washington D.C.: https://askjan.org/publications/ada-specific/Technical-Assistance-Manual-for-Title-I-of-the-ADA.cfm
Social Security 2020 Redbook-A Guide
Work Incentives: http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/
New
York Times Disability Columns: https://www.nytimes.com/column/disability
Selected book
chapters, journal articles, handouts and online sources will be assigned throughout the semester.
