EDAC251 - Ethical Considerations for Diversity

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

EDAC151 Diversity and Wellbeing

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit is one of a number of units that provide students with knowledge about the aetiology of a range of impairments and conditions. The unit builds on work undertaken in EDAC151 Diversity and Wellbeing to provide additional knowledge and skills to respond to common health issues.

This unit contributes to the overall course outcome having the necessary skills and practices to support successful inclusion by developing students' knowledge about specific disabilities and condition. The unit follows on from Diversity and Wellbeing with a detailed examination of ways of supporting and maintaining health and function. Health and medical practices necessary for all members of the community to maintain good health will be examined, such as diet and exercise. The role of the teacher/community worker in supporting good health and complementing the role of health professionals to holistic health care to provide good service and proper treatment for individuals with conditions specific to the disability or general medical conditions. Students will review legal frameworks for informed consent and the role students play in gaining informed consent. Systems for documenting and maintaining health records will be examined.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Research specific disabilities and determine health needs (GA1, GA6)

LO2 - Discuss necessary preventative health measures in line with Government and health authority recommendations (GA6, GA10)

LO3 - Describe their role in advocating for individuals in terms of their health needs (GA1, GA6, GA10).

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

• Specific disabilities: aetiology, presentation and medical issues 
• Aspiration and dysphagia 
• Diet and exercise  
• Working with health and medical professionals 
• Informed consent 
• Health records and documentation

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

150 hours in total with a normal expectation of 36 hours of directed study and the total contact hours should not exceed 36 hours. Directed study might include lectures, tutorials, webinars, podcasts etc. The balance of the hours then becomes private study.

The teaching and learning organisation may take a number of forms, depending on specific course/subject requirements at the time of delivery, this may include a combination of face to face and/or online learning delivered on a weekly or intensive schedule. Tutorials and/or synchronous learning will enable students to participate in cooperative and supportive learning opportunities. All learning modes will be delivered and/or supported by a range of resources and activities on ACU’s technology learning platform (LEO).

Assessment strategy and rationale

Assessments in this unit have been designed to develop students’ understanding of preventative health measures and how accommodations and adjustments meet the needs of individuals. Assessment one is a report on preventative health measures which builds students research skills and develops their understanding of systems and documentation of medical records (LO1, 2). Assessment two requires students to identify a specific disability allowing the opportunity to exam accommodations and adjustments to service provisions with a focus on the importance of advocacy (LO3).

Reports style assessment have been utilised to develop students research and critical thinking skills to problem solve and find solutions which support the good health of people with disabilities or people with general health problems.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Batshaw, M.L., Roizen, N.L., & Lotrecchiano, G.R. (Eds.) (2013). Children with disabilities (7th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Burack, J.A. (Ed.) (2012). The Oxford handbook of intellectual disability and development (2nd ed.). New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Chadwick, R., Have, H., Meslin, E.M. (Eds.) (2011). The SAGE handbook of healthcare ethics: Core and emerging issues. London: SAGE.

Eddy, L.L. (2013). Caring for children with special healthcare needs: A handbook for healthcare professionals. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons.- 

Pindzola, R.H., Plexico, L.W., & Haynes, W.O. (2016) Diagnosis and evaluation in speech pathology (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Thomas, J., Pollard, K.C., Sellman, D. (Eds) (2014). Interprofessional working in health and social care: Professional perspectives (2nd ed.). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.