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Syllabus
RHS 403: Medical Aspects of Disability
RHS 403 Medical Aspects of Disability (3) Common disabling illnesses, injuries, and congenital defects; their symptomatology, prognosis, and treatment; implications for personal, social, and vocational adjustment.
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Tutor.com |Technical Requirements | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Accomodating Disabilities | Additional Policies
Overview
The purpose of this course is to give students an overview of many chronic illnesses and disabilities, and their impact in the lives of the individuals who live with them. This course is designed for non-medical professionals and students interested in working with individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The primary focus of the class is to gain an understanding of the body systems and their functions, understand how disabilities and illnesses impact many aspects of life, and identify appropriate rehabilitation goals and accommodations associated with the illnesses and disabilities covered in class and the text. Although we will be covering diagnostic criteria for illnesses and disabilities, the purpose of this class is not to learn how to diagnose illnesses and disabilities. Students are evaluated using quizzes, case study analyses, papers, and responses to readings and videos.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this courses, students will be able to:
- Define frequently used basic medical terminology
- Have an understanding of how health, disabilities, and chronic illnesses are classified and conceptualized by different models
- Identify and describe many illnesses and disabilities, including their etiology, characteristics, incident rates, and typical prognosis, particularly regarding health outcome disparities from a multicultural perspective
- Identify and describe the psychological and social variables that contribute to health.
- Assess functional limitations and assets associated with disabilities and chronic illness and identify appropriate accommodations.
- Read and understand key points from medical and psychiatric reports outlining the disabilities and illnesses addressed.
- Understand the multiple professional health care roles and occupations associated with the rehabilitation process.
- Develop a holistic perspective when evaluating disability, illness, and health status.
- Identify appropriate rehabilitation goals based on case conceptualizations for the chronic illnesses and disabilities addressed.
- Identify appropriate treatments, accommodations, and assistive technologies for the illnesses and disabilities addressed.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
APA Style Guide
In this course, all students are required to use APA Style. Penn State Libraries provides an APA Quick Citation Guide, which is a good place to start for basic citation/reference information. On the web site, the left-hand Overview menu is a great tool to guide you through any writing projects. There is also a link on the page that connects to the APA Style Blog for searching for more specific formatting answers (e.g., tables).
Tutor.com
Tutor.com is a 24/7 tutoring service that provides students with assistance in coursework, test preparation, research, writing, and more for various subjects. The tutors are subject-matter experts, and each student will have personalized one-on-one sessions with them. Students can schedule their own tutoring appointments to engage in interactive sessions that include a whiteboard and chat feature. The service can be utilized on any device that has Internet access. Students are encouraged to use the service throughout the semester.
You can access this service by selecting Tutor.com from your course navigation menu. Here you can select your subject, enter a question, and begin your tutoring session.
Getting Started with Tutor.com:- Launch Tutor.com by clicking the Tutor.com link in the Course Navigation Menu.
- Select the topic you are studying from the drop-down menu.
- From the subject drop-down menu, select your course.
- Ask your tutor a question in the text box. If you're working with a document, such as a rough draft of a writing assignment, you can upload the file here as well.
- Once you have made these selections, click Get a Tutor, and a tutor will be assigned to you within two minutes.
- You will then enter a virtual classroom with your tutor. Here, the interactive whiteboard and chat feature will be available. You will be able to talk with your tutor and use the tools. File sharing will be available for you and your tutor to review a document at the same time.
- After your session, please fill out the post-session survey to offer feedback on your experience.
- For a more detailed overview of Tutor.com, please view the How It Works video or read the "How It Works" guide (provide link to document). If you have any questions or need additional help logging in, please contact studentsupport@tutor.com
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
Grading Scheme:
| A | 93-100 |
| A- | 90-92 |
| B+ | 87-89 |
| B | 83-86 |
| B- | 80-82 |
| C+ | 77-79 |
| C | 70-76 |
| D | 60-69 |
| F |
59 and below |
Assignment Breakdown and Descriptions:
| Assignment Group | Percentage of Final Grade | Points per Assignment |
|---|---|---|
| Quizzes | 25% | 10 |
| Case Study Analysis | 35% | 10 |
| Final Project | 20% | 100 |
| Discussion | 10% | 20 |
| General Assignments | 10% | Varies |
Quizzes
There will be a quiz at the beginning of each module that should be completed after reading the assigned textbook chapters. Each quiz will have 10 questions and be timed with a 15-minute limit. You may only take the quiz one time. While there will be 14 quizzes throughout the semester, the quiz submission with the lowest score will be dropped from consideration into your final grade.
Quizzes must be completed by Sunday, 11:59PM of the instructional week. Once the instructional week is over, you will not be permitted to take the quiz and will be given a zero. The correct answers will be displayed for two days after the instructional week ends so that you may review any incorrect answers.
Case Studies
Every module in the course will present cases studies, each with its own set of considerations and implications. Some cases are based on real people and/or real situations.
There are three types of case study experiences in this course:
- Fully guided case study analysis - In Modules 2 through 8, a full case study narrative and analysis will be provided as a guide to be used when crafting responses to the case studies with assignments associated with them.
- Partial case study analysis: In most modules of Modules 2 through 15, you will be given additional case study narrative and asked to analyze one of four categories of factors needed to complete the full analysis.
- SOAP note: In Module 11, you will write a SOAP note about the case you analyze to address the Subjective, Objective, Analysis and interpretation, and Plans for next time.
For most of the case studies, you will be asked to analyze how certain factors relate to the case. A “tool kit," or checklist, will be provided for each case study. Grading of the case study analysis submissions will be based on a student’s ability to thoroughly address all factors listed in the tool kit and include references to the textbook, module commentary, and credible additional resources.
Requirements for the case studies will be discussed in detail within Module 2.
Final Project
The final project is comprised of three parts, each assigned at different times during the course. The final project will be submitted as two separate documents, the first approximately 2-3 pages and the second approximately 3-5 pages. Each submission should be double-spaced and include references and cover page. APA style is mandatory.
| Title | Point Value and Length | Due by the end of... |
|---|---|---|
| Part I:
Topic Selection |
Ungraded and required | Module 5 |
| Part II:
Disability Overview Rough Draft |
Failure to meet completion deadline results in a 10% deduction off the final grades 2-3 pages |
Module 8 |
| Part III(a):
Journaling Daily Activities |
Ungraded and required | Module 11 |
| Part III(b):
Accommodations and Personal Reflection Rought Draft |
Failure to meet completion deadline results in a 10% deduction off the final grades Accommodations - 2-3 pages
|
Module 14 |
| Part II:
Disability Overview Final Draft |
35 points 2-3 pages |
Module 15 |
| Part III(b):
Accommodations and Personal Reflection Final Draft |
Accommodations = 45 points, 2-3 pages Personal Reflection = 20 points, 1-2 pages |
Module 15 |
Requirements for the final project will be discussed in detail within Module 3.
Discussion
There will be one discussion that students will participate in. To promote engaging conversations and constant perspective sharing, the discussion will span two weeks of time. Consider the Minimum requirements for your workflow during the two weeks of time:
Week 1: Submit an initial post related to the given prompt by 11:59 p.m. ET Sunday night of the week. Unless otherwise specified, the minimum word count for the initial post is at least 250 words.
Week 2: Reply to 2 classmates' initial posts. You must also respond to all replies made to your initial post by 11:59 p.m. ET Sunday night of the week. Unless otherwise specified, students are to provide at least 4 well-thought-out full sentences.
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.
Getting Started and Module 1: Disability as Experience vs. Diagnosis
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Textbook
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Module 2: Hearing and Deafness
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Textbook
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Module 3: Vision Impairments and Blindness
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Readings: |
Textbook
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Module 4: Chronic Pain, Musculoskeletal Disorders and Rheumatic Disorders
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Readings: |
Textbook
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Module 5: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disorders
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Readings: |
Textbook
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Module 6: Stroke
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Textbook
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Module 7: Diabetes and Amputation
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Textbook
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Module 8: HIV/AIDS
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Textbook
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Module 9: Cancer
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Textbook
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Module 10: Traumatic Brain Injury
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Textbook
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Module 11: Spinal Cord Injury
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Readings: |
Textbook
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Module 12: Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis
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Textbook
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Module 13: Mood Disorders
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Assignments: |
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Module 14: Anxiety, Schizophrenia, and Other Mental Health Conditions
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Readings: |
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Assignments: |
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Module 15: Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities
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Readings |
Textbook
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Assignments: |
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Late Policy
Students will be deducted 10% every week an assignment is late. Work more than three weeks late will not be accepted. If you are having difficulty completing an assignment on time, or there is an emergency that prevents you from completing your work on time, please email the instructor as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for you to keep up in the class.The instructor will review late requests and circumstances on a case by case basis and make decisions accordingly. The late policy may be waived at the instructor's discretion in case of an emergency. Emergencies are defined as anything which is serious and unexpected including: hospitalization, childbirth, major accident, injury, or bereavement. Examples of non-emergencies include: weddings, vacations, work training, conferences or any other event which can and should be planned around. If there has been an emergency that will hinder your ability to complete your work in a timely manner, please let the instructor know within 48 hours of the event so arrangements can possibly be made. Waiting beyond this time frame to contact the instructor may not be acceptable and will likely cause you to lose points on your work. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor, so that the instructor can assist you as best they can. It is NOT appropriate to attempt to contact the instructor last minute (12 hours before deadline) to report personal or technological issues. Furthermore, emailing the instructor last minute before a deadline to say an assignment will be late and not hearing back from the instructor does not mean that the assignment will be accepted without penalty. Students have semester long access to the syllabus and course schedule, Canvas and the Canvas calendar to plan accordingly.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Reporting Bias
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Veterans
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.