REVISED SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

The Heller School for Social Policy & Management

Brandeis University

HSSP COURSE NUMBER: 128A

Disability Policy

Fall 2016

Robyn M. Powell, JD

Office Hours: By Appointment

Course Description

Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate an understanding of the following issues in regard to disability policy:

  1. Identify the principles, foundation and provisions of disability service programs in the United States.
  2. Understand specific current disability policies regarding financing, ethical, and legal issues related to civil rights, income transfers, education, employment, health care, and housing.
  3. Explain the interrelationships among disability policies at the federal, state, and local levels.
  4. Explain the intended and actual consequences of the major US disability policies.
  5. Discuss ethical issues in current disability policy, including individual and family rights, issues of distributive justice, and issues of power, discrimination, oppression, culture & race.

Policy on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.

Teaching Methods

This course is taught as a seminar. To maximize everyone’s learning, we will rely on the contributions and insights of all students when issues are discussed. The participation of each student is essential, and responsibility for class discussion is shared. Class participation includes attendance, being prepared to discuss readings and assignments, sharing your opinions on the topic at hand, facilitating the participation of other students, and engaging with the instructor and guest speakers.

You are responsible for reading all assigned material before the class date for which the readings are assigned.

Required Texts/Readings

There are no texts for this course. Readings will be available on the internet, Brandeis University library, or posted on LATTE.

Communications

Changes in class schedule are communicated via email and the course website.

Class Assignments

Students will complete two written assignments, one in-class presentation, anda final exam. Students who feel that the written assignments could be better tailored to meet their individual learning goals are encouraged to discuss this with the instructor. Written assignments can be altered at the discretion of the instructor.All assignments are due before 5pm on the date that they are due. Assignments must be emailed to instructor in a .doc file.

Class participation is 10% of the final semester grade.

Assignment 1Due: Oct 5

25% of final grade

Choose a current disability policy issue to discuss analyze and discuss – be very specific! To complete this assignment:

1)Describe the disability policy issue. Is it a state or national issue? Who is affected? Does it affect any specific subpopulations within the disability community?

2)Analyze the history of and theoretical frameworks underpinning the issue.

3)Write up your analysis in a 4-6-page double-spaced paper, excluding references.

A one-paragraph description of the topic must be submitted to the instructor for approval no later than September 12.

Assignment 2Due: Nov 30

25% of final grade

This assignment builds off of paper #1. Analyze a legislative or policy solution that addresses the previously chosen disability policy issue (can be state or national depending on issue selected). Write an 8-10-page paper (excluding references) analyzing the policy solution. Describe the policy solution in terms of effectiveness, adequacy, and equity. Also be sure to describe eligibility, service provision, financing, and administrative responsibility. Conclude with by suggesting how the legislation or policy can be strengthened.A one-paragraph description of the topic must be submitted to the instructor for approval no later than September 12.

Assignment 3Due: Nov 30 or Dec 5

10% of final grade

Students will prepare and present the papers developed in class. Ample time will be provided for questions and discussion.

Assignment 4Due: TBD

30% of final grade

FINAL EXAM.

Held on the assigned date during the final exam period. The exam will consist of short and long answer essay questions addressing all assigned readings, lecture, and course discussion. Any content covered in class or assigned readings is fair game for the final exam.

Policy on Incompletesand Late Assignments

Papers are to be submitted to the instructorby 5pm on the day they are due, without exception. Late papers will be reduced by 10% for each 24-hour period for which they are late.

Policy on Academic Dishonesty

You are expected to complete assigned and independent readings, contribute to the development of a positive learning environment, and demonstrate your learning through written assignments and class participation. Original written work is expected and required. Brandeis University honors a tradition of respecting academic integrity. All submitted work must conform to the standards for academic integrity of Brandeis University, which is available at In short, it is imperative that all written and oral work give credit for the words, thoughts, and ideas of others, by appropriate quotation and citation. If the instructor suspects that students’ work does not adhere to Brandeis University policies on academic integrity, referral will be made to the Department of Student Rights and Community Standards, pursuant to Brandeis University policies.

Course Schedule

This schedule is for planning purposes and will change as needed.

Class 1
Due:
Readings: / Course Introduction (August 29)
None
None
Class 2 / Introduction to Disability Policy (August 31)
Due:
Readings / N/A
Gilbert & Specht
Mingus, M. (2011, Feb. 12). Changing the framework: Disability Justice. Available at
framework-disability-justice/.
Waddington, L. & Diller, M. (n.d.). Tensions and Coherence in Disability Policy. Available at
Gill, C. J. & Cross, W. E. (2010). Disability Identity and Racial-Cultural Identity Development: Points of Convergence, Divergence, and Interplay. In F. E. Balcazr et al. (Eds.), Race, Culture, and Disability (pp. 33-51). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
OPTIONAL:
Keys, C. B. Conclusion: How Race, Culture, and Disability Intersect: Pragmatic and Generative Perspectives. In F. E. Balcazr et al. (Eds.), Race, Culture, and Disability (pp. 383-391). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Class 3
Due:
Readings: / Legal & Programmatic Definitions of Disability (September 7)
N/A
Altman, B. (2001). Disability definitions, models, classification schemes, and applications. In G.L. Albrecht, K.D. Seelman, & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of disability studies (pp. 97-123). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Brucker, D.L., & Houtenville, A. (2015). People with disabilities in the United States. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 771-774.
Altman, B. (2014). Definitions, concepts, and measures of disability. Annals of Epidemiology, 24, 2-7.
CDC (2015). Key Findings: Prevalence of Disability and Disability Type among Adults, United States – 2013. Available at
Class 4
Due:
Readings: / History of Disability Policy (September 8)
Paragraph description of topic (September 12)
Braddock, D., & Parish, S. (2001). Disability history from antiquity to the Americans with Disabilities Act. In G. L. Albrecht, K. D. Seelman, & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of disability studies (pp. 11-68). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth. Disability History Timeline.
Museum of disability History. Disability and the African American Experience.
Class 5, 6
Due:
Readings: / Disability Rights: The Americans with Disabilities Act (September 12, 14)
N/A
Blanck, P., Schwochau, S. & Song, C. (2003). Is it time to declare the ADA a failed law? In Stapleton, D. C. & Burkhauser, R. V. (Eds.), The decline in employment of people with disabilities: A policy puzzle (pp. 301-337). Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
Switzer, J. V. (2003). Disabled rights: American disability policy and the fight for equality (pp. 90-143). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Mayerson, A. The History of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Department of Justice. (2016). Beyond the Cases: 26 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Class 7-9
Due:
Readings: / Health Care: Benefits, Access, and Disparities (September 19, 21 & 26)
N/A
Kaiser Family Foundation. (n.d.). The Affordable Care Act's impact on Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and benefits for people with disabilities.
Center on Policy and Budget Priorities. (2015). Introduction to Medicaid.
Yee, S. (2011).
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2016). An overview of Medicare.
Jones, C.P. (2014). Systems of power, axes of inequity: Parallels, intersections, braiding the strands. Medical Care, 52, S71-S75.
Magaña, S., Parish, S.L., Morales, M., Li, H., & Fujiura, G. (2015) Racial and ethnic health disparities among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Issue Brief.
Eliason, M. J., Martinson, M., & Carabez, R. M. (2015). Disability Among Sexual Minority Women: Descriptive Data from an Invisible Population. LGBT health, 2(2), 113-120.
Class 10, 11
Due:
Readings: / Disability Rights: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(September 28 & October 5)
Guest Speaker (9/28): David Morrissey, U.S. International Council on Disabilities
Assignment #1 (October 5)
United Nations. (n.d.). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Kayess, R. & French, P. (2008). Out of Darkness into Light? Introducing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.Human Rights Law Review, 8(1), 1-34.
National Council on Disability. (2014). NCD Statement on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Class 12-13
Due:
Readings: / Income Transfers & Poverty (October 1019)
Guest Speaker (10/10): Dr. Susan Parish, Brandeis University
N/A
Vallas, R. & Fremstad, S. (2014). Disability is a cause and consequence of poverty. Talk Poverty. links)
U.S. Senate HELP Committee (2014). Fulfilling the promise: Overcoming persistent barriers to economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
The Arc of the United States. (n.d.). Social Security and SSI for People with I/DD and their Families.
US Department of Health & Human Services. (2016). Federal poverty threshold. Federal Register. Available at
Ghosh, S., Dababnah, S., Parish, S.L. & Igdalsky, L. (2015). Disability, Social Exclusion and Poverty (pp. 81-97). In Iriarte, E.G., McConkey, R., Gilligan, R. (Eds.), Disability in a global age: A human rights based approach, Palgrave Macmillan.
Class 14
Due:
Readings: / Intersectionality & Disability (October 25)
Guest Speakers: Vilissa Thompson, Ramp your Voice! & Day Al-Mohamed, U.S. Department of Labor
N/A
TBD
Class 15, 16
Due:
Readings: / Employment (October 26, 31)
N/A
Guest Speaker (10/26): Charlie Carr, Former Commissioner of Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
Yin, M. & Shaewitz, D. (2015). One size does not fit all: A new look at the labor force participation of people with disabilities.
Stapleton, D. et al. (2006). Dismantling the poverty trap: Disability policy for the twenty-first century.
See Latte for additional readings.
Class 17-19
Due:
Readings: / Early Intervention & Education (November 2, 7 & 9)
Guest Speaker (11/7): Dr. Marji Warfield, Brandeis University
N/A
Cole, P., Oser, C., & Walsh, S. (2011). Building on the foundations of Part C legislation. Zero to Three, 52-59.
Hauser-Cram, P., & Erickson Warfield, M. (2009). Early intervention services. In W.B. Carey et al (Eds.). Developmental behavioral pediatrics. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.
Gargiulo, R.M. & Metcalf, D. (2013) Teaching in today's inclusive classrooms, 2ndEd. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall and Maanum,J.L. (2009). The general educator's guide to special education, 3rd Ed. Thousand Oakes, CA: Corwin Press.
US Department of Education. (n.d). IDEA, Part B and IDEA, Part C. Available at:
See Latte for additional readings
Class 20, 21
Due:
Readings: / Housing & Community Living (November 14, 16)
N/A
ADA.gov. Olmstead: Community integration for everyone.
Cooper, E. et al. (2015). Priced out in 2014: The housing crisis for people with disabilities. Boston, MA: Technical Assistance Collaborative.
White, G. B. (2015). Nowhere to go: The housing crisis facing Americans with disabilities.The Atlantic.
National Council on Disability. (2010). The state of housing in America in the 21st century: A disability perspective. Washington, DC: Author. Available at (Executive Summary only)
Class 22
Due:
Readings: / Hot Topics in Disability Policy (November 21)
Guest Speaker: Rebecca Cokley, National Council on Disability
N/A
TBD
Class 23
Due:
Readings: / Family Perspectives
Guest Speakers: Dr. Susan Parish, Allyson DeNoble, Elizabeth Bostic
N/A
TBD
Class 24, 25
Due:
Readings: / Student Presentations (November 30 & December 5)
In-class presentations
Assignment #2 (November 30)
None
Class 26
Due:
Readings: / Course Review (December 7)
None – study for final exam!
None

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