Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Nursing, Midwifery & Social Wk
This course introduces students to social work practice in the field of disability. The content is structured around weekly workshops covering the experience of disability for individuals and families, and current policy and programmatic issues in the disability sector. It adopts a strong focus on the lived experiences of disability and reflects on the important presence of family and community in the lives of people with disability. Topics covered include person-centred and family-centred practice, advocacy, local area coordination, supported decision-making, direct payments, NDIS and other relevant policy and legislation in the Australian context.
The course begins by introducing students to the field of disability studies and theoretical, social and political understandings of disability. SWSP3076 draws upon the lived experience of people with a disabilities and their families and explores local and international perspectives on disability. The disability service system in Australia continues to experience rapid change under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the course equips students to better understand the practical and social implications of current service delivery. Students will consider the position of social work in the lives of people with disabilities, including the place of disability advocacy and community development, the role social workers take with other professions, and how issues concerning disablement affect many different practice fields.ﾠﾠ
ASWEAS Required Curriculum Content Areas covered in this course:
The Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) program is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers. The Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (2020) stipulates that accredited social work programs are required to include content that addresses the five core curriculum areas listed below. This course contains content in the following curriculum areas:
- Constructions of social work purpose, place, and practice
- Power, oppression, and exploitation
- The history and contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Culture, identity, and discrimination
- Psychosocial health and wellbeing across the lifecycle
The BSocWk(Hons) program will undergo re-accreditation in 2026 under the new ASWEAS (2024), which outlines updated required curriculum. This course content maps to the following:
- Social worker values and professional identity
- Approaches to social work
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course aims to assist students to develop the capacity to use the social work knowledge base to inform practice, specifically in the field of disability.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Kathy Ellem
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Please note the change of venue and day in Week 7 of the semester for the inter-professional workshop. There will be no workshop held on Wednesday of that week.
Aims and outcomes
Disability is a universal phenomenon affecting all ages, social and cultural groups across the span of human history. In contemporary Australia, there are significant conceptual debates about the nature of disability, and the remedies to the disadvantage and social exclusion experienced by many people with disability. Social workers work in the disability field in a variety of roles across a range of contexts: as policy practitioners, managers of government and community services, family workers, case managers and direct care providers. To undertake work in this field, practitioners need to have a thorough knowledge of the major policy, theoretical and practice issues and need skills in individual, family, group and community work. This elective aims to provide students with an overview of the field, an understanding of major policy debates, theoretical perspectives and social factors, which shape the experience of disablement in diverse ways.
At the end of the social work program, graduates will be able to demonstrate they are “competent, effective, skilled, knowledge-based, ethically aware and confident practitioners.” As per the AASW accreditation guidelines, they will “have a commitment to social justice and social change in the interests of the citizens of their society, recognising that there are competing views of desirable approaches to the organisation of society and the provision of social services. They will have the ability to think critically and reflectively about their practice, and a commitment to intervene in the interests of the client groups they serve.”
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the impact of disability on individuals and families.
LO2.
Outline the main theoretical frameworks for understanding disability.
LO3.
Describe and analyse the social, political, legal and organisational contexts of social work practice in the disability field both locally and internationally.
LO4.
Demonstrate familiarity with consumer-directed care, advocacy and community development approaches as they relate to working with people with disabilities and their families.
LO5.
Demonstrate ability to critically analyse the choice of intervention, its implications, strengths and disadvantages in given scenarios.
LO6.
As professionals, engage in interventions and interactions that are flexible, responsible and responsive to people with a disability and their families.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique | Practice response | 50% |
19/09/2025 1:00 pm |
| Examination, Quiz |
In-class exam
|
30% |
15/10/2025 9:30 am
9.30am - 10.40am (including 10-minute perusal time) |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Translation/ Interpretation |
Easy English Paper
|
20% |
12/11/2025 1:00 pm |
Assessment details
Practice response
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
19/09/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
This description is only a summary of the task. For full details, including the marking rubric, please refer to the course Learn UQ (Blackboard) site.
This task requires you to develop a practice response to assist a person with a disability to access supports under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). A fictitious case scenario will be provided to you at the beginning of semester via Blackboard. You will be required to answer a series of questions. Using a critical disability lens, you will provide an analysis of the situation for the person and their family in this case scenario. You will also write an account of your practice approach.
This task also has an interprofessional component; on Friday 12th September, 2-4pm students will participate in a workshop with speech pathology students to discuss the case and practice approaches. Your summary of your approach as a social worker will include some discussion about how you would work with a speech pathologist to assist the person and family. Your assessment should also make reference to relevant sources (including quality academic and grey literature, relevant websites).
Details of the case study will be provided on Blackboard early in the semester.
Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved.
Extension guidelines
- Extension requests should be submitted prior to the assessment deadline.
- Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date may not be approved. Late requests must include evidence of the reasons for the late request as per the guidelines in my.UQ.
- The extension granted should be in proportion to the period of illness or disruption caused by the exceptional circumstances and will typically be no more than the specified maximum extension length for each assessment.
- A maximum of three assessment requests can be submitted for each assessment, and the third request must include an Assessment Management Plan.
- Students who have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester are advised to carefully consider whether they are capable of successfully completing their courses and may need to consider applying for removal of course.
- Students who have a disability or a chronic medical condition (including a mental health condition) are encouraged to meet with a Disability Advisor within Student Services to request a Student Access Plan (SAP) with a clause on extension requests. Students who have an SAP can apply for a 7-day extension.
Outcome of application
- Extension requests are generally processed within 2 working days.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
In-class exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination, Quiz
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
15/10/2025 9:30 am
9.30am - 10.40am (including 10-minute perusal time)
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The exam will be Inspera based and occur in Week 11 of the semester.
The exam will assess the content covered in weeks 1-10 of the course. Both the lecture material and required readings are assessable.
The exam is made up of two (2) parts:
- Part A: 20 x multiple choice questions (MCQ) worth half a mark each (total of 10 marks available)
- Part B: 4 x short answer questions worth 5 marks each (total of 20 marks available)
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
When submitting your deferred examination request via mySI-net make sure to submit a type: in-semester deferred examination request, not an end of semester deferred examination request.
Easy English Paper
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Translation/ Interpretation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
12/11/2025 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L05, L06
Task description
This description is only a summary of the task. For full details, including the marking rubric, please refer to the course Learn UQ (Blackboard) site.
Overview: Your task for this assessment is to design an Easy Information Sheet about a community service and reflect on your process of developing the information and how the service could be more accessible to people with intellectual disabilities.
This assessment supports the development of inclusive communication practices and aligns with Article 21 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which recognises the right of people with disabilities to accessible information.
Submission guidelines
This assessment requires students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.
The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.
Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved.
Extension guidelines
- Extension requests should be submitted prior to the assessment deadline.
- Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date may not be approved. Late requests must include evidence of the reasons for the late request as per the guidelines in my.UQ.
- The extension granted should be in proportion to the period of illness or disruption caused by the exceptional circumstances and will typically be no more than the specified maximum extension length for each assessment.
- A maximum of three assessment requests can be submitted for each assessment, and the third request must include an Assessment Management Plan.
- Students who have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester are advised to carefully consider whether they are capable of successfully completing their courses and may need to consider applying for removal of course.
- Students who have a disability or a chronic medical condition (including a mental health condition) are encouraged to meet with a Disability Advisor within Student Services to request a Student Access Plan (SAP) with a clause on extension requests. Students who have an SAP can apply for a 7-day extension.
Outcome of application
- Extension requests are generally processed within 2 working days.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29.9% |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46.9% |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49.99% |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64.49% |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 64.5 - 74.49% |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 74.5 - 84.49% |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 84.5 - 100% |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
All items of assessment must be submitted for the student to be eligible to pass the course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Please be aware of the student responsibility to check their student email account often - this is the way the University communicates with you. Please note you can link your UQ email account to your private email account.
Internet Sites of Interest
The internet can be an extremely helpful resource to complement material covered in this course. Some suggestions to get you started are:
- Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability: There are many issues papers presented here, links to hearings, etc.
- National Disability Insurance Agency: This is the official site for NDIA.
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Australia is a signatory to this international treaty.
- Disability Studies Unit at Leeds University: This site contains a great deal of the work on developing a social model of disability occurred. Noted writers have included Colin Barnes, Mark Priestley, Tom Shakespeare.
- Carer Gateway: It is a national online and phone service that provides practical information and resources to support carers.
- Humanity and Inclusion: (formerly Handicap International) It is a global organisation that works alongside people with disabilities in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster.
- Disability History Museum: This is a great site on disability history from USA, with lots of pictorial exhibits.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 1: Introduction to the field of disability Wednesday 30th July: This workshop is a beginning exploration of the impacts of disability and disablement on individuals, families and communities. Definitions and theories around disability are introduced and students will be encouraged to reflect upon their own personal values, understandings and experiences of difference, and their use of language and discourse. Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 2: Further exploration of disability theory Wednesday, 6th August: This week we delve further into disability theory, reconciling the tensions between individual and social analyses of the disability experience. Students will hear from guest speakers with lived experience. Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 3: Ekka public holiday Wednesday, 13th August: No classes today |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 4: Disability History in the Global North Wednesday, 20th August: This week we will explore a recent history of social responses to disability in Australia and other "developed" countries. In particular, we will look at the positioning of people with a disability from European colonisation until the present day in Australia. Learning outcomes: L03 |
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Workshop |
Week 5: The National Disability Insurance Scheme Wednesday, 27th August: The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a major reform in the way supports are provided to people with a disability and their families in Australia. This week we will cover the major principles and processes behind the scheme and discuss its implications for practice. Learning outcomes: L03, L04, L05 |
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 6: Working with families Wednesday, 3rd September: What skills do we need to effectively work with families who care for a person with a disability? What are the opportunities and challenges of being family-centred? Learning outcomes: L04, L05, L06 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 7: Inter-professional collaboration (Class on Friday) Friday, 12th September: This workshop is held on Friday this week 12/9 - 2pm to 3.50pm. What do other disciplines have to offer in providing services to people with a disability? How can social workers collaborate with allied health professionals? In this workshop we will discuss this and more with professionals from other disciplines. This is a compulsory face to face workshop related to the first assessment. You will be working with Speech Pathology students on a case study. Learning outcomes: L04, L05, L06 |
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 8: Person-centred planning Wednesday 17th September: Person-centred planning and self-direction are important practice approaches in the current service system in Australia. We will explore the intentions behind these approaches and consider the opportunities and challenges in their application. Learning outcomes: L04, L05, L06 |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Workshop |
Week 9: Disability in the Global South Wednesday, 24th September: This workshop will examine different cultural understandings and experiences of disability. We will look at the connection between the cycle of poverty and disability and understand the problem of applying a purely Eurocentric view to disability studies. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-semester break |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Workshop |
Week 10: Disability advocacy 1 Wednesday 8th October: This workshop will examine different approaches to disability advocacy at individual and systemic levels. Learning outcomes: L03, L04, L05 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Workshop |
Week 11: Revision of course content and in-class exam Wednesday 15th October: Today's workshop will review key learning from the course. There will be an in-class quiz/short answer exam regarding course content from Weeks 1 to 11, worth 30%. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L06 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Workshop |
Week 12: Inclusive governance and co-production Wednesday 22nd October: Today we will explore how projects, programs and organisations can engage in co-production with people with disability. We will learn how to translate documents into Easy English for people with intellectual disabilities. This skill will be used for your final assessment. Learning outcomes: L04, L06 |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Workshop |
Week 13: Community belonging and inclusion Wednesday 29th October: What does it take to achieve social inclusion for people with a disability? How can social workers help people with a disability to become active and welcome citizens in their local communities? Some time also spent on reviewing the semester and assistance with final assessment. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L06 |
Additional learning activity information
Teaching and learning in this course are based on a combination of face to face lectures, small group learning, and self-directed learning.
Please note that there is a compulsory face to face workshop in Week 7 on Friday 12th September from 2pm to 4pm related to the first assessment.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.