Introduction

There are several definitions of the concept of disability. One of the most known defines disability as the condition under which a person has difficulties to perform their daily and ordinary tasks, which are not complicated for others. In other words, disability is defined as a limitation or impediment to carry out some activities in a normal way.

Based on a description of the different types of disabilities, the module focuses on the physical and/or organic disabilities, their general and specific problems in order to enjoy personal autonomy at home, at work and of social life, for which an accessible environment is essential (also accessible in the field of technology and accessibility of ICT).

The module will also provide guidelines for good practice examples (with regard to all types of disabilities) for the best behaviour and prevention of uncomfortable situations in the interrelationships in the field of the educational, at work or in social interactions.

The module will provide examples of situations from everyday life (differentiating good and bad practices) for a better awareness and understanding of the barriers, problems and daily challenges faced by people with physical and organic disabilities.

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Learning Outcomes

• What the term disability means.
• Distinguish the different typologies of disabilities.
• Understanding of the general and specific casuistry of physical and organic disability.
• How to properly address to a person with a disability based on their type of disability and specificity.
• Knowing how to avoid uncomfortable situations that could accentuate and / or impair full integration.
• Understanding of the importance of the universal accessibility for a full standardization in all areas.
• Identification of good and bad practice examples in accessibility
  • Architectural
  • Urban
  • Social
  • Communication barriers

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Requirements

The participants do not need to have any specific requirements or background on the topic.

This module is developed taking into account general terms and with the idea of providing tools to users for a general understanding of what disability is and how to initiate and develop a relationship with people with disabilities under a two-way understanding.

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Content

 

 

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Food for Thought

• In my next group there are two people with reduced mobility, when looking for and reserving a room for sessions should I take into account any special aspect?
• I have a student with a visual impairement. Can I give him the same material as the other students/users? Do I have to adapt the documentation? How can I do that?
• I want to do an outdoor activity with a group of students and I have a person in a wheelchair, what to consider to organize an adapted tour?

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Experiences

This module includes examples of experiences from various people with different types of physical and organic disabilities.

We can see one video from one person called Xavi, who is a man that suffered a car accident causing paraplegia. He appears in a video showing some activities of his daily life, as going to the market, or moving into his car to go back home.

The module also shows some examples of very famous people who succeeded and were notorious even though they suffered different types of disability.

• Partial or total blindness -> Stevie Wonder
• Deafness and Autism -> Beethoven
• Down’s syndrome -> Pablo Pineda (Spanish actor)
• Bipolar disorder -> Catherine Z-Jones & Ben Stiller
• Attention deficit & Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -> Michael Phelps
• Quadriplegia -> Christopher Reeve
• ELA (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) -> Stephen Hawking.
• Achondroplasia -> Peter Dinklage
• Stammering -> Bruce Willis
• Dislexia & Asperger syndrome -> Steven Spielberg
• Facial paralysis -> Sylvester Stallone
• Attention deficit & deafness -> Thomas Edison

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Suggested Reading & Resources

• Gencat Disability - https://treballiaferssocials.gencat.cat/ca/ambits_tematics/persones_amb_discapacitat/index.html#googtrans(ca|en)
• Accessibility Code of Catalonia - http://www.xtec.cat/~jjordan/lleida/unitats/docs/accescat.pdf
• Federación Mestral Cocemfe Tarragona - mestralonline.org
• Section disability and improvement: “Enredando vidas” Cibercomunidad-Ciberdolor: https://www.ciberdolor.org/ciber-comunidad/discapacidad-y-superacion
• Royal Board of Trustees on disability https://www.rpdiscapacidad.gob.es/en/home.htm
• ONCE Foundation -  https://www.fundaciononce.es/
• Accessibility Collection. ONCE Foundation's own publications - https://biblioteca.fundaciononce.es/publicaciones/colecciones-propias/coleccion-accesibilidad
• CERMI  https://www.cermi.es/en/cermi
• Observatorio Accesibilidad Cocemfe https://observatoriodelaaccesibilidad.es
• Plena inclusión Https://www.plenainclusion.org
• Aspace https://aspace.org/
• State Confederation of Deaf People -  http://www.cnse.es/index.php

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Module in a Nutshell

From the different types of disabilities, this module focuses on the physical and organic disabilities, the different types and the way of recognition and awareness.

Each type of physical disability has different characteristics and therefore demands specific treatments and sensibilities. In the same way, each individual is different from the rest, so it is essential to detect and adapt our approach considering this individualization.

To have a complete view we need to understand how the daily life is, the difficulties and impediments the physical and organic disabled people face everyday to develop the most normal and simple tasks.

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Assessment activity

 

✏️ click link to go to exercices

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References

• OMS disability  - https://www.who.int/health-topics/disability#tab=tab_1
• International Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities -  https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
• International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health:http://psychiatr.ru/download/1313?view=1&name=ICF_18.pdf 
• Federación Mestral Cocemfe Tarragona - mestralonline.org
• Sección Discapacidad y Superación:  “Enredando vidas” Cibercomunidad-Ciberdolor: https://www.ciberdolor.org/ciber-comunidad/discapacidad-y-superacion
• accescat.cat