The academic field of public health has evolved from its primary focus on fundamental issues of sanitation, water quality, and infectious disease control to a broader perspective that addresses chronic diseases and life style behaviors. This evolution is based on an increasing awareness of social, political, economic, geographic, demographic, and physiologic factors that affect health. Thus, the modern public health perspective needs to understand, as Rudolph Virchow originally argued in the late 1800s, the condition of people’s everyday lives. Yet, one element of everyday life that has been historically neglected in public health curricula is the presence and impact of disability. When disability has been included in public health, the focus has traditionally been on the primary prevention of disabilities rather than understanding the disability condition or its secondary conditions.
During this session, faculty will describe the results of a Disability and Public Health focus group that assisted in developing a curriculum on contemporary perspectives and issues of disability for students in Masters of Public Health programs. The selection criteria and membership of the focus group and an overview of the facilitated discussion process will be provided. The primary focus of the session will be defining the curriculum content areas and skills that were identified by the focus group for an optimized learning experience. At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to identify the key components of the disability and public health curriculum, and course testing and evaluation techniques.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to understand contemporary approaches to disability, identify the key components of a disability and public health curriculum, and course testing and evaluation techniques
Keywords: Disability, Curricula
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.