Skip to main content
Unit outline_

OCCP2091: Disability, Rights and Participation

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

The United Nations promotes human rights as foundational in consideration of the human condition. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (UNCRPD) was developed as an instrument to set out a code for implementation of strategies to support the rights of people with disability. Practically, the local nature and extent of human rights varies, however there is universal expectation that people with disability are afforded equal rights. This unit will explore internationally agreed frameworks that support the rights of people with disability. Australian experiences will illustrate the way national, state and local level regulation applies such principles in government and private enterprise policy frameworks. The gap between policy and the reality of implementation in practice will be explored through literature, documents and the lived experience of people with disability. Students will critically appraise notions of participation, inclusion, access and opportunity from the perspective of citizenship to reveal able-bodied privilege and models of patronage and beneficence inherent in current approaches that aim to put into action the principles of human rights for people with disability. The strengths and weaknesses, benefits and costs, wins and losses of current approaches and the where to from here will be considered.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Participation Sciences
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
Students will need to have completed 18 credits points of 1000 level units
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Kim Bulkeley, kim.bulkeley@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Kim Bulkeley, kim.bulkeley@sydney.edu.au
Scott Denton, scott.denton@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Reflective Report
Report on current status of rights for people with disability in Australia.
40% Formal exam period
Due date: 05 Jun 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 05 Jun 2023
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Tutorial quiz Online Quiz week 4 & 10
10 MCQ/Short Answer Questions
20% Multiple weeks
Due date: 14 Mar 2023 at 10:00

Closing date: 14 Mar 2023
10 mins
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Presentation group assignment 1. Group Report and Presentation
Class presentation; written summary & infographic, bibliography; feedback
30% Week 08
Due date: 23 Apr 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 23 Apr 2023
20mins;1100words;200wordfeedback
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Discussion Board Post Week 11
Discussion board post in response to trigger item on CANVAS
10% Week 11
Due date: 14 May 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 14 May 2023
300 words
Outcomes assessed: LO6
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

A total of 4 assessment tasks;

  1. Presentation, writtensubmissions and peer feedback – Group
  2. Short Quizzes week 4 and week 10
  3. Discussion board post – individual
  4. Reflective report – individual

Detailed information on each task will be provided on CANVAS

Assessment criteria

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Creating advocates and scholars - Unit Introduction and foundations of disability rights Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO6
Week 02 Human Rights /disability rights Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO6
Week 03 United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO6
Week 04 Restrictive practices - Zero Tolerance Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 05 Disability rights and the justice system Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 06 Guardianship and supported decision making Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 07 Intersectionality and women with disability Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO4 LO6
Week 08 Disability and the media - rights and responsibilities Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO5 LO6
Week 09 Medical disability discrimination Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 10 Rights in the deaf community Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO6
Week 11 The right to inclusive education Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 12 The right to take risks Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO4 LO6
Week 13 The right to inclusive public spaces and a call to action Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

In the main, classes will be structured each week as one hour of flipped classroom online activities which you complete at your own pace/time; one hour of real time lecture;  and one hour of real time tutorial. 

There is the option to attend in person or remotely for the lecture and tutorial. 

 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Readings and resources will be provided on the CANVAS site for this unit of study. 

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. 1. Understand the concepts articulated in the UNCRPD and the application of these principles in Australian communities
  • LO2. 2. Explain the development and implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act and the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia as mechanisms to implement the principles of the UNCRPD
  • LO3. 3. Interrogate the concept and practical application of “disability action plans” as a mechanism for community inclusion and as an agent of change
  • LO4. 4. Deconstruct the influence of media in the portrayal of people with a disability
  • LO5. 5. Explore how structural issues experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a disability can add to the curtailment of rights.
  • LO6. 6. Integrate the issues raised by stories of discrimination from people with lived experience of disability to develop a personal standpoint on disability discrimination.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The assessment tasks have been amended based on student feedback that the timing of the tasks was problematic. This resulted in the group presentations being moved back to weeks 5-7. There is also one less discussion board post and quizzes have been added to help students stay on track with flipped class materials.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.