This module will explore the historical emergence of current ways of understanding disability, examining disability as a social issue rather than as a personal trouble. Students will relate disability to themes including equality, equal opportunities and discrimination, contrasting these with traditional individualising approaches. Students will explore power relations, the ways in which these have been experienced by disabled people, and ways in which these are addressed in new narratives on disabling history.

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the historical emergence of disability and of how this relates to contemporary ideas about social equality, equal opportunities and discrimination.

2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the social model and the individual/medial models of disability.

3. Formulate and present an action plan of constructive change for disabled people.

4. Debate the nature of power relations in terms of identities, communication and relationships as experienced by disabled people.

5. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the history, beliefs, achievements of aims and different views within the Disabled Peoples Movement.

6. Critically examine contrasting roles that supporters of disabled people have as carers or as allies.

This module uses a Disability Studies approach to critically examine key perspectives in the study of psychology and sociology. It develops a social constructionist basis for critical analysis of the everyday lived experience of impairment in a disabling society. It explores ways in which ideas about personal development, conformity and normality have shaped contemporary perceptions, and considers relationships between ideas about health, illness, quality of life, the body, imagery, identity, impairment and disability.

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of underlying assumptions within selected key approaches to the study of psychology and sociology: humanist, behavioural, social constructionist, structural and functional models.

2. Discuss ways that individual behaviour and personal development are shaped by personal histories and social contexts.

3. Critically consider ways in which notions of health, quality of life, self-identity and illness are socially constructed.

4. Critically consider the social construction of our understanding of the body.

This module aims to provide students with knowledge of the discourse and the systematic relationships of the Lived Experience of Disability in 21st century Ireland. It presents this as a genuine subject for exploration related to contemporary Irish life. The module will also enable students to rigorously interrogate impairment narratives for and with disabled people as expert-by-experience. The need to build capacity on the social model will be explored, in order to allow students to gain a robust critical understanding of the political, philosophical, economic and social structures which contribute to this status. Students will have the opportunity to gain a systematic understanding of relationships in the Lived Experience and will articulate its links with rights, disability equality and ideas of empowerment.

1. Demonstrate and critically explore how knowledge is created, developed and communicated within the sphere of the Lived Experience from a social model-led application.

2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of theory in the area of the Lived Experience from a social model perspective.

3. Articulate the value of theory of the Lived Experience and demonstrate the ability to provide solutions to the existing challenges that arise for disabled people communicating within the sphere of the Lived Experience from a social model-led application.

4. Demonstrate the ability to provide solutions that will circumvent emerging problems that arise for disabled people communicating within the sphere of the Lived Experience from a social model-led application.

5. Articulate the value of a critical understanding of the lived experience of disability by identifying and integrating the best current research into areas of policy making and social inclusion provision from a social model-led Lived Experience application.