The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Health Professions recently launched a new undergraduate program in Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the new program is already accepting applications.
“There aren’t many undergraduate disability studies or rehabilitation science programs in the United States, and many of them focus on vocational rehabilitation, so we wanted to customize our program around the intersection of physical activity and health,” said Dr. Christopher Hart, associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and director of the Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Science degree program. “We will be the only program in the state dedicated to disability, community mobility and research.”
This new four-year degree will focus on disability inclusion science, prevention, health promotion and wellness advancement integrated throughout the curriculum. It will also prepare graduates to become advocates for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. This new program highlights UAB’s continued priority of disability health and expanding offerings in the growing field of inclusion science.
The degree curriculum prepares students for careers in rehabilitation-related professions, such as therapeutic recreation, health promotion rehabilitation, and community health, and also serves as a springboard for students seeking advanced degrees in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation science studies.
Curriculum lessons include “Environmental and Community Considerations for Mobility,” “Adaptive Mobility and Exercise” and “Living with Disabilities,” which Hart said will be taught by teachers with disabilities.
“We are fortunate at UAB to have people like Jeremy Wilroy (Associate Professor of Medicine at Haersink) who are not only outstanding researchers but also can speak to the core of our classes and provide valuable perspectives for our students,” Hart says. “I think there will be a lot of collaborations in the future.”
In addition, each student completes a senior capstone research project that includes community work with the disability community or a research project focusing on people with disabilities.
“We see this unique program as the beginning of a ‘knowledge continuum’ in rehabilitation sciences at UAB, because we now offer degrees from the undergraduate to doctoral level in this important area of care and research,” said Andrew Butler, dean of the UAB School of Health Professions. “This is the type of program that can engage students and have a positive impact across the school through the courses we offer, and we are encouraged to think about what this means for the future of health care.”
“I have so many people around me, from Dr. James Rimmer (director of the SHP Research Collaborative, CEDHARS, NCHPAD) and Dr. Wilroy to Dr. David Morris, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, who are helping this major reach its highest possible potential, which I think is very possible,” Hart said.
The original reporting and research was done by Stephen Lanzi, communications specialist at the SHP Research Collaborative.