Medical Aspects of Disability: Course 1

Course Description:

This is Course 1 in the five-part Medical Aspects of Disability series. The remaining courses can be taken in any order. Course 1 explores the following seven disabilities/conditions and their potential impact on employability:

• Fractures
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
• Amputations
• Prostheses
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Burns

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Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the impact of various disabilities on employability.
• Conduct effective initial interviews using disability-specific questions.
• Assess medical conditions in vocational terms.
• Develop appropriate Individualized Plans for Employment (IPE) with disability-related considerations.

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Note From the Author, Jason Andrew, Ph.D.:

This course is written specifically for State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors but is highly applicable to anyone working with persons experiencing disabling conditions. The purpose of the course is to provide pertinent information about specific disabilities to aid counselors in providing appropriate services to their clients. An attempt was made in this series to cover all the primary disabilities encountered by professionals in vocational rehabilitation.

Under each specific disability, there are additional questions for the initial interview, along with several other subsections designed to provide information that will allow the counselor to assess the medical condition in vocational terms. These subsections include typical considerations for the disability being addressed. However, the counselor should select and use only those questions appropriate for the client’s situation. There is also a subsection dealing with specific disability-related items that should be considered on the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).

Finally, some sources are listed at the end of chapters to which the counselor can refer for more information concerning a specific disability.

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This course aims to equip VR counselors and other professionals with essential knowledge and practical tools to support individuals with disabilities, enhancing their employability and ensuring appropriate vocational rehabilitation services.