Duration:                                                 2 years

Credit Load:                                             430

Minimum Credit Load:                            360

Maximum Credit Load:                           430

Maximum MBK Credit Load:                 285

ZNQF Level:                                           9

1.0 PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME

The Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies programme offers a generic disability education that prepares students to understand disability policy and practice. The programme targets professionals working in diverse settings. The programme also aims at producing professionals with competencies and skills to practice, not only in Zimbabwe but regionally and internationally. The programme helps students understand disability issues and their impact on the well-being of persons with disabilities.

2.0 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

For all entry pathways, candidates must have at least five Ordinary Level subjects/National Foundation Certificates including English Language at grade C or better.

2.1 Normal Entry

A good pass in any social science honours degree from any recognized University.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND FURTHER EDUCATION

4.1Employability

Disability Studies diploma holders can work in a variety of settings and roles within civil society, the private and public sectors.

•         Within the civil society development arena, holders of Disability Studies diploma may ensure demonstrated capability in working with persons with disabilities facilitating the reintegration, and acceptability of people with disabilities within the society.
•         In the public sector holders of Disability Studies are employable in a range of institutions that include schools, health facilities, and social services among other fields.

 4.2Further Studies     

Masters and Doctoral studies in Disability Studies.

5.0PROGRAMME DELIVERY

 5.1 Teaching and Learning Methods

Blended learning methods: Online and physical lectures; online and physical tutorials, online and physical role plays, online and physical seminars, group work, field-based activities, work-related learning, dissertation, and individual independent study.

5.2Assessment Methods

Written and oral examinations, tests, written and practical assignments, field reports, seminar presentations, work-related learning reports, research projects and continuous assessment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the programme a graduate will be able to:

•               Identify the classification and causes of disabilities.
•               Appreciate the national, regional, and international disability policy and legislative instruments guiding the field of disability.
•               Apply the knowledge and skills acquired to facilitate the reintegration and rehabilitation of people with disabilities.
•               Understand the impact of society on disability.
•               Appreciate the role played by people with disabilities in development.
•               Plan, and execute research on disability issues.
•               Compile a practicum and a research project based on a disability of their choice.
•               Come up with advocacy strategies that are aimed at creating awareness about the needs of people with disabilities.
•               Formulate project plans for funding disability services.
•               Work effectively in an inter-sectoral and multi- and/or inter-disciplinary setting to deliver disability services.

 

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE        

 Module                                                                              *Prerequisites                    Credits

 Level 1 (Q1)

PDDS101 Introduction to Disability and Disability Issues                                                   15

PDDS102 Ethics and Values in Disability Affairs                                                                     15

PDDS103 Sociology of Disability                                                                                                       15

PDDS104 Disability Law and Policy                                                                                                 15

Level 1 (Q2)

PDDS105 Theoretical Perspectives in Disability Studies                                                     15

PDDS106 Introduction to Braille                                                                                                       15

PDDS107 Introduction to Sign Language                                                                                      15

Level 1 (Q3)

PDDS108 Gender and Disability                                                                                                                  15

PDDS109 Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Persons with Disabilities                            15

PDDS110 Social Planning and Social Development                                                                          15

Level 1 (Q4)

PDDS111 Social Entrepreneurship                                                                                                    15

PDDS112 Indigenous Knowledge Systems                                                                                   15

PDDS113 Counselling Persons with Disabilities                                                                       15

Level 2 (Q1)

PDDS201 Disability and Development                                                                                       15

PDDS202 Social Services                                                                                                                   15

PDDS203 Management and Administration of Disability Organisations              15

Level 2 (Q2)

PDDS204 Research Methods                                                                                                       15

PDDS205 Child Protection                                                                                                            15

PDDS206 Disaster Management                                                                                             15

Level 2 (Q3 and Q4)

PDDS207 Research Project                     (*PDDS204)                                                                          45

PDDS208 Work Related Learning (*PDDS101, PDDS106, andPDDS107)                        30

MODULE SYNOPSES

 PDDS101 Introduction to Disability and Disability Issues

The module introduces students to disability affairs. It introduces issues that are inclusive of the definition of disability and disability classification.

PDDS102 Ethics and Values in Disability Affairs

This module introduces students to ethical principles and standards related to persons with disabilities, colleagues, employers, and society. Students also acquire a knowledge base required to identify ethical issues, equip them with the necessary skills needed to resolve ethical dilemmas and the capacity to make ethical decisions when confronted with conflicting duties and choices that arise within practice settings.

 PDDS103 Sociology of Disability

In this module, students gain a theoretical foundation for understanding disability and social issues. Students are introduced to some critical evaluation of discourse on the nature, antecedents and trends in sociological imagination and theorising disability.

PDDS104 Disability Law and Policy

The module introduces students to local, regional and international disability policy and law. Students are also introduced to disability policy formulation process and the challenges of disability policy implementation. The module helps students appreciate the various statutory roles within the local, regional and international disability policy and law framework.

PDDS105 Theoretical Perspectives in Disability Studies

The module introduces students to selected disability theoretical perspectives and models. The module exposes students to the medical, social and human rights models of disabilities among other theoretical explanations of disability. The module borrows theories from Sociology, Psychology and other disciplines.

 PDDS106 Introduction to Braille

The module introduces students to Braille as a form of writing for people with visual impairment in Zimbabwe. The module capacitates students with practical, and effective skills in brailing.

 PDDS107 Introduction to Sign Language

The module introduces students to one of the officially recognised languages in Zimbabwe: Sign Language. The module capacitates students to demonstrate practical, effective, and appropriate skills in signing with persons with hearing impairment, colleagues, service users, and caregivers.

 PDDS108 Gender and Disability

In this module, students gain a theoretical foundation for understanding gender and disability issues. Students are introduced to some critical evaluation of discourse on gender and theorizing gender in disability issues.

 PDDS109 Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Persons with Disabilities

The module introduces students to rehabilitation and reintegration of persons with disabilities in society. Students are introduced to a variety of rehabilitation and reintegration models. Students are also introduced to available rehabilitation and reintegration services and institutions.

PDDS110 Social Planning and Social Development

In this module, students gain an understanding of how social planning can be used to achieve the goals of social development. The strategies for achieving social development shall be examined. These strategies include investments in human and social capital, employment creation and decent work, asset building, promoting micro-enterprises and social protection. The focus shall also be on the nature of social planning and the theories underpinning social planning. The module also covers social planning techniques. The African Union Social Policy Framework shall be used to contextualise the drive towards social development.

PDDS111 Social Entrepreneurship

The module enhances students’ appreciation of social entrepreneurship as a field and practice that is increasingly gaining prominence as an effective approach to social change. The module orients students to designing, growing, and leading mission-driven enterprises in a way that has led to the blurring of boundaries between the for-profit and the non-profit sector.  As such, the module introduces students to this relatively new area of inquiry. Students shall largely engage in case-based learning and examine the history, development, major debates and growth of social entrepreneurship as a field of inquiry

PDDS112 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

This module orients students to use and appreciate Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in disability affairs. Concepts and practices such as IKS in child protection are interrogated with the view of understanding the reach of IKS that is beneficial to society and persons with disabilities. The module also integrates negative IKS as far as they are inimical to the attainment of the rights of persons with disabilities.

PDDS113 Counselling Persons with Disabilities

The module introduces students to the art and science of counselling persons with disabilities and their significant other(s). The module also helps students appreciate different counselling techniques for different age groups and disabilities. Students will also be helped to appreciate and acquire different counselling skills: listening, recording, interviewing and others. Different counselling approaches are introduced.

PDDS201 Disability and Development

The module provides an introduction to development as a concept in disability affairs. The module also introduces theories informing development policies, development skills, articulating development issues that affect the communities and solutions. Focusing on disability issues, the module covers issues inclusive of, poverty, development theories, water and sanitation, migration, climate change, housing and evolving national and global development blueprints such as NDS1 and Sustainable Development Goals.

PDDS202 Social Services

The module provides an introduction to available social services for persons with disabilities. Students also cover the planning of social services for persons with disabilities (processes, activism and challenges).

PDDS203 Management and Administration of Disability Organisations

The module inducts students to the science, art and profession of management of human service organisations with a bias on disability organisations. Students are introduced to selected classical and modern management theories, for example, Taylor, Fayol and Weber. Students are also introduced to various management concepts that include planning, organising, leading, and controlling disability organisations.

PDDS204 Research Methods

This module introduces students to social research methods. The module covers the following: research paradigms (positivism and anti-positivism), the conceptualisation of qualitative and quantitative research methods, characteristics/qualities of qualitative and quantitative research methods, research problems, research questions, aim and objectives of a study; ethical considerations in research and analysing and interpreting research data.

PDDS205 Child Protection

In this module, students are introduced to the field of child protection with a special focus on children with disabilities in a bid to foster disability-sensitive case management. This module is designed to deepen students’ competencies to work with children with disabilities. The module familiarises students to selected local, regional and international conventions that protect children with disabilities. 

 PDDS206 Disaster Management

The module prepares students for disability-sensitive disaster management. Students will have an appreciation of the complex interplay and intersecting vulnerabilities in disaster situations. The module familiarises students with the disaster management four pillars of disaster management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The module will also expose students to disaster conventions such as the Sendai Framework and the Sphere standards in disaster management.

PDDS207 Research Project

The module provides students with an opportunity to carry out research on a topic of their choice subject to approval by the Department. The module thus provides and imparts practical skills and knowledge on research.

PDDS208 Work-Related Learning

Students go for work-related learning for a period ranging from 12 to 15 weeks. During the placement period, students are placed in settings that provide them with the opportunity to undertake a range of social work roles which expose them particularly to the methods of social work intervention which are casework, group work, community work, social work administration and social research.