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Five individuals with diverse disabilities enjoy a walking trail together

Disability Studies and Community Inclusion - Minor

The Disability Studies and Community Inclusion minor prepares students to be leaders in promoting greater inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life and across the lifespan. The minor enhances students' knowledge and skills by preparing them to understand and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); provide services to people with disabilities in a variety of settings; and understand: the nature of disabilities, the meaning of disability in society, social, political and health implications of disability, and the methods of accommodations that aid in making society more inclusive to those who live with disabilities.

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About This Program

This program is a multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate program that prepares students to work with individuals with disabilities in a variety of community settings. The minor enhances a student's career by preparing them to understand the nature of disabilities, meaning of disability in our society, social, political and health implications of disability, and methods of making our society more inclusive to those who live with disabilities.

Program Information for Disability Studies and Community Inclusion - Minor

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this minor will be able to:

  1. Apply the principles of inclusion of people with disabilities in community contexts from legal, theoretical, and best-practice perspectives.
  2. Identify etiological, biological, psychological, and physiological aspects of various disabilities and characteristics of specific disabilities from a strengths-based approach.
  3. Design, implement, and evaluate accommodations for people with disabilities to be included in community contexts using a strengths-based approach.
  4. Fulfill organizational leadership roles to aid organizations.
Admissions for Disability Studies and Community Inclusion - Minor

Admission Requirements

Admission to a minor is open to students declared in a bachelor’s degree, the A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree (not Individualized Program major). Students declared only in the A.A. or A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree in Individualized Program may not declare a minor. Students may not pursue a minor and a major in the same discipline.

To declare this minor, students must have attempted a minimum 12 credit hours at Kent State and earned a minimum 2.000 overall Kent State GPA. Students who have not attempted 12 credit hours at Kent State will be evaluated for admission based on their high school GPA for new students or transfer GPA for transfer students. Transfer students who have not attempted 12 credit hours of college-level coursework at Kent State and/or other institutions will be evaluated based on both their high school GPA and college GPA.

Coursework

Program Requirements

Minor Requirements
CULT 26001INTRODUCTION TO DISABILITY STUDIES 3
PSYC 21211PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
or SOC 32570 INEQUALITY IN SOCIETIES (DIVD)
CULT 46001PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF COMMUNITY INCLUSION 3
Minor Electives, choose from the following:9
ANTH 48250
MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (DIVG)
ARTE 41002
ART EDUCATION: FOUNDATIONS AND CONCEPTS - SECONDARY (ELR)
ARTE 41192
ART EDUCATION: FIELD EXPERIENCE (ELR) (WIC)
BSCI 30130
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
BUS 10123
EXPLORING BUSINESS
COMM 26000
CRITICISM OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE (DIVD) (KHUM)
COMM 35852
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG)
COMM 45459
COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
CRIM 26704
ISSUES IN LAW AND SOCIETY (KSS)
DAN 27076
DANCE AS AN ART FORM (DIVG) (KFA)
DAN 37010
DANCE PEDAGOGY
DAN 37020
TEACHING DANCE AND MOVEMENT FOR NONTRADITIONAL POPULATIONS
ENG 39895
SPECIAL TOPICS IN RHETORIC, COMPOSITION AND WRITING
EXSC 35075
EXERCISE PROGRAMMING
EXSC 40612
EXERCISE LEADERSHIP FOR THE OLDER ADULT
EXSC 45065
EXERCISE TESTING
GERO 14029
INTRODUCTION TO GERONTOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)
HDF 44020
ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
HDF 44021
FAMILY INTERVENTION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
PESP 45037
ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION
PHIL 21001
INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (DIVG) (KHUM)
PHIL 40005
HEALTH CARE ETHICS
PLST 38003
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND PROCESS
POL 40320
ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY
PSYC 31532
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 40112
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
RPTM 36040
INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN LEISURE SERVICES (DIVD)
SOC 22570
UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES AND INEQUALITY
SOC 22778
SOCIAL PROBLEMS (DIVG) (KSS)
SOC 32400
INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY
SOC 42563
SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
SPED 23000
INTRODUCTION TO EXCEPTIONALITIES (DIVD)
SPED 43030
APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS I: THEORY AND TECHNIQUES
SPED 43050
CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS WITH MILD/MODERATE INTERVENTION NEEDS
SPED 43051
CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS WITH MODERATE/INTENSIVE INTERVENTION NEEDS
SPED 43070
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING FOR TRANSITIONS
SPED 43309
INTRODUCTION TO DEAF STUDIES (ELR) (WIC)
Minimum Total Credit Hours:18

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Minor GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
  • Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be upper-division coursework (30000 and 40000 level).
  • Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be outside of the course requirements for any major or other minor the student is pursuing.
  • Minimum 50 percent of the total credit hours for the minor must be taken at Kent State (in residence).
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Career Enhancement Options

This minor/certificate can be earned in conjunction with your current major to enhance careers as inclusion specialists in:

  • Recreation and Parks Industry
  • Tourism and Hospitality Industry
  • Sport Management and Administration Industry
  • Fitness and Exercise Industry
  • Health Promotion industry
  • Student Accessibility Services-post secondary and collegiate level
  • Inclusion/Accessibility/Disability specialization in careers in:
    • Political Science, Justice Studies, Sociology
    • Education, Public Health, Youth Development
    • Law, Family Services, Art Education, Dance Education
    • Performance, Communications, Health Education
 

Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer

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The Disability Studies and Community Inclusion minor can, in part, prepare students majoring in Exercise Science or Exercise Physiology to be eligible to sit for the ACSM Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer. This is a group of professionals who are uniquely qualified to promote fitness and health for people with disabilities. Specifically, this minor will prepare students in the areas of: The Americans with Disabilities Act; assessing, developing, and implementing physical activity programs for people who have physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities; clinical and medical consideration of disability groups; understanding adaptations and accommodations for people with disabilities; human behavior; disability awareness. To enroll in the minor simply go to FlashLine and add it to your program of study or contact your advisor in the Vacca Office for Undergraduate Advising who can assist you as well.

To learn more about the ACSM Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer certification, review their website.

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