Rehabilitation for people with disabilities (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Objective

The aim of the course is learning to describe and structure operating environments, service systems, legislation and ethical issues relevant to working with persons with disabilities. You will familiarise yourself with the practices for assessing service needs in work with persons with disabilities, the planning of rehabilitation and services, and the practices of case management.

Course competences:

Ethics
Rehabilitation planning (social rehabilitation counsellors)
Assessment of needs and possibilities for rehabilitation (social rehabilitation counsellors)

Intended learning outcome:

Ethics: You are able to take the realisation of equality, non-discrimination, diversity and accessibility into account when working with persons with disabilities. You know the principles of professional ethics related to working with persons with disabilities and are able to act and reflect on your actions accordingly.

Planning of rehabilitation for persons with disabilities: You are able to structure concepts of and different approaches to disability work. You are familiar with operating environments, the service system and legislation related to working with persons with disabilities. You know how to plan and manage rehabilitation entities when working with disabled persons together with the client, their family and a multidisciplinary network of actors. You are aware of the decision-making processes related to working with persons with disabilities and know how to use them for the benefit of the client.

Assessment of needs and possibilities for rehabilitation when working with disabled persons: You understand the significance of the life situations as well as work ability and functional capacity of persons with disabilities as a starting point for rehabilitation and service needs at the level of the individual, community and society. You are able to account for the importance of resources and agency when guiding persons with disabilities. You are able to use appropriate methods to promote the agency and participation of persons with disabilities in different operating environments.

Content

Key content of the course comprises the concepts and approaches, operating environments, the service system, legislation and ethical work relevant to working with persons with disabilities. The perspectives of agency, participation, work ability and functional capacity as well as life situation as the starting point for service needs. Clients’ needs and goals and taking the client's resources into account in case management. Methods of guidance and support in work with disabled persons and rehabilitation. Service and decision-making processes in working with disabled persons and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities.

Location and time

The course will be delivered online, including time-bound webinars in August-December 2025. You can find the exact times in the Moodle workspace.

Materials

Autti-Rämö, I., Salminen, A-L., Rajavaara, M. & Melkas, S. (toim). 2022. Kuntoutuminen. 2. uud. painos. ISBN 978-952-360-264-9
Kaski, M. (toim.), Manninen, A & Pihko, H. 2012. Kehitysvammaisuus. ISBN 978-952-63-0157-0
Kuosma, T. 2025. Uusi vammaispalvelulaki. ISBN 978-952-315-825-2.
Malm, M. 2004. Esteistä mahdollisuuksiin: vammaistyön perusteet. ISBN 951-0-27655-3
Tawast, S. & Leinonen, R. 2024. Suuri valhe vammaisuudesta. ISBN 978-952-04-5713-6
Teittinen, A. (toim.). 2021. Vammaiset ihmiset kansalaisina. ISBN 978-951-768-927-4
Räty, T. 2025. Uusi vammaispalvelulaki. ISBN 978-951-37-8957-2
Räty, T. 2017. Vammaispalvelujen soveltamiskäytäntö. ISBN 978-952-5948-12-7 tai uudempi
Vehmas, S. 2010. Vammaisuuden kokeminen ja kokemisen vammaisuus: Suomen vammaistutkimuksen seuran 2. vuosikirja. ISBN ja muut artikkelit
978-951-580-493-8

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered online, including time-bound webinars.

In the webinars, you will learn about the starting points, environments, models and principles of disability work and the structures that guide the work through lectures, discussions and small group work. You will also familiarise yourself with the concepts of disability work and related rehabilitation by completing independent online assignments in Moodle. In a learning assignment in pairs or groups, you will apply the information you have learned in the webinars to describe an ethical service and decision-making process that respects the client's agency and right to self-determination.

The learning method will be integrative pedagogy, combining theory, practice, reflection and socio-cultural knowledge, i.e. knowledge learned through participation. In a pair or group assignment, you will undertake a field visit, either independently or with your partner, to a disability work setting. In a pair or group assignment, you will report on the field visit in the light of the theoretical sources according to a separate guideline. As part of the assignment, you will also participate in a reflection on the field visits in a webinar.

Webinars are interactive learning situations and require a working camera, headphones and microphone. The webinars provide the conditions and basis for pair or group work. The webinars will also include time for guided pair or group work. In the webinars you will receive guidance and support in working and progressing through the course.

If you use artificial intelligence in your assignments, include a verbal description of how, to what extent and where you have used it.

Employer connections

The course involves a learning assignment in pairs or groups, including a field visit to a workplace and reporting on it. The course will include visits from experts and practitioners from the world of work.

Exam schedules

The course does not include an exam.
There is a possibility to complete a pair assignment.
There is no limit to the number of times you can perform the online assignments independently.

Student workload

Webinars and preparation for them 1 cr (27 hours)
Literature and research approx. 1,5 cr (41 hours)
Learning task approx. 1.5 credits (40 hours)
Independent online assignments 1 op (27 hours)

Total 135 hours

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

You are able to describe the key concepts and approaches, legislation and the service system relevant to working with disabled persons. You are able to define the operating environments of work with disabled persons and describe the methods of guidance and support in work with disabled persons and their rehabilitation. You know how to explain impacts of agency, participation, work ability and functional capacity as well as life situation on service needs and the setting of goals. You are able to describe the service and decision-making processes of work with disabled persons and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. You are able to define and give examples associated with ethical action in work with persons with disabilities.

Qualifications

You know how to act professionally in different encounters and interactive situations of case management. You are able to act constructively when guiding clients and in network co-operation.

You are able to describe the social welfare and health care service system and name acts that govern it. You are able to describe what the client's participation and agency in the service system mean and which values and principles guide the service system. 

Further information

Passing the course is based on participation in webinars and successful completion of independent online assignments and a pair assignment. The pair or group assignment and the independent web assignments will be assessed on the basis of separate assessment criteria, which will be announced at the beginning of the course in the Moodle workspace.
The learning task will be assessed on a pass/fail scale.
The pass mark for the online assignments to be completed independently will be indicated in the Moodle work area in the assignments. There is no limit on the number of times the assignment can be completed.

Approval policy: A decision on the possible approval of the course must be made before the first webinar of the course, as the pair work will be started already in the first webinar. Applications for accreditation must demonstrate competence in relation to the objectives and content of the course. Applications for admission should be addressed to Tuomas Lallukka.