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Towards the Integration of Critical Disability Studies in Rehabilitation Sciences Curricula

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Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to historicize the status quo of rehabilitation in South Africa and make an argument for Southern Critical Disability Studies to be integrated and embedded in the curricula of rehabilitation sciences (Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Audiology). Three case studies to support the argument anchor the discussion to motivate the logic and demonstrate the mechanics though not exhaustively but with an immensely generative potential in constructive insights for the future of these fields. The central question centers around the productive tension that emerges in a sincere engagement between Critical Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Studies and the implications therein for the overall praxis of rehabilitation sciences. Integrating and embedding critical disability studies that accounts for the hegemonic effects of marginalizing disability as a total social system of oppression may facilitate re-imagining a critical rehabilitation science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa

    Lieketseng Ned

  2. Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

    Lucia Hess-April

  3. Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa

    Anthea Hansen

  4. Division of Disability Studies, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Sumaya Gabriels

  5. Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Amshuda Sonday

Authors
  1. Lieketseng Ned
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  2. Lucia Hess-April
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  3. Anthea Hansen
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  4. Sumaya Gabriels
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  5. Amshuda Sonday
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lieketseng Ned .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Marcia H. Rioux

  2. Department of Economics and School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Alexis Buettgen

  3. Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, NY, USA

    Ezra Zubrow

  4. Advocacy Unit, International Disability Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland

    José Viera

Section Editor information

  1. Disability Studies, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Theresa Lorenzo

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Ned, L., Hess-April, L., Hansen, A., Gabriels, S., Sonday, A. (2024). Towards the Integration of Critical Disability Studies in Rehabilitation Sciences Curricula. In: Rioux, M.H., Buettgen, A., Zubrow, E., Viera, J. (eds) Handbook of Disability. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6056-7_20

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