D7- Medical

Students will demonstrate an understanding of medical and psychosocial aspects of disability and
how they can impact the lives of individuals.
Medical and psychological aspects of disabilities affect personal and professional aspects
of people with disabilities. While completing my practicum hours at IVRS, I worked with a job
candidate with Type II Diabetes. He came in needing help looking for a job because his current
job at a nonprofit had required him to work without a lunch or break, which caused him to faint.
Type II Diabetes individuals need to eat to prevent blood glucose levels from getting too low.
Since he was restricted from taking a lunch and break, he was not able to eat anything for twelve
hours causing him to collapse. The job candidate shared how a couple of years after his
diagnosis, his wife divorced him. The social and emotional implications of a disability diagnosis
can be detrimental without the adequate supports. The artifact titled Social and Emotional
Implications of Teenagers with Disabilities highlights bullying and harassment as another
barrier for people with disabilities. During Systems thinking class, taught by Dr. Stensrud, I
understood the positive implication of teaching individuals with disabilities how to develop their
natural supports. As I conclude my educational journey, I would like to work on my knowledge
base for different medical diagnosis and identify different job accommodations that do not place
a financial burden on an employer. During my time in the internship, I plan to work with my
students on understanding their diagnosis but also developing job accommodations for their ideal
job upon graduation. The psychosocial aspects of disability I plan on addressing by developing
workshop materials and working with students on understanding the positive impact of positive
relationships.