Disability Support Workers are entrusted with the basic care for people with disabilities. They provide support to people with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities and perform crucial tasks that relate to hygiene, nutrition and medical administration. Working as Disability Support Worker is all about enhancing lives. We have compiled a list of certified disability support worker courses from top universities that you can start anytime, anywhere. All courses are available to audit for free but you may choose to opt-in for a verified certificate for an extra fee.
Intellectual Disability Healthcare
This program consists of three high-quality online courses and takes roughly 4 months to complete. These courses are: Intellectual Disability Healthcare around the World, Improving the Physical Health of People with Intellectual Disability and Mental Health and People with Intellectual Disability. In this program you will learn about the daily life and challenges faced by those with intellectual disabilities. You will equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to help those with intellectual disability achieve better health. And you will develop a better understanding of mental health issues and ethical decision-making for people with intellectual disability. The XSeries program is offered by University of Queensland in Australia.
Disability Inclusion in Education: Building Systems of Support
This course is offered by University of Cape Town and equips you with the knowledge and skills to identify disability as a matter of social justice. You will be able to identify the systemic support structures available to teachers within the education system and formulate what is needed for disability inclusion. You will also learn about the impairment specific support needs of learners with varying disabilities. This course is offered in English and takes roughly 16 hours to complete.
Disability Awareness and Support
This course aims to promote equal opportunity and full participation of students with disabilities in higher education. You will build competence and confidence in working with students with disabilities, explore accessible design and assistive technology. You will also discuss practical case studies together with learners from around the world. This course is offered by University of Pittsburgh and takes around 7 hours to complete.
Managing ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, and Concussion in School
In this course, you will learn about the most common developmental and behavioral disorders affecting children. You will explore how schools can support children by recognizing common symptoms and understanding the diagnosis process and you will analyze scenarios that provide firsthand clinician experience. This introductory level course is taught entirely in English and takes roughly 9 hours to complete. At time of writing 50% of the learners reported a tangible career benefit from taking the course which is offered by the University of Colorado.
Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law
This online course is offered by Stanford University and takes roughly 80 hours to complete. The course utilizes a problem-based approach to explore a global view of anti-discrimination law and equality. The course covers five areas in more depth: employment discrimination and harassment; marriage equality; affirmative action/gender parity; hate speech; and secularism and the rights of religious minorities.
Diversity and Social Justice in Social Work
In this course you will train your critical thinking skills with regards to diversity, human rights and social justice. The course is offered by University of Michigan the #1 ranked School of Social Work. In this course you will equip yourself with the knowledge and skills for working for justice, enacting critical consciousness, and engaging and addressing issues of power and diversity. You will also develop increased awareness of the sources of power, how to mobilize power towards positive change, and ways to challenge oppressive assumptions, biases, and prejudices. Ultimately, the course aims to equip you with the skills to engage diversity and differences in social work practice and to advance human rights and social and economic justice. The course takes roughly 80 hours to complete and is self-paced.
Disability and Digital Media: Accessibility, Representation and Inclusion
In this online course you will explore the relationship between digital technologies and disability in the Internet age. You will explore social and medical concepts of disability, discuss key concepts and familiarize with terminology for better understanding digital disability and you will learn how memes and viral content is used by disability activists. Beyond that, you will learn how the tools of digital accessibility can benefit everyone who uses media. This course is offered by Curtin University in Australia and takes around 15 hours to complete.
Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability: Circles of Care and Education
This course is offered by the University of Cape Town in South Africa and is about caring for and educating children (and youth) with severe to profound intellectual disability. In this course you will learn how you can better support children and youth with severe to profound intellectual disability so they can reach their full potential and become participating members of society. In the last week of the course you will focus on rights, advocacy and relationships of care. Empowering and supporting caregivers is a key aspect of this course. The course takes 13 hours to complete and you can start anytime.
Social Services for Families, Seniors and Those with Disabilities
This course is offered by Columbia University in the United States. It takes 15 hours to complete and is taught in English. In this course you will learn about the services support system including eligibility and benefits for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. The course also exposes issues of power, oppression, and white supremacy. The third module of this course focuses on people living with disabilities and takes a closer look at the Americans with Disabilities Act. You will also critically discuss the disability social insurance program and the public aid programs that make people with disabilities eligible for income support and health support.
Treating people with an intellectual developmental disability (IDD) – not currently available
This course recognizes the difficulties and challenges Individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disability (IDD) and their family face in daily life. It is intended parents, caregivers, and students and others in health professions. In this course you will explore fundamental concepts related to IDD and learn to describe several common syndromes. You will discuss answers to the questions: What challenges do individuals with IDD and their families face? What solutions are offered today to individuals with IDD? What is the future expected to hold for individuals with IDD and their families? The course is self-paced and takes roughly 30 hours to complete.
