Between birth and death, people experience common biological growth and ageing processes. Cognitive capacity changes, psycho-social understandings and culturally significant behavioural milestones can also be observed over the lifespan. When most people experience processes in much the same way as others, or change most of the time "on time" it can be called "typically developing" or "normative". People with disability may have growth, ageing, cognitive, psychosocial or behavioural patterns that are different to "the norm" or are considered "atypical". This unit explores dimensions of "atypical" development, recognizing the value in being able to describe and understand disability difference from an informed perspective, at the same time critiquing the social risk and individual damage that can be caused by characterizing difference as "not normal". Variation in lifespan development is part of the human condition, it can be described and explained, but is not a reason to stigmatize or classify others as "not one of us". The case for person-centred, not impairment-focused approach when working with people who have disability across the lifespan is introduced.

People describe and explain disability using various ideological, theoretical and empirical approaches. These conceptual models can open up or shut down opportunities for people with disability to live with dignity and purpose and participate as full citizens in their communities. This unit explores psycho-socio-cultural assumptions that have influenced understandings of disability over time. Scientific and evidence based approaches to the description and classification of individual health and public health as related to disability will be examined. The continued influence of ideological approaches to disability that are at odds with empirical or evidence based approaches are explored. This unit will explore in depth the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health, and will consider the positive and negative impacts of a codified approach to the human experience of disability. We will explore how this global approach to health is influencing: individual and community perceptions of disability; state and enterprise service initiatives; regulation and policy frameworks; individual opportunities for meaningful participation of people with disability as citizens.

This unit illustrates how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lead and advocate for culturally safe disability services. You will explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's leadership, service delivery models and experiences of disability. You will learn how to advocate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and integrate decolonising principles in professional contexts. Although the focus is on disability, the multidisciplinary nature of disability and therefore this unit will be relevant for many industries, like health, law and housing. Decolonising practices is a relatively new and innovative concept. Among many things, it involves critically reflecting on the Australian history, to better understand yourself and your profession. It will also prepare you to respond more effectively and creatively to imbalanced social relations and social inequities.

This unit of study aims to provide the student with an appreciation of certain critical phases of both ends of the lifespan. Issues around physiologic changes, motor skill development, physical performance, the role of exercise for disease prevention and treatment, and the role of nutrition, will be examined and related to stages of childhood and adolescent growth and ageing. The relationships between growth, development, gender and physical activity in its broader sense will also be explored. The biological changes and consequences of ageing on physiologic and psychological health, disease and exercise capacity will be investigated. The student will also be able to gain some understanding of exercise prescription for pregnant women, children, adolescents and older adults.

This unit of study provides students with an opportunity to develop an up-to-date critical understanding of the role of physical activity for the health of the population as well as the most promising principles that underpin mass-level physical activity interventions. Students will examine in detail the population's participation patterns and barriers to be physically active and has a primary focus on every-day incidental (non-sporting) physical activity for the prevention of physical and mental chronic disease. The unit is largely multi-disciplinary and it goes beyond disease prevention, to explore themes like positive wellbeing/happiness and maintenance of functional ability and independence to an older age.

This unit takes a lifespan approach and actively promotes an understanding of the direct and distal implications of physical inactivity at each life stage. Particular acknowledgement is given to physical activity as a behaviour that is not merely a lifestyle 'choice' as it is often thought by medicine and other individual-centred disciplines; but rather the outcome of a complex web of societal, cultural, economic, political and individual circumstances that lead to the formation of personal habits across the lifespan.

The entire unit will be largely interactive and will encourage students to discuss, debate, and critically evaluate the evidence, and provides the opportunity to have a project that will assist in future employment. At the start of the unit the students will be provided with an accessible and user-friendly set of skills and tools (e.g. statistics, physical activity measurement) to enable them to make the most of the learning experience.

Digital technologies are changing the health landscape from consumers having access to Dr Google to clinicians using virtual reality as part of treatment. This unit of study explores the impact of digital technologies on our health and wellbeing and includes consideration of how these devices and software interact with the healthcare system, affect attitudes towards health and healthcare providers, and change the discussions about health ethics, and health equity. Students will engage in practical, hands-on learning experience and complete authentic assessments such as designing innovations, creating an ePortfolio, and applying for a job.

This unit of study explores the roles and responsibilities of health professionals who work with children, adolescents and adults with lifelong disabilities, and their families. Using an inter-professional lived experience curriculum, students will examine the nature of lifelong disability; factors which affect the participation of persons with lifelong disability in everyday life activities including education, leisure, and employment; and strategies for increasing their participation in these activities. Students will be supported to critique research literature, to examine the roles and responsibilities of allied health professionals in the context of working with persons with lifelong disability, and to develop practical strategies for interacting and working collaboratively and successfully with children, adolescents, and adults with lifelong disabilities, their families and fellow professionals. It is expected that through a combination of face-to-face teaching and online learning activities, this unit will assist students in preparing to work with individuals with lifelong disabilities in a range of workplace settings.

The primary goal of this unit is to inform the understandings and practices of our future allied health professionals and health policymakers about: 1) sports participation from a disabled as well as able-bodied perspective (via reverse integration); 2) the dominant medical model of disability and how that shapes the approach of health professions towards people with impairments; 3) the social model of disability; 4) the potential role of sport, not just in the physical, but also the psychological and social rehabilitation, of people with impairments; 5) sport, not just as a physical activity, competition or leisure activity but as a social institution, which arises out of particular social and historical contexts in accordance with the interests of dominant social groups (ie able-bodied, medical profession); 6) how sporting practice is heavily shaped by social structures like gender and ableism but also that people who facilitate sport (like health professionals) are not completely constrained by these structures because ableism is ultimately either reproduced or challenged by everyday practices, attitudes and behaviours; 7) the role of sport in either promoting or reproducing the social inclusion and/or exclusion of people with impairments; 8) how sport can be emancipatory at the lived/embodied level; and 9) the role of sport in the lives of people with an intellectual disability.

Through this unit, undergraduate students will participate in an interdisciplinary group project, working with one of the University's industry and community partners. Students will work in teams on a real-world problem provided by the partner, applying their disciplinary expertise and gaining valuable experience in working across disciplinary boundaries. In working on authentic problems, students will encounter richly contextualized issues that will require input from people with a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and experiences. Developing solutions to complex problems requires students to work effectively in interdisciplinary groups. The unit will provide the opportunity for students to integrate their developing knowledge and experience, and apply them in circumstances of the kind they can expect to encounter in professional life. Interdisciplinary group work will provide the opportunity to build the skills to work across disciplinary, cultural and/or professional boundaries. . For more information please see: https://sydney.edu.au/students/industry-and-community-projects.html.