“I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa
It is often challenging for youth with disabilities to access university education in Africa, and for those who manage to make it to university, while there, their experiences are still not barrier-free. The purpose of this study was to uncover the experiences of the barriers and facilitators to inc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Disabilities |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7272/3/1/9 |
| _version_ | 1797612414563254272 |
|---|---|
| author | Dureyah Abrahams Beata Batorowicz Peter Ndaa Sumaya Gabriels Solomon M. Abebe Xiaolin Xu Heather M. Aldersey |
| author_facet | Dureyah Abrahams Beata Batorowicz Peter Ndaa Sumaya Gabriels Solomon M. Abebe Xiaolin Xu Heather M. Aldersey |
| author_sort | Dureyah Abrahams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is often challenging for youth with disabilities to access university education in Africa, and for those who manage to make it to university, while there, their experiences are still not barrier-free. The purpose of this study was to uncover the experiences of the barriers and facilitators to inclusion for youth with disabilities in universities in South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia. This qualitative project applied a critical, participatory research approach to exploring youth experiences. Youth with disabilities and their colleagues conducted seven focus group discussions, with an average of five students in each focus group, and we used a qualitative descriptive method to analyze data. The findings uncovered similarities and differences in the barriers and facilitators to inclusive education among students with disabilities across all sites. Participants noted limited financial support and university services, and how inaccessible spaces and harmful attitudes are all barriers that hinder their access to education and inclusion. The identified facilitators include support systems and self-directed facilitation. Although the students self-advocated and reported some support to assist in their inclusion in university, it was still insufficient. Notably, some universities are making a concerted effort toward inclusion and accessibility, but more work needs to be done. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:40:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f883486dc5347979f2e1521533e98de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-7272 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:40:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Disabilities |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f883486dc5347979f2e1521533e98de2023-11-17T10:36:09ZengMDPI AGDisabilities2673-72722023-03-013111412810.3390/disabilities3010009“I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South AfricaDureyah Abrahams0Beata Batorowicz1Peter Ndaa2Sumaya Gabriels3Solomon M. Abebe4Xiaolin Xu5Heather M. Aldersey6Department of Health Sciences Education, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South AfricaSchool of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaDepartment of Occupational Therapy, University of Ghana, Korle Bu, Accra P.O. Box KB 143, GhanaDepartment of Health Sciences Education, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South AfricaCollege of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar 6200, EthiopiaSchool of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaSchool of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaIt is often challenging for youth with disabilities to access university education in Africa, and for those who manage to make it to university, while there, their experiences are still not barrier-free. The purpose of this study was to uncover the experiences of the barriers and facilitators to inclusion for youth with disabilities in universities in South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia. This qualitative project applied a critical, participatory research approach to exploring youth experiences. Youth with disabilities and their colleagues conducted seven focus group discussions, with an average of five students in each focus group, and we used a qualitative descriptive method to analyze data. The findings uncovered similarities and differences in the barriers and facilitators to inclusive education among students with disabilities across all sites. Participants noted limited financial support and university services, and how inaccessible spaces and harmful attitudes are all barriers that hinder their access to education and inclusion. The identified facilitators include support systems and self-directed facilitation. Although the students self-advocated and reported some support to assist in their inclusion in university, it was still insufficient. Notably, some universities are making a concerted effort toward inclusion and accessibility, but more work needs to be done.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7272/3/1/9disabilityeducationinclusionuniversityaccessibility |
| spellingShingle | Dureyah Abrahams Beata Batorowicz Peter Ndaa Sumaya Gabriels Solomon M. Abebe Xiaolin Xu Heather M. Aldersey “I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa Disabilities disability education inclusion university accessibility |
| title | “I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa |
| title_full | “I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa |
| title_fullStr | “I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa |
| title_short | “I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa |
| title_sort | i m not asking for special treatment i m asking for access experiences of university students with disabilities in ghana ethiopia and south africa |
| topic | disability education inclusion university accessibility |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7272/3/1/9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dureyahabrahams imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica AT beatabatorowicz imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica AT peterndaa imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica AT sumayagabriels imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica AT solomonmabebe imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica AT xiaolinxu imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica AT heathermaldersey imnotaskingforspecialtreatmentimaskingforaccessexperiencesofuniversitystudentswithdisabilitiesinghanaethiopiaandsouthafrica |