Strategies for Increasing Accessibility and Equity in Health and Human Service Educational Programs: Protocol for a National, Mixed Methods Study

Tal Jarus (), Lindsay Stephens, Tracey Edelist, Erika Katzman, Cheryl Holmes, Stuart Kamenetsky, Iris Epstein and Shahbano Zaman
Additional contact information
Tal Jarus: Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
Lindsay Stephens: Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, St. George, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
Tracey Edelist: Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada
Erika Katzman: Department of Disability Studies, King’s University College (Western University), London, ON N6A 2M3, Canada
Cheryl Holmes: Division of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
Stuart Kamenetsky: Department of Psychology, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6, Canada
Iris Epstein: Department of Nursing, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
Shahbano Zaman: Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada

Disabilities, 2024, vol. 4, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Introduction: Despite legislation mandating accommodation policies in higher education, support for learners with disabilities is often not implemented within health and human services (HHS) education programs, particularly in fieldwork settings. This paper will describe the protocol of a study aimed to (a) explore challenges and opportunities of current practices for supporting learners living with disabilities in a fieldwork context, across 10 HHS programs; and (b) develop, pilot and evaluate innovative accessibility practices to decrease existing barriers faced by educators and learners. Method: Using a critical disability studies framework, we designed a national, multi-profession, mixed methods design. Data are collected through interviews (qualitative) and an online survey (quantitative) that participants complete prior to the interview. Additionally, an online mapping diary is used to facilitate the understanding of accessibility in fieldwork education from the perspective of the learners. Participants include learners living with disabilities, academic fieldwork coordinators, fieldwork educators, accessibility advisors and professional organizations representatives. Implications: Learners living with disabilities navigate systemic barriers: (a) the additional “work of being a disabled learner”, during a rigorous academic program, and (b) absent or inadequate fieldwork accommodations. Exploring those systemic barriers as faced by all partners offers the potential to develop strategies and tools to foster inclusive and accessible HHS education.

Keywords: learners with disabilities; higher education; health professions; accommodations; fieldwork education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7272/4/3/28/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7272/4/3/28/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jdisab:v:4:y:2024:i:3:p:28-458:d:1422234

Access Statistics for this article

Disabilities is currently edited by Ms. Cici Zhou

More articles in Disabilities from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().