University Gatekeepers Use Citizenship Rhetoric to Relegate the Status of Disabled Students

• In Event: 25.053 - Critical Citizenship Education: Affirming Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice

Abstract

Despite affirmation that students with disabilities should have equal access to education, individuals with disabilities are still not participating to the same degree as those without, particularly in postsecondary institutions. Students in Health and Human Service (HHS) programs experience many unique challenges and disadvantages. In-depth focus groups and interviews were conducted with 14 university stakeholders in HHS programs regarding their perceptions and experiences working with students with disabilities. We found that the rhetoric of citizenship, specifically notions of rationality, autonomy, and productivity, interacts with beliefs about students with disabilities to allow stakeholders to justify their exclusion or limited participation. Our findings demonstrate how taken-for-granted beliefs can limit the inclusion of students with disabilities in ways that seem natural and unproblematic.

Authors

• Adam Easterbrook

• Laura Yvonne Bulk, The University of British Columbia

• Tal Jarus, University of British Columbia

• Parisa Ghanouni

• Brian Hahn

• Bathseba Opini

• Gurdeep Parhar

• Michael Lee