Engaging Diverse Voices: The Experiences of Barbadian and Trinidadian Adults With Disabilities at School

• In Event: Roundtable Session 50
  In Roundtable Session: Taking Stock: Engaging Diverse Perspectives on Education at Macro and Micro Levels

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective study was to document the barriers to participation experienced by adults with disabilities at secondary school. A qualitative research design utilized ecological systems theory, phenomenology and content analysis to explore the experiences of students and generate themes in the study. The research questions were 1) what barriers to participation were experienced by adults with disabilities at school in Barbados and Trinidad? and 2) How can schools better integrate students with disabilities in Barbados and Trinidad? Findings suggest that interactions were characterized by conflict and this negatively impacted the psycho-social adjustment of students at secondary school. Although contextual barriers existed in the exo-system students’ narratives revealed that technology was the best way to facilitate their integration.

Authors

• Stacey Natasha Jillian Blackman, University of the West Indies

• Dennis Conrad, State University of New York

• Lisa Philip, University of the West Indies-Open Campus