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Listening to young people with physical disabilities' experiences of education

Listening to young people with physical disabilities' experiences of education
Listening to young people with physical disabilities' experiences of education
There is a general acceptance that inclusion is morally and ethically the most appropriate form of education. However, more research needs to focus on how best to accommodate and support the educational needs of all students, including those with physical disabilities. Listening to young people with physical disabilities talk about their educational experiences is one way to do this. The aim of this research was to investigate the life stories of a small number of young people with physical disabilities, in particular focusing on their educational experiences. Nine young people, between the ages of 10 and 13 years, who used a manual or powered wheelchair and had the cognitive ability to participate in a series of biographical interviews, were recruited. They collaborated in the writing of their life stories. One theme identified in the analysis of these life stories was their educational experiences. The results highlight that the participants held mixed views about their education. The four who attended a segregated special school were generally positive about their experiences. Participants who had attended a mainstream school talked about positive and negative experiences. Individual and differing perspectives on friendships and the ethos of their school were noted. It is suggested that young people with physical disabilities need to be considered as individuals and that if schools are to achieve the goal of inclusion they need to develop ways to accommodate each individual’s needs.
biographic interviews, experiences of education, students with physical disabilities
1034-912X
195-214
Curtin, Michael
7f639db3-da95-41ba-b734-491e559e482f
Clarke, Gill
112f4fba-7fd5-41eb-b70c-a91eb3309b2b
Curtin, Michael
7f639db3-da95-41ba-b734-491e559e482f
Clarke, Gill
112f4fba-7fd5-41eb-b70c-a91eb3309b2b

Curtin, Michael and Clarke, Gill (2005) Listening to young people with physical disabilities' experiences of education. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 52 (3), 195-214. (doi:10.1080/10349120500252817).

Record type: Article

Abstract

There is a general acceptance that inclusion is morally and ethically the most appropriate form of education. However, more research needs to focus on how best to accommodate and support the educational needs of all students, including those with physical disabilities. Listening to young people with physical disabilities talk about their educational experiences is one way to do this. The aim of this research was to investigate the life stories of a small number of young people with physical disabilities, in particular focusing on their educational experiences. Nine young people, between the ages of 10 and 13 years, who used a manual or powered wheelchair and had the cognitive ability to participate in a series of biographical interviews, were recruited. They collaborated in the writing of their life stories. One theme identified in the analysis of these life stories was their educational experiences. The results highlight that the participants held mixed views about their education. The four who attended a segregated special school were generally positive about their experiences. Participants who had attended a mainstream school talked about positive and negative experiences. Individual and differing perspectives on friendships and the ethos of their school were noted. It is suggested that young people with physical disabilities need to be considered as individuals and that if schools are to achieve the goal of inclusion they need to develop ways to accommodate each individual’s needs.

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More information

Published date: September 2005
Additional Information: biographical research
Keywords: biographic interviews, experiences of education, students with physical disabilities

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 17663
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/17663
ISSN: 1034-912X
PURE UUID: 55f61dc5-6c20-4fc7-bb73-bf813b692c9f

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Date deposited: 21 Oct 2005
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 06:01

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Contributors

Author: Michael Curtin
Author: Gill Clarke

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