Nondisabled Peers Research Articles

Status and Trend of General Education, Technical Education, and Vocational Education by Persons with Disabilities in India: Reflection of three NSS rounds

Abstract : The present study attempts to estimate the status and trend in educational achievement, particularly in technical and vocational education among persons with disabilities in India across gender and social groups. 47th, 58th, and 76th round unitlevel National Sample Survey data were analyzed using the gender parity index, compound annual growth rate, ordered logit model, and binary logit model. Result shows that though the literacy rate among persons with disabilities in India gradually increases over time, still half of the persons with disabilities were illiterate compared to one-fifth of non-disabled peers. A large section of children with disabilities drops out. The transition of education from school level to higher education, technical and vocational education by persons with disabilities was very slow. Only 4.31 percent, 3.08 percent, and 1.08 percent of persons with disabilities received higher education, vocational education, and technical training in 2018. There was a gradual decrease in gender disparity against women with disabilities and turns in favor of women at all levels of general education. However, gender disparity persisted against females with disabilities, in the attainment of technical and vocational training. The attainment of technical education by males with disabilities was three times higher compared to females with disabilities. Strong caste discrimination still exists in all levels of educational attainment against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Educational achievement is negatively related to the severity of the disability, household size, and rural-urban areas, but positively to households' economic status. The study draws important policy implications to improve the education of persons with disabilities. Keywords: Caste discrimination, Gender discrimination, General education, Persons with disabilities, Technical Education, Vocational Education

Development and Application Effect of Art-Integrated Japanese Language Classes to Enhance Engagement and Satisfaction for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Non-Disabled Peers

Development and Application Effect of Art-Integrated Japanese Language Classes to Enhance Engagement and Satisfaction for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Non-Disabled Peers

Do I Belong Yet? The Relationship Between Special Education, In-School Suspension, Belonging, and Engagement

Students receiving special education services are disproportionately subjected to exclusionary discipline compared to their nondisabled peers. They also report feeling less connected and engaged at school, which is associated with exclusionary discipline experiences. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study (2009), we examined the relationship between special education, in-school suspension, school belonging, and school engagement. In line with past research, we found that students who received special education services were at a higher risk of in-school suspension than their general education peers. Students with higher levels of school engagement were at a lower risk of receiving in-school suspension, regardless of special education services. However, higher levels of school belonging were associated with more suspensions for those receiving special education, while the inverse was true for nonspecial education students. Additional research is needed to understand this unique relationship and its implications for discipline and the school experiences of students with dis/abilities.

Strategies to increase accessibility for students with disabilities in health professional programs: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this scoping review will be to identify strategies in the literature that may increase the accessibility of health professional programs for students with disabilities. The number of students with disabilities in health professional programs is increasing. However, since students with disabilities experience barriers to education, their retention rates are potentially lower, and their attrition rates are potentially higher compared with their non-disabled peers. Academic and gray literature that identifies strategies intended to increase accessibility to health professional programs for students with disabilities will be included. Only articles published from 2000 onward will be considered for inclusion. This review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Databases to be searched will include Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), ERIC (ProQuest), and Web of Science. Gray literature will be searched for using Google. Websites of known disability organizations will also be searched. There will be no language limitations. Paired reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, and then full-text articles. Data will be extracted using a tool developed by the reviewers. The extracted data will be synthesized and reported in tabular format, accompanied by a narrative summary connecting the results to the objective of the review. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/BSYRT.

Invisible disabilities and college academic success: New evidence from a mediation analysis

Students with “invisible” disabilities—including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), learning disorders, and mental health conditions—make up an increasingly large share of college students in the United States. Despite these gains in access, students with invisible disabilities remain disadvantaged relative to their neurotypical and non-disabled peers in many parts of the college experience, including academically. Researchers have hypothesized that inequalities in pre-college academic preparation, barriers to social integration, and lower levels of engagement on college campuses may be at least partially to blame. We test this hypothesis using newly available survey data on college students in the state of Indiana (n = 2728). Based on a series of decompositions, we show that students with invisible disabilities face a series of interrelated challenges, beginning with their academic preparation and extending into their social and academic experiences on college campuses. That these disadvantages feed into one another suggests the presence of a cumulative advantage/disadvantage process, in which early advantages and disadvantages compound as disabled and non-disabled students move through the educational system.

Uncovering Reproductive Injustice Toward Women With Disabilities

Abstract: For centuries, the reproductive agency of women with disabilities have been challenged and often undermined by informal and formal support networks. Evidence illustrates that women with disabilities face disproportionately higher rates of reproductive violence compared to their nondisabled peers (i.e., long-term contraception or forced sterilization). However, little is known about the specific nature, type, and impact of reproductive violence on women with disabilities. This scoping review examined the literature related to the reproductive violence against women with disabilities. We used Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, and based on our inclusion criteria, 28 empirical articles were included. Most studies were published in the disciplines of health (i.e., nursing and medicine) within the North American context and used qualitative research designs. Main findings within the scoping review included themes related to imposed contraception, rationalization of sterilization, barriers to sexual and reproductive health services, and the discourses underpinning reproductive injustice toward women with disabilities. The findings of the study have implications for future disability community-based research, peer-led supports, practice guidelines for professionals, and intersectoral policy provision aiming at supporting the reproductive agency of women with disabilities.

A critical history of child protection and welfare services for disabled children in the Republic of Ireland, 1960–2023

Existing research demonstrates at least threefold higher rates of maltreatment for disabled children than for their non-disabled peers. The situation is compounded by pervasive impediments to effective safeguarding practice for disabled children. While scholarly attention to this area is growing, one aspect remains thoroughly neglected in the Irish context, namely, historical accounts of disability and child protection are stark by their absence. This article presents key historical changes in child protection and welfare practice for disabled children from 1960 to 2023 in the Republic of Ireland. The account illustrates how discourses of risk aversion, rights and inclusion have collided with increased bureaucratisation and state regulation. Towards achieving a critical theoretical exposition of the history, conceptual conventions of the ‘5-P’ child protection model (prevention, paramountcy, partnership, protection and parental responsibility) are applied. Key lessons for policymakers and practitioners about the sociocultural construction of child protection and disability are then extracted and, with respect to informing future practice, critically explored.

"I shouldn't just hide in the darkness": youth and parent experiences in wheelchair sport

ABSTRACT Disabled youth derive health, social belonging, enjoyment, and well-being from participating in sports, much like their nondisabled peers. This narrative inquiry study explored wheelchair sport experiences and the meaning ascribed to sport participation among youth with orthopedic impairments and their parents or guardians. Using a multi-case study, narrative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three youth athletes and their parents. Thematic analysis shed light upon the participant narratives of social belonging, self-beliefs, and identity development experienced by the youth participants and their parents within the context of wheelchair sport. The first theme, ‘wheelchair sport as a community,' portrayed the wheelchair sport event as a highly inclusive setting that enabled strong social acceptance and emotional support. The second theme, ‘moving from frustration toward confidence in sporting contexts,' captured ambivalent emotive moments experienced during sport participation, particularly those related to perceived physical abilities. While the final theme, ‘athletic identity in wheelchair sport,' depicted the youth participants' individual journeys toward athletic identity development. Based on these lived experiences and perceptions, participants' stories illustrate the social, physical, and psychosocial benefits and challenges of wheelchair sport participation. The study concluded that youth wheelchair sport can be a meaningful avenue for social interaction for disabled youth and their families, positive self-concept regarding one's body and abilities, and pro-athletic identity beliefs. Further, introductory events to wheelchair sport must be carefully planned and implemented to create an enjoyable and low-stakes opportunity for novice wheelchair sport athletes to explore their relationships with physical activity and sporting culture.

Ethnographic perspectives of mothers and professionals on including children with disabilities in oral health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Children with disabilities generally face poorer oral health outcomes compared with their non-disabled peers due to a range of factors including inadequate oral hygiene, infrequent dental visits and systemic barriers in accessing care. This ethnographic study explored the perspectives of caregivers and professionals to identify the ways that children with disabilities are included in oral health. A purposive sample of 10 caregivers, all mothers with disabled children aged 9-15 years, five healthcare providers and five educators in Saudi Arabia, participated. Data collection used participant observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that mothers lacked a supportive environment to develop their skills and knowledge about oral health care, preventing them from including their children in oral health. Inaccessible services added to the exclusion of both mothers and children. Some dental professionals exhibited poor communication skills and discriminatory attitudes towards the children and problematising mothers. Educators tended to discuss disabled children in terms of inability, displaying a deficit approach to impairment. The evidence suggests the exclusion of mothers from oral health. This has an impact on how they enable their children. Recommendations include adopting a social model of disability in dental education and policies in Saudi Arabia to address inequalities. Provision of support, education and focusing on societal barriers moves towards inclusion rather than conceptualising disability as an individual problem.

The association between disability and all-cause mortality in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

There are 1·3 billion people with disabilities globally. On average, they have poorer health than their non-disabled peers, but the extent of increased risk of premature mortality is unknown. We aimed to systematically review the association between disability and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We searched MEDLINE, Global Health, PsycINFO, and EMBASE from Jan 1, 1990 to Nov 14, 2022. Longitudinal epidemiological studies in any language with a comparator group that measured the association between disability and all-cause mortality in people of any age were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to calculate the pooled hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality by disability status. We then conducted meta-analyses separately for different impairment and age groups. We identified 6146 unique articles, of which 70 studies (81 cohorts) were included in the systematic review, from 22 countries. There was variability in the methods used to assess and report disability and mortality. The meta-analysis included 54 studies, representing 62 cohorts (comprising 270 571 people with disabilities). Pooled HRs for all-cause mortality were 2·02 (95% CI 1·77-2·30) for people with disabilities versus those without disabilities, with high heterogeneity between studies (τ2=0·23, I2=98%). This association varied by impairment type: from 1·36 (1·17-1·57) for visual impairment to 3·95 (1·60-9·74) for multiple impairments. The association was highest for children younger than 18 years (4·46, [3·01-6·59]) and lower in people aged 15-49 years (2·45 [1·21-4·97]) and people older than 60 years (1·97 [1·65-2·36]). People with disabilities had a two-fold higher mortality rate than people without disabilities in LMICs. Interventions are needed to improve the health of people with disabilities and reduce their higher mortality rate. UK National Institute for Health and Care Research; and UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Disabled Workers Outperform Non-Disabled Peers in Indonesia

This study examines the productivity differences between disabled and non-disabled workers at PT. United Pharmatic Indonesia. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 120 employees in the production department through proportional random sampling and analyzed with SPSS 22. Questionnaires provided quantitative data on employee productivity. Results show no significant difference in productivity levels, with disabled workers having a slightly higher average score (39.59) than non-disabled workers (39.16). The findings suggest that disability does not negatively impact productivity, supporting inclusive hiring practices. Highlight: No significant productivity difference: Disabled and non-disabled workers show comparable productivity levels. Higher productivity in disabled workers: Slightly higher average productivity for disabled workers. Support for inclusive hiring: Findings encourage integrating disabled individuals into the workforce. Keywoard: worker productivity, disabilities, non-disabilities, quantitative research, SPSS

39. Do adolescents with disabilities have lower rates of STI screening than non-disabled peers?

39. Do adolescents with disabilities have lower rates of STI screening than non-disabled peers?

A Comparison of Autistic and Non-Autistic College Students' Perceived Challenges and Engagement in Self-Advocacy.

Autistic students experience lower college graduation rates than their peers, affecting future opportunities. Self-advocacy is crucial for successful adaptation in postsecondary settings and is documented as a challenge for autistic students. The purpose of the study was to examine autistic college students' engagement in self-advocacy and specific college-related challenges as compared to their neurodivergent and neurotypical peers. This study used a cross-sectional survey design to compare perceptions related to self-advocacy and college-related challenges across three groups of students: autistic students, students with a disability other than autism, and nondisabled students. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare survey responses across groups. Differences in the groups' perceptions of their engagement in overall self-advocacy and specific self-advocacy strategies were evident. Autistic students rated themselves significantly lower on self-advocacy than did students with other disabilities. When compared to their nondisabled peers, the autistic students and those with other disabilities were less likely to report comfort interacting in the classroom, including less interest in group work, and more difficulty interacting with unfamiliar peers. In addition, the autistic students were more likely to report difficulty recognizing the need for academic assistance when compared to both peer groups. Autistic students also reported greater social challenges in the college setting than their nondisabled peers, and both neurodivergent groups of students reported significantly more challenges, overall, navigating the college setting than did their nondisabled peers. Findings highlight the need for systematic, individualized self-advocacy supports for autistic and other neurodivergent college students. In addition, findings show the need to educate peers and professors about autism and self-advocacy to foster a welcoming college environment. Finally, findings suggest the need for increased social support and opportunities for social integration within postsecondary settings. Speech-language pathologists play a critical role in implementing these next steps.

Inclusive postsecondary education and self-determination: using photovoice to centre student voices in the United States of America

Self-determination, or the freedom to act as the primary causal agent in one’s life, is a well-documented component of enhanced quality of life. Yet young adults with disabilities are often less self-determined than their nondisabled peers. Furthermore, there is an absence of the voices of young adults with disabilities in the literature related to self-determination. While research investigating populations positioned as marginalized has historically been defined by a marked power differential, separating the researcher from the participant, this study utilizes photovoice, a participatory method, to understand how U.S. college students with intellectual disabilities understand self-determination. We seek to trouble the dominant narrative that marginalizes students with intellectual disabilities and instead positions these emerging adults as experts in their own lives. From this study we illuminate how self-determination is enhanced through equality of opportunity and how sense of belonging is related to self-determination.

Trends and Challenges in the Mental Health of University Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examines mental health in university students with disabilities, focusing on increasing prevalence and associated challenges. Following the PRISMA protocol for study selection and analysis, it aims to analyze problem prevalence and risk factors, explore support strategies and available resources, and identify gaps and areas for improvement in care and access to mental health services for disabled university students. This review includes 16 articles that met the established criteria. The findings reveal higher mental health issue prevalence in these students compared to non-disabled peers, highlighting the need for specific, tailored interventions. Improvement areas in general inclusion measures to prevent high-risk situations and intervention responses to discomfort and existing mental health problems are discussed. The importance of a holistic approach to ensure their overall well-being and academic success in an inclusive educational environment is emphasized.

Amount of instructional and inclusion time for children with disabilities in France

ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to study the actual situation of the inclusion of children with disabilities in France. The parents of 552 children with disabilities, aged between 3 and 18, were interviewed about the amount of instructional and inclusion time of their child. Inclusion time refers to instructional time spent with non-disabled peers. The parents also specified the nature and severity of their child’s disability, the potential difficulties linked to the child’s behaviour using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the child’s academic level and various socio-demographic variables. The study shows that the amount of instructional time of children with a disability is significantly lower than that of non-disabled children. Children with an intellectual disability or with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) have significantly less instructional time than children with a motor disability, dys-disorder or ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). An important number of hours of inclusion is associated with a high academic level, particularly in mathematics. The higher the total score of emotional difficulties is, the lesser the child is schooled and included; conversely, a high score of pro-social behaviour is associated with more hours of instruction, after controlling the other variables. Finally, the parents’ socio-professional category has an impact on instructional time and even more so on inclusion time, in favour of children with an advantaged background.

Examining Career Transitioning among Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

The career transitioning of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) has not been commendable. People with SLD are overrepresented in unskilled work and underrepresented in managerial and professional occupations as compared to their non-disabled peers. This research paper discusses the career transitioning of students with SLD with regard to existing research concerning knowledge, attitudes and perceptions about these students. It examined ways of preparing and supporting students with SLD towards their transition into the world of work. Additionally, it examined how important career transitioning is for students who have SLD. Stronger social networks, improved self-esteem, avoiding stigma, and potential lifetime advantages including better incomes and independent living as some of the relevance of career transitioning for students with SLD. The paper highlights the need for students with SLD to receive support and guidance from their parents, teachers, school administrators, peers, counselors, and other stakeholders in order to obtain stable careers for the future. Further research is required to strengthen the literature that already exists on this topic.

“Giving the People Who Use the Service a Voice”: Student Experiences of University Disability Services

Disabled students are systematically disadvantaged compared to their non-disabled peers and Disability Services can provide important access to accommodations and support. Such services are not, however, without issues. The present study investigates student experiences with University Disability Services in order to identify shared barriers to inclusion and recommendations for practice. Individual semi-structured online interviews were conducted with twelve female students. Each student discussed their engagement with Disability Services as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, and each student disclosed a long-term, nonvisible condition. A thematic analysis was used to identify three themes. These were (1) Identity and Legitimacy (Identification as Disabled, Perceived Legitimacy, The Importance of Evidence), (2) Knowledge and Understanding (Knowledge of Specific Conditions, Knowledge of Disability Services, Disability Services Staff Knowledge and Understanding, Peer Knowledge and Understanding), and (3) Independence and Support (Desire for Autonomy, The Importance of Self-Advocacy, Additional Support). The findings highlight shared barriers to support experienced by students with different diagnoses who engage with University Disability Services. A range of recommendations are provided to improve Disability Services provision (e.g., universities are advised to review the language used to advertise Disability Services).

Do people with disabilities experience disparities in cancer care? A systematic review

Background Over 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, live with some form of disability. Recent studies have reported that people with disabilities (PwD) might not be receiving state-of-the-art treatment for cancer as their non-disabled peers; our objective was to systematically review this topic. Methods A systematic review was undertaken to compare cancer outcomes and quality of cancer care between adults with and without disabilities (NIHR Prospero register ID number: CRD42022281506). A search of the literature was performed in July 2022 across five databases: EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CINAHL databases. Peer-reviewed quantitative research articles, published in English from 2000 to 2022, with interventional or observational study designs, comparing cancer outcomes between a sample of adult patients with disabilities and a sample without disabilities were included. Studies focused on cancer screening and not treatment were excluded, as well as editorials, commentaries, opinion papers, reviews, case reports, case series under 10 patients and conference abstracts. Studies were evaluated by one reviewer for risk of bias based on a set of criteria according to the SIGN 50 guidelines. A narrative synthesis was conducted according to the Cochrane SWiM guidelines, with tables summarizing study characteristics and outcomes. This research received no external funding. Results Thirty-one studies were included in the systematic review. Compared to people without disabilities, PwD had worse cancer outcomes, in terms of poorer survival and higher overall and cancer-specific mortality. There was also evidence that PwD received poorer quality cancer care, including lower access to state-of-the-art care or curative-intent therapies, treatment delays, undertreatment or excessively invasive treatment, worse access to in-hospital services, less specialist healthcare utilization, less access to pain medications and inadequate end-of-life quality of care. Discussion Limitations of this work include the exclusion of qualitative research, no assessment of publication bias, selection performed by only one reviewer, results from high-income countries only, no meta-analysis and a high risk of bias in 15% of included studies. In spite of these limitations, our results show that PwD often experience severe disparities in cancer care with less guideline-consistent care and higher mortality than people without disabilities. These findings raise urgent questions about how to ensure equitable care for PwD; in order to prevent avoidable morbidity and mortality, cancer care programs need to be evaluated and urgently improved, with specific training of clinical staff, more disability inclusive research, better communication and shared decision-making with patients and elimination of physical, social and cultural barriers.

Critical Disability Studies, Corporeality and Child Maltreatment: Theorising the Somatechnics of Self and Other

This paper presents a bespoke postmodern reading of the corporeality and somatechnics of self and other. It situates itself within the transformative transdisciplinary space of critical disability studies. Therein, it reflects upon the speculative boundaries between self and other, in the context of childhood disability and child maltreatment. As such, how the intervals and convergent space of self and other are engendered by technologies and techniques that both safeguard and endanger disabled children, is interrogated with classic postmodern scepticism. The context is, that international evidence places the prevalence of child abuse and neglect at significantly increased levels for disabled children. This is an enduring international problem in which disabled children continue to experience rates of abuse and neglect that far surpass those for non-disabled peers. Concurrently, safeguarding efforts are undermined in ways that are grossly dissimilar to majority population peers, including significant problems in the way that disability is conceptualised and understood. Selective reading of somatic and corporeal, as well as agentic and attitudinal dimensions of the problem, hinge on the theoretical binary of self and other. The intention is to broaden the ways in which the significant problem of safeguarding of disabled children is understood. Assistive technology, surveillance techniques and temporalities, and varied relational technics of safeguarding, all help to embed a more complicated understanding of disability and child maltreatment.